Looks like Jackie T. has got a few friends in the Boston area. According to the Associated Press, officials at the MBTA want to pull ads for violent video games, or in this case Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Basically, the transportation authority doesn’t want kids to see ads for games that allow them to be bad little boys and girls:
The MBTA will no longer display advertisements for video games that are meant for adults after a citizens group complained about posters for a game that encourages players to steal, murder and have sex with prostitutes, a top official said yesterday.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood had demanded advertisements for “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories” be pulled off the subways.
In a letter dated Monday, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s General Manager Daniel Grabauskas told the group that the MBTA’s board had approved a ban on ads for games rated suitable only for persons 17 or older.
“We are thrilled that the MBTA has been so responsive to community concerns,” said Susan Linn, co-founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. “The children of Boston can now ride the MBTA without being targets for advertising that glorifies violence. Linn added that the decision “sends a strong message to the videogame industry that public property cannot be used to promote violence to children. We hope that other cities will follow suit.”
Censorship: Coming to a city near you.
