What would pornographic images on barrel bags do to our sports credibility?

[MarkM]

Hey at least I know which barrel condom to pack now
plus as long as "I can bum as many f a g s as possible" when I fly over its all good

Sex sells, it is as simple as that, why have cheerleaders? Why have the semi-naked girls with the round cards in boxing? Why have the girls in sprayed on cat suits on the grid at motor racing events? Why do you see lots of pretty, but don't know anything about the products, girls at major paintball events on the trade stands?

Plus given the ownership of the Smart Parts company has, as a religious base, one that is regarded as somewhat restrained, they don't have an issue with this product line.

Good points made about the violence that is considered ok etc and no cries of "not good !" when applied to the current marketing that Evil (PMI) is running...seen a couple of rumbles but then I thought "we" were trying to play down the violence aspect of paintball to make it acceptable to the mainstream

:edited: to allow my quote to actually print...censors get everywhere

[smilestyler]

I can't think of any sport that allows pornography on their equipment. If paintball is going to struggle to become recognized as an equal to such sports as baseball, hockey, soccer, etc. ,we need to respect that the rest of North America is watching us, and what we do or don't do must be acceptable to, and not offend, anyone else. You have rights and freedoms in your life. Unfortunatly, we have the freedom to destoy this sport.

[ogre55]

Originally posted by Mr Pink
If you think Censors in the US are weird - check out Japan, they have stuff that makes me squirm, and yet are still prudish about others!

Gotta love the differences between countries It'd be boring travelling otherwise.

Comparing Japan and pretty much any other country western country, especcially the US, is kind of unfair. Their society evolved in a completely different manner from our own.

Japan has very strict guidelines of what is and is not ok in public. Publically the Japanese are very restrained. However, Japanese society, both legally and ethically, takes a completely hands off approach to what people do behind closed doors. That stuff that "makes you squirm" would never be mentioned in "polite" japanese society. It simply does not exist. It is sold out in the open because people who do not want to see it simply ignore it.

Contrast that with the US. Many people in the US seem to feel that their standards/views/morales are what everybody should abide by, whether they like it or not.

Ogre

[Bulldog]

To sum it up it looks like two issues here, pornographic images in paintball advertising in the US = Bad, and the other issue is whether we Americans are uptight. That's just a statement we all will either agree with or disagree based on personal views, upbringing, religion, life experience, etc. On a personal note I'm gonna have to go with synreal on the second one, but that's neither here nor there, and the way shartley and he agreed to disagree is applauded. That's one cool thing about AO.

EDIT - corrected spelling.

[Conqueror]

Americans are DEFINITELY uptight compared to Europeans.

The last time I was in Spain, they played Eyes Wide Shut on the local network (not the premium channels). In the USA, Playboy mags are kept in plastic wrap on the back shelf at the bookstore. In Spain they sell hardcore porn videos next to the Chupa Chups lollipops on street carts. Europe collectively has a different attitude about nudity than we do.

That said, I still think paintball stuff with actual nudity crosses the line. Whether it offends us is not the issue; nudity offends america in general, and if we want to represent the sport in a positive light here in the states we cannot allow pornographic images on barrel covers.

CQ

[Kevmaster]

magman, the american magazines wouldnt put that picture in...i dont think 1) the publishers would print it and 2) that the american gvt would allow it.

[ogre55]

Originally posted by Kevmaster
magman, the american magazines wouldnt put that picture in...i dont think 1) the publishers would print it and 2) that the american gvt would allow it.

As for American nags not publishing the pictures you are probably right. However, as for the American government getting involved, that is a different story.

/stepping up to the soapbox/

Despite the hot air so many politician blow regarding that we see, hear and read, the government has next to nothing to do with censoring the content of media in this country. The cencors are the media itself. The MPAA, which rates moveies is a private organization which was started by the studios as due to public pressure.

The ESRB which rates video games is also a private organization.

/stepping onto the soapbox/

But my favorite is the organizations that rates music (I can't remember the abbreviation) They were started in the mid 80's when Tipper Gore (yes the wife of THAT gore) started a public uproar regarding what we are seeing and hearing. Funny, but I thought that liberal democrats were the ones that were all for free speech and free expression.

Sorry about the political rampling above, but the point of it all is to show that the government actually does very little when it comes to actually censoring works. They leave that to nosy private citizens with too much time on their hands.

/Stepping off the soap box to the relief of all of AO I am sure./

Ogre

[Halliday]

Originally posted by ogre55


.......But my favorite is the organizations that rates music (I can't remember the abbreviation) They were started in the mid 80's when Tipper Gore (yes the wife of THAT gore) started a public uproar regarding what we are seeing and hearing. Funny, but I thought that liberal democrats were the ones that were all for free speech and free expression...........

Ogre

I belive that is the P.M.R.C.

[Miscue]

Originally posted by shartley
I have nothing wrong with Pornography (TRUST ME)

I trust ya.

[shartley]

[daveymag]

I think that you should all stop worrying about it so much. Just relax a little bit, I ordered two, one for me, and one for my girlfriend. I never knew that the paintball community was filled with so many soccer moms that are so worried about paintballs image. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that paintball has not been threatened at all up here in Minnesota, and maybe if it had, I might think differently. Paintball isn't going to be banned or anything because of a barrell condom. First the evil website and now this? Come on guys lighten up, and have some fun.

Edit: It's not even full nudity, it just her boobies, (her very nice boobies) that are shown.

[shartley]

Originally posted by daveymag
I think that you should all stop worrying about it so much. Just relax a little bit, I ordered two, one for me, and one for my girlfriend. I never knew that the paintball community was filled with so many soccer moms that are so worried about paintballs image. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that paintball has not been threatened at all up here in Minnesota, and maybe if it had, I might think differently. Paintball isn't going to be banned or anything because of a barrell condom. First the evil website and now this? Come on guys lighten up, and have some fun.

Edit: It's not even full nudity, it just her boobies, (her very nice boobies) that are shown.

Yeah, that's it... insult people..... Good way to make a point!

[ogre55]

Originally posted by daveymag
I think that you should all stop worrying about it so much. Just relax a little bit, I ordered two, one for me, and one for my girlfriend. I never knew that the paintball community was filled with so many soccer moms that are so worried about paintballs image. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that paintball has not been threatened at all up here in Minnesota, and maybe if it had, I might think differently. Paintball isn't going to be banned or anything because of a barrell condom. First the evil website and now this? Come on guys lighten up, and have some fun.

Edit: It's not even full nudity, it just her boobies, (her very nice boobies) that are shown.

I'm not going to go for the personal attack, despite the ease, but instead I am going to try to maintain the moral high ground and try to explain. Who knows, maybe it will do some good.

The overriding consesus, so far, is that while these images are not personally offensive to most of us here on AO, the chance that they will be offensive to the many minors and their parents will do no good, and has a possible chance of causing harm to the sport. It also seems to be the opinion of many of those here that these items are superflous.

This is not the soccer mom mentallity but rather simple common sense.

Get it?

Ogre

[RRfireblade]

Basically,
Get over it. It's another country. If uptight people like some of you here didn't make such a fuss over it,no one here would even know about it.
You think it represents a poor image,THEN You protest it and then you POST it and thus draw 100x more attention to it. Makes good sense huh?

Jay.

[845]

Theres nudity on some skateboard decks and we have seen what a failure that sport is.