In the wake of tragic mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, video games have once again come under scrutiny from politicians and the media, prompting esports industry expert Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau to speak out against video game blame on Fox News.
On Sunday, August 4, Slasher had been vocal about his opposition to the arguments made about violent video games and their supposed link to real-life violence, particularly by guests on Fox News.
Both GOP House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick cited video games as part of the problem, which Slasher called out on Twitter, calling them ‘dipshits’.
GOP House minority leader Kevin McCarthy follows up Dan Patrick on Fox News to say the influence of video games are represented in photos of the shootings, which is truly awful
can just one of you dipshits blame white supremacist terrorism pic.twitter.com/BKq51mLVXM
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 4, 2019
In an attempt to provide balance to the conversation, Slasher revealed that he would be back on the Daily Briefing with Dana Perino to explain why video games are, in fact, not to blame.
Breslau previously appeared on Perino’s show to discuss the Fortnite World Cup, but was back now to discuss more serious matters, speaking for a huge population of gamers who felt persecuted for their hobby following the shootings.
“Video games are an international, worldwide phenomenon, including these first-person shooters,” Breslau explained, “But these (shootings) only happen here in America, we do not see or have that violence anywhere else in the world.”
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I went on Fox News with @DanaPerino to talk about how video games don’t cause real life violence, why this only happens here in America despite gaming and esports played worldwide, and why mainstream media needs to get it right #VideogamesAreNotToBlame pic.twitter.com/FFKxEGK90P
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 5, 2019
Responding directly to the comments made by politicians, including the US President, who claimed “gruesome and grisly video games” were part of the mass shooting problem, Breslau called it “total nonsense.”
“All forms of entertainment, whether it’s video games, movies or music, do not directly influence someone to (commit) violent acts,” Slasher states, saying that to claim otherwise is perpetuating a lazy stereotype.
Daily Briefing host Dana Perino closed the segment by referencing the 2018 findings from Oxford University that “there was no evidence for a critical tipping point relating violent game engagement to aggressive behavior.”
Following his appearance, Slasher explained that he was more nervous discussing this issue than the Fortnite World Cup on Fox, but hoped he “represented the video game and esports industry proudly”.
