Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
In a column published Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Tim Keown checks in with Todd Walker — a youth football coach and funeral-establishment worker whom he’d previously profiled, a man who “fights the gun culture and the death culture … [and] the pervasiveness that threatens to turn youth gun violence into just another annoyance of modern life.” Walker tries to impress upon his young charges that violence has consequences, that death is real and final, through hands-on horrors like detailed tours of the funeral parlor and getting inside of cardboard cremation boxes.
Walker tells Keown he saw the “Call of Duty” commercial last week while watching a game and, as you might expect, didn’t care much for it. He was especially disgusted by Kobe’s presence:
“I couldn’t believe it was him,” Walker says. “What’s wrong with him?”
[...]
“This is exactly what we’re trying to fight,” Walker says. “I’m looking at a 14-year-old boy right now who got shot in the head, and then I see Kobe get on TV looking like a damned fool, holding an assault weapon and wearing the same stuff the kids are wearing when they kill somebody. The look on his face — all smiling and happy. This is the attitude we’re trying to get away from.”
Neither Bryant nor his representatives have publicly commented on the controversy, and commissioner David Stern is also being questioned for not speaking out against Bryant’s appearance in the commercial. We’ll get into that later.
But again, as I wrote when the spot debuted, I’m not at all surprised that people would have a negative reaction to its contents, Kobe’s participation in it or all of the above — Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times and Matt Moore of CBSSports.com each raised objections to the commercial, with Medina arguing that the ad “downplays the seriousness that real combat entails” and Moore taking issue with the absence of content “that really shows the traumatic effects of war.”
By Dan Devine
It’s a video game commercial? Dexter is the top show on Showtime, and the Soprano’s ???? Aren’t they ultra violent ?? STFU
Considering the military is intimately involved in alot of games (like MW2), I think the argument of taking real war seriously, when talking about VIDEOGAMES, is laughable at best.
Also, releasing blatent pro-war propaganda movies, i.e. Top Gun and even movies like Transformers 2, kinda makes it hard to not look like a bunch of hypocrites.
Why are you outrage over kobe being in the commercail and not the Violent Video gme it self .lhe wasn’t the only high profile celeb in the spot..and david stern can’t really say anything ..he can’t pick and choose who the players endorse ..pepole get off your high horse if you really felt that strongly about the game I would have been stoped 4 version ago
Dear Mr. Walker who is concerned about virgin eyes and making change in our young adults lives. You need to know that you have a point but it is so irrelevant to us people in the real world. for you to focus on a commercial and talk about Kobe you must not have control in your house. cause my kids will know all thats wrong and will be able to make there own decisions in life. so that being said, change your pull-ups and we welcome you to the real world buddy!
You have to be kidding me. I got the messege of the commercial.. It’s saying, ” everbody from all walks of life play video games”,” even Kobe Bryant”.. The fact is, the game doesn’t downplay the real horror of war. Kobe Bryant endorsing a video game? So what!! Kids are going to buy and play video games regardless who the hell is in the commercial.. What if he started in a violent movie, TV series etc…? The fact of kids seeing the commercial is one thing. The fact of a parent spending the $60+ dollars to buy it for the kid is another. That’s why there is a recommendation lable on the box.. No different then if it was a movie trailer where Kobe would be the guy shooting or fighting a person. It’s your choice to bring your kid to or let them see the movie. Movie trailers are accessable on non- cable channels too. So Mr. Walker.. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!