Top 5 list of Super Bowl ads

Now I cannot have an entertainment blog, and not discuss the Super Bowl ads before the big game. It just can’t be done.

As the ads for the big game are getting finalized, cut back, or eliminated (like PETA's porn ad) – most due to the economic freefall – I wanted to look back and mention my 5 favorite all time Super Bowl ads. Some you will agree with, in fact I think everyone will agree that they are all top ads which is rare in any list ever made. You may not agree with the order I pick. But you are more than free to correct me if you wish.

Number 5

I hate, with extreme prejudice, Grand Theft Auto. But I have to say that Coca Cola did a great job to twisting the hyper-violent, stereotyped, insulting game into something everyone can watch and enjoy. Though I still prefer Pepsi to drink.



Number 4

There is no office more interesting to watch than the one with Terry Tate. The mix of the monotony of daily work and the excitement of football is something that was truly inspired genius.



Number 3

It was hard to decide if this should be higher or not. But I settled for 3. Michael Jordan, and the equally famous Larry Bird, doing what only they can do – sink a basket like almost no one else. It just wouldn’t work with anyone else. And you just have to wonder who missed first (my bet is Bird would miss first).



Number 2

Now this one may get me a lot of heat. It is the first Super Bowl ad that I can remember. It is classic in every aspect. It was the true usher of the Super Bowl ad competition we all enjoy today. It is famous across the world (and copied without pause as well). But I place it 2nd.



Number 1

It’s artsy. It’s got a message. It was groundbreaking. And it was used to crush a Democratic Primary hopeful (thankfully) some 24 years after it was made. What more does it take to reach the top?



Of course there is one other Super Bowl ad that I must mention. It is separate of all the other Super Bowl ads. Created by Budweiser, it displayed the heart of the nation. It must be mentioned in any list of greatest Super Bowl ads, and is separate of any ranking.



So there is my list of the top 5 greatest Super Bowl ads. Now if I were to make the list go to 10, what else should I add? And what order would you have chosen?

And maybe, we can hope, the economic breakdown inspired something that can make my list next year. But with these greats, it’s hard to imagine.

10 video games not to buy for kids

Some interesting news is out about a list of 2007 videogames that is unlike most lists you may have seen before. Unlike the usual top seller lists, or the Best of 2007 that you are going to see from various retailers and websites, this list details what not to buy.

It’s not a worst of the year list either. This is a list that focuses on the most violent and child-inappropriate games in the industry. I have to say that the list is accurate, though to be fair, the games on the list are all rated for mature gamers. These aren’t games intended for the Game Cube or Wii. In fact I would imagine that the titles alone are enough to make most parents realize that a young child should not get or play this game.

Without guessing I’m sure you can imagine the #1 game on the list of 10. Obviously it is the drug and violence promoting Grand Theft Auto. It doesn’t matter which iteration of the game you want to think of, they all are equal on this subject. Even worse if you consider the abysmal portrayals of African Americans and Latinos/Hispanics.

The rest of the list includes 3 movies conversions, 2 video game dynasties, a rapper and a few other popular games. The full list follows:

• 1. Grand Theft Auto
  
• 2. Manhunt
  
• 3. Scarface
  
• 4. 50 Cent Bulletproof
  
• 5. 300 The Videogame
  
• 6. The Godfather
  
• 7. Killer-7
  
• 8. Resident Evil 4
  
• 9. God of War
  
• 10. Hitman Blood Money
  

The things I can’t imagine are why any parent of a young kid would buy them these games. I mean Manhunt? Hitman? What do you want your kid to group up to be? Are they also looping The Professional and Reservoir Dogs for the kids as a bedtime story?

I will say this though, this is the first list that includes the bewilderingly insipidly named rapper that I think he deserves and I’m happy to know about. If for no other reason, if this prevents the sale of another product targeted directly to African Americans (and yet oddly enough bought mostly by White Americans) that depicts us as mindless criminals’ intent on nefarious activities, then I am pleased to blog on it.

I will also note one other thing. I love the Hitman and Resident Evil series. I think they are some of the best done games each time they come out with a new version. I equally feel that there is no way I would let a little kid play or watch any of them either.

Some things are just obvious.

PS2 video games worth owning - 9.12.2007.1

With the ongoing move from the old generation of video gaming platforms to the latest versions, deals are out there to be had. For those that have yet to switch over to the new platforms, and owning the Playstation 2, you may be wondering what to do. Well there are several choices out there that you may have missed on their initial release, or just didn’t hear enough about to realize they were worth owning.

This list was compiled at Racketboy.com, and I agree with several of the choices. The prices are about as good as they get and more than worth the gameplay you will receive. I’ll just mention a couple of the video game choices I have owned and/or played. (Prices are as stated from the Racketboy.com list)

Gran Turismo 3: $7
Gran Turismo 4: $10
I love this series. Great racing, intensely realistic. You won’t get away with moves that you will in other racing games, and you will be glad about that. Challenging and great graphics.

Devil May Cry: $7
A bit repetative after a while, but at this price well worth it. It shouldn’t take too long for most to beat this game, but you’ll have fun bashing the bad guys along the way.

Resident Evil 4: $16
A must have. The Resident Evil series is a must have. The challenge is at the top end of gaming. At this price how could you ever not play it on a PS2?

Burnout 3 & Burnout Revenge: $12 each
Less realistic than the Gran Turismo series, but then again you aren’t looking to see who is the most skilled driver, persay. Hyper-fast, good graphics and lots of fun. Play your kids, friends or girlfriend/wife, they will all get suched into the competition and watching cars go boom.

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus : $11
I may be a bit old for the game, but so what. I got it for my nephew when it first came out and paid full price then. It’s worth it still now. A good challenge and just fun. A great way to just waste time with your kids (or nd nephews) on a rainy day. Or just play it as an adult and keep it quiet.

The Mark of Kri: $8
A decent game with a unique system of targeting and attacking enemies. The storyline isn’t too simplistic either. It felt quite short to me, but it was an enjoyable time. Worth the money.

Star Wars Starfighter : $7
Fun. I had this and loved it. Again it was a purchase for my nephew that I just enjoyed playing too. Like you don’t want to pilot a Star Wars fighter yourself!

One thing I want to add in. On the list mentioned and linked above are the GTA (Grand Theft Auto) video games. I do not support those games. I disagree with their images, game play and philosophy. I don’t like them for kids or adults. I find them insulting.

Others may enjoy GTA, fine. I just won’t advocate that gaming software, ever. But it’s on the list.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Video games still under the gun - 6.22.2007.1

The entire video game industry just got very lucky. They nearly took a big hit, and the proponents of videoholics nearly got a huge boost. How did this all quietly happen? When and where?

The how and when is the final Virginia Tech report, made by Health & Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and given to President Bush, which made no comment on videogames though critics Jack Thompson and Lyndon LaRouche tried hard to make the connection. This could have been devastating to the industry to be linked to a deranged mass murderer like the shooter at V-Tech.

There have been constant critiques of video games, usually timed with tragic events or political elections, and the violence some games contain. Now there is the AMA. I think it’s just silly. There is no connection to either of these things in my opinion. To make a connection is a false premise, and only benefits lawyers and psychiatrists.

The fact is sick people do sick things. That’s not the fault of a video game or game manufacturers, but the sick individuals themselves. Looking to find an excuse beyond that is just a way to give lawyers another defense in court that shouldn’t exist, I think. Mark my words, this push by the American Medical Association to make videoholics a reality is probably tied to a court case of some sort, probably a class action lawsuit, against some gaming company.

I’m not against lawyers making money, or defending their clients as best they can. I hate when quasi-scientific ‘diseases’ are used to excuse why someone does something they know is morally and/or legally wrong. I feel similar with respect to psychiatrists. They can definitely help people, but not with crap like this, that will no doubt lead to extended sessions for parents who can’t ‘control’ their child. The kid will get plenty of medication to cure or control his ‘addition’ and the parents will lose tons of money.

This sounds so much like what happened when I discussed the Sexsomniac court case,

“I speculated that the research being done in October was a precursor to some legal case an attorney was preparing for. Lo and behold I was not wrong. On the 23rd of May, Mr. Scott Axelburg used this defense to justify placing his hands down the pants of a 16-year-old babysitter.”

Just wait and not only will there be a court case on this, I’d expect the usual political hounddogs to come out and get their pictures taken as they claim they will do something about this ‘epidemic’. It’s the same argument that came out after the GTA (Grand Theft Auto) Hot Coffee fiasco. Given all the senators and politicians that were making soundbites on all the cable news media, I’m surprised that nothing has changed and the issue was dropped for the next watercooler outrage.

Then again, I’m happy it didn’t go anywhere. I may not like GTA, or let my nieces and nephews play that or other violent games, but I won’t say that such games can’t be made. It’s not the kids buying these games, it’s the parents. Congress can’t make anyone buy anything, nor should they. This is a free speech issue [a favorite topic of mine] and a parenting one. The government has no place in it.

I’m sure this isn’t over yet, but at least on more hurdle is past.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Rappers, Clemency, and Interactive Videogaming Entertainment

It's Christmas time (I don't care what religion you are, its the name that most attribute to this time of year) so it seems entertainers and celebrities and some others are being good, hoping Santa and the rest of us will forget anything they've done that was bad this year. That is with the exception of rapper Foxy Brown whom seems to treat her judge in the same manner as she is alledged to have treated workers in a nail salon.

Of course everyone is celebrating various parties, and it wouldn't be a real rap record-release album party without something happening to bring the police. In this case the rapper in question, deceased notorious-b.i.g., wasn't even there for the festivities.

On the more nice side of the the list is Mr. Ethan Hawke who has added his name to the list of celebrities asking govenors to grant clemency to a convicted killer. This clemency request though is backed by the state Office of the Public Defender.

Overall there was nothing of any real importance, or that I wanted to discuss, this week - beyond my thoughts on Reparations to Black African Americans. Then a judge goes and bans a new state law.

Video games, or interactive videogaming entertainment, may not be black (though a huge number of games that involve drugs and violence do have black african americans as pro-/antagonists) oriented, it is entertainment, and as a pround 37 yr old gamer it is of interest to me. So this news item caught my attention. A judge temporarily blocked a California state law, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, banning the sale of violent video games to minors. This law has its roots in the Grand Theft Auto "Hot Coffee" uproar from earlier this year.

The law prevents sale of games such as Resident Evil 4, Ninja Gaiden Black, Battlefield 2, God of War and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay to minors. It does allow the sale of games such as Burnout, Need for Speed, WWE Smackdown, Silent Hunter and others. [This of course assumes that any ratings from the Entertainment Software Association or ESRB are ignored] The reason I am mentioning these games is because while not directly involving humanoids the games on the approved list do provide "...killing, maiming, and dismembering...". In addition the games, notably to me WWE Smackdown and its ilk, "...as a whole, to lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors." Any wrestling game out now definitely in my opinion "enables the player to virtually inflict serious injury upon images of human beings or characters with substantially human characteristics in a manner which is especially heinous, cruel, or depraved..." By definition of the law many games should be banned. And if the law were more than political soundbites [which I hate and see this as] it would be more clear in what it intends.

Of course, much like Sen. Hilary Clinton, Gov. Schwarzenegger is just making a political stand. What politicians and former entertainers-turned-politicians, in my humble opinion, should do is allow parents to determine what is appropriate for their children. If a parent gets of their duff and pays attention to what their child(ren) is doing they will know what the games are about and if it is appropriate.

Even further why I dislike this law is that it uses the same argument posed by those who used rap to excuse acts of violence. The "the music made me do it" crowd. By that I mean the two police officers and a dispatcher killed by a Grand Theft Auto-playing teenager case. A killer is still liable, and a killer, whether they listen to Betheoveen, Tupac, a dog (Son-of-Sam reference for the younger readers) or a track of music while playing GTA.

Entertainers (black, white, purple, or corporations for all it matters) have the freedom in this nation to present what they call entertainment [or interactive videogaming entertainment as the case may be]. The masses are free to agree or not. You don't have to like it, but you can't ban it nor should you try to get political soundbites and brownie points from it.

A bit more political than usual, but the freedoms we have should never be allowed to slip away just because its a slow week, a holiday is near, or its not exactly on topic. Nor should we allow any politician or entertainer the chance to play the soundbite game with us, politically motivated or otherwise.

This is what I think, what do you think? And let Santa know that my blog is a great gift to the naughty and nice, if you see him before I do.