For a long time, after any act of mass violence the debate always turned to gun control and the influence of video games. Games like 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Call of Duty' drove people to shoot and murder others.
It was -- and remains -- a stupid, garbage argument.
Which is why it's a) amazing to see it making a comeback in the wake of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and b) hilarious because of the video game being called into question this time.
First, we're going to start with a screencap of The New York Post headline because it sets the stage:
An assassin video game? Sounds scary! Definitely a game that's rated M for mature, right?
Right?
Wrong:
SERIOUSLY?!
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, once belonged to a group of Ivy League gamers who would play assassin games, according to a report.
Alejandro Romero, a University of Pennsylvania student from the same Discord gaming group as Mangione, said they would play “Among Us,” a game where some players have to secretly kill others without raising suspicions.
“I just found it extremely ironic that, you know, we were in this game and there could actually be a true killer among us,” Romero told NBC News.
Among Us.
AMONG. US.
This writer and her 11-year-old son play Among Us.
The characters aren't even human.
Okay, we laughed out loud at this.
SO DUMB.
They totally did the 'video games are bad' thing. For clicks.
Totally out of control.
(Yeah, those are both sarcastic)
Pretty sure Ed Gein didn't play video games, but yeah, ironic.
Uh oh.
They really can't.
It really is.
Such a worn-out trope.
Perfect.
Total mystery.