Censoring Art, Why do We Accept This?

I'd been meaning to comment on the UK's recently banned video game Manhunt 2 (I've also added some stories to my shared items list on the right), so here's some brief thoughts on the matter:

Seems pretty lame to me. The point of a rating is to advize about content, that seems an agreeable thing for a givernment to do. But this is flat out censorship, with absolutely no claim to legitimate reasonsing. Even the Adults Only rating in the US betrays the purpose of ratings and borders censorship in my mind once it is linked with conservative mainstream retailers such as walmart which won't sell it, a defacto censorship and they damned well knew it.

At least some people seem to get it, however. I remember reading within the last year that the french had honoured some video game makers with prestigous art awards. I couldn't find the article, but this is from the wikipedia page:

On March 13, 2006, the French ministry of culture held a ceremony to elevate three famous video game designers to the dignity of Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters. Rayman's designer Michel Ancel, Alone in the Dark's creator Frederick Raynal as well as legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto received their medal from the hands of minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. The Minister said: "Because they are a cultural entertainment medium, video games are more than welcome rue de Valois [note: where the ministry sits in Paris]. 'Art is a game between all men from all times' said Marcel Duchamp. I am convinced that our country's vitality in the video game creation field is a guaranty of its capacity to innovate, to evolve and to create."

Somebody Killed The Sopranos!

I haven't watch The Sopranos enough to comment much on the finale, but I will highlight a few posts to the official website discussion board that resonate with my own feelings:

As I think back to the episode I can only feel good. Made in America was exactly what the family stood for. Meadow wants to help people who are discriminated against, AJ wants to support our country in the war, Tony helps the cop and makes his living in America. The end dinner scene was awesome. The black guy, The italian family, the hick, and the arab looking guy. The american melting pot. David Chase set up the viewers to make fun of themselves. Look at all these people thinking the arab was going to kill Tony or that the blacks would. All racism and prejudice. Thats how all the terrorsim shit and anti-black shit gets ties up. Its clever how chase was able to toy with us and ultimately turn it agianst us.

I dissagree with the last part to a certain extent since I feel it was pretty clear cinematically he was setting us up to expect the white guy at the bar who goes to the bathroom at the end to kill Tony. But I think the rest is still present if secondary. Annother:

I think this ending was awful. I would say that 90% of people thought that their cable went out. Upon reflection, that in itself was a great prank. I muttered BULLSHIT for a solid hour after it was over. Upon reflection, maybe it was a great thing to not end the series, and just end us (the viewers). We were "peeking" into this world anyway, our peek just ended. Brilliant? or lazy? That debate will rage on for a while.... At the end of the series - I didn't like any of them anymore, and I feel like I've been screwed. It makes the "peek" all the more realistic! BRAVO!