Muir continues, "But the games addiction is only a symptom of the extended childhood of the 21st-century hominid. Marriage, families and children are being delayed for as long as possible, replaced by conspiratorial flat mates and microwave gastropub ready meals. Italian men stay at home with their mother; the British and Americans want to lead a life like an endless episode of Friends."
Damn Muir. Because not every generation can get married at 19, have children at 21 and then be settled down at 29. It's not the way things are done now. People have changed, as has society as a whole. As have video games. Families aren't being "delayed". People are enjoying life and doing what they want to do, not what they have to do. You have the same mentality as my father. He doesn't want me to go overseas but instead wants me to buy a house and invest. I'm 21 years old. And god forbids we socialise with friends everyday in a public place and help each other with our problems. I'm glad I have a friend like Ross, a roommate like Joey and a girlfriend like Monica. Because if I didn't, I'd probably give up on life and hate everything that has anything to do with change, much like how you obviously do, or just can't accept.
The women don't have to wait for the game playing "Man-teens" of this generation. No one is asking them too. But that's not saying that's a problem anyway because it's not. You've blown up the untrue scenario that women of this generation have been burdened with men who stay at home and play video games. Perhaps you should be a man for a day, just so you can see the reaction on a woman's face when you try to chat her up.
Video games are becoming more of an adult male's way to get away from life, relax and enjoy time alone or with his friends, much like how females enjoy reading or sitting around a table and gossiping while sipping coffee or tea. But in saying that, I've lowered myself down to your level and written about stereotypical behavior that is designated to both genders. Who's to say women don't play games and men don't sit around a table and drink coffee or scotch?
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Article comments
1 - DJ
Dude I loved your article and loved your point.. Proof read first because a couple grammer mistakes make you seem silly being so picky on muir.
Also.. she said Manatee, as in the big animal... not "Man-teen"
Keep it up bro, and don't stop thinking.
2 - Gaetano
She said Man-teen a few times ;) I quoted directly
3 - Brendan
Seriously, kudos on the article my good sir. You get your point across fine.
There is no right or wrong way to live ones life. Simply the way one would -like- to live.
4 - Lisa McKay
Perhaps she's making an ass of her editor for allowing her to include the word "Xboxes" in her article instead of "Xbox's".
I'm curious as to why you think it's proper to pluralize a noun by using an apostrophe. In this case, Muir and her editor are right. The plural form of Xbox is Xboxes.
5 - Gaetano
I'm curious as to why you think it's proper to pluralize a noun by using an apostrophe. In this case, Muir and her editor are right. The plural form of Xbox is Xboxes.
It's not proper, but in the case of the word "XBOX", which is nor an abbreviation or word, XBOX's is a more stylistic choice than "XBOXES". Same situation with "CEO's". You wouldn't put "CEOES" or "cameraes". The apostrophe is purely a stylistic choice. Surely you can admit "XBOXES" just doesn't look right. When I wrote for the Herald Sun in Melbourne, Australia XBOX was always pluralized using "XBOX's"
6 - Lisa McKay
Perhaps they do things differently down under. I never learned that proper grammar was a matter of "stylistic choice."
Of course we wouldn't pluralize CEO by writing CEOES. We would, however, do so by writing CEOs. CEO is an acronym, and you would pluralize it by adding an "s", not by forcing it to look like a possessive noun when it's not. Xbox is in fact a word, in this case a proper noun.
In fact, if you peruse Microsoft's website, you'll see that they pluralize it "Xboxes" as well.
7 - Matthew T. Sussman
"Same situation with "CEO's". You wouldn't put "CEOES" or "cameraes""
CEOs; cameras
8 - Gaetano
Lisa, perhaps you're trying to point out errors in my own grammar because you're unable to understand and/or agree with my point, which seems to have taken a back seat to my stance on how to write XBOX in a plural sense. Maybe my next article should be about how video-game writers are far too often criticized for the way they write instead of what they write.
9 - Christopher Rose
Actually, I think your next article ought to be about the importance of correct grammar and spelling in aiding comprehension but am not sure you could actually write it!
Luckily I am an editor too, so I'm going to go in and fix the errors that have slipped through in this one.
10 - El Bicho
Why would you criticize Muir's mechanics, but then expect your own to be ignored?
11 - Gaetano
Don't expect anything.
12 - Ken Edwards
Wow I missed this entire lively conversation. While I have seen the term "Xboxes" used before, generally not in an article written for a web site/magazine. "The Xbox is a toy" would have been the way for her to write it.
13 - Tam Hoang
Well I won't get into the debate about spelling and grammar, but I do want to say that I thought this is a very interesting article and you do a good job of taking the counter point. Two points I had:
"But the games addiction is only a symptom of the extended childhood of the 21st-century hominid. Marriage, families and children are being delayed for as long as possible, replaced by conspiratorial flat mates and microwave gastropub ready meals. Italian men stay at home with their mother; the British and Americans want to lead a life like an endless episode of Friends."
Maybe this coming from a purely Westernized perspective, but to me the idea of families and marriage being delayed in today's society reflects more of a desire to pursue different educational, vocational and purely personal endeavors before being 'tied down' to a family responsibility. I think it's a bit of a crass generalization to say people are trying to lead a life as if it is an endless episode of Friends. And maybe she mentioned this in her article, but the delay of families and marriage, I would argue, has as much to do with the increasing empowerment of today's women to pursue their own intellectual interests as they continually push the boundaries previously set in the decades before.
The second point I had is that I do think the explosion of video gaming into mainstream acceptance and really into adult circles really stems from the kids that played the original Nintendo and Atari are simply growing up and bringing their old past times with them. I think on that point she is correct, but I think it remains to be seen how that plays a role in this generation's development.
Well done.
14 - Dean Edwards
First of all I am no relation to Ken.
Secondly your article is first rate. They way your arguement is brought across is excellent I fully agree with your points and your arguement as a whole. Congratulations a journalist that has the intelligence to look past the predetermined etiquette of society and basically say ' just because we're nerds doesnt mean that we're over weight spotty teenagers who watch pronography' And for that I thank you.
On a negative point, call it constructive criticism but you basically spend half your arguement ridiculing Muir, more of your argument should have been spend on expanding your views and opinions.
Nice work.
Who cares about your grammar, as you can tell mine isn't perfect its about what you write not how you write!