Spoilt brat screams abuse at mom over Xbox Live

by Conrad Quilty-Harper { Oct 27th 2005 at 9:30AM }

Spoilt Brat A video posted at Google's video site last July shows a disturbing modern example of an argument between a child and his mother. The video, which is a recording of a Rainbow Six clan match over Xbox Live, shows a young child screaming to his mother "get me some mother****ing chocolate milk" and refusing to stop playing the game.

Given the obvious link between the game and the child's increasing visciousness towards his mother, the video shows a clear idea of what video games can do to young children. It's also shows the reason why parents should impose limits on their child's gaming time. There's also a question raised about why the child was playing the game given that Rainbow Six is rated Mature (a rating that requires the purchaser to be 17 or over). How did the child obtain the game and why did the mother allow him to play it — even if you ignore the child's extremely bad behaviour?

[Thanks, vrf]

WARNING: This video is definitely NOT work safe.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Samuel Febres @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Obviously the mom purchased the game for him, I'm sure the child didn't have a revenue stream coming in to purchase the game.

More importantly, why didn't the mom smack his face off for being disrespectful to him?

Frogbrother @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

First!

Not surprised... these are the types of kids I see all the time on Halo2. Typically, they are spouting off racist and other offensive comments. Can't WAIT for the new Live that'll hopefully screen these jerks out!

Samuel Febres @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

opps, I meant her.

Frogbrother @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Damn... not first after all...

Frogbrother @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I woulda put a big old swig of Tussin in his milk, waited until he dropped, and then hit him with several pieces of furniture.

JRM @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I don't see the link between the game and the child's behaviour. I see a total lack of authority from the mother. She could very easily turn off the game and punish the child for such behaviour.

Scott @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Old video but definitely an example of how bad parenting has more to do with children's behavior than video games. I had my rear handed to me by my parents while I was growing up for much less than this kid did.

If either of my kids did this to me they wouldn't see the TV, the video games, or the outside of their bedroom for a *very* *very* *very* long time.

ajservo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Don't even try and pawn this one on the game. This kid didn't learn M-F'r from a video game. And last time I checked, there was no part of Rainbow 6 that taught you how to throw a hissy fit.

This kid is like this because his parents raised him this way. They allowed him so much freedom and leeway in their relationship that this is where the relationship is now. He has no respect for his parents or adults in general. This kid needs a month of church and a hug.

Roger @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Wait, this kid just "happened" to be recording the video of himself playing the game? Is that a regular occurence? I wasn't aware that people kept a constant collection of their gaming moments so that they could archive and remember them forever. I've got to believe this is all staged for the cameras.

mark m @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

kid needs 5 min with an "old country" parent.

Todd @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Not the games fault. I'd have to place blame on the parents when children behave like that. The game may get him excited or more apt to behave like that, but it's still the parents fault. I knew if I ever did anything like that something really bad would happen. I've seen everything I had in my room dissappear except for the bed and my clothes while I was at school once, and for much less an infraction. Then if I was good that day I might get back one item. It took me 3 months of being good to get back all of my stuff that was locked away. The truth is this kids just doing what he wants and in response his parents are just shrugging and saying "I just don't know what to do with that kid". Since they don't know what to do, they do nothing.

boneyard @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

kinda has a cartman like feeling :)

Andrew @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Please, god, don't let Jack Thompson see this.

Billkwando @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

This article is as stupid as the MK congressional hearings.

If you watch the video, you can clearly see that he is NOT playing a clan match or doing anything at all. It's simply a bunch of people messing around. There's no other team, and nobody's fighting each other.

It's just a bunch of people goofing around, because his teamate spends the entire time zoomed in so the kid so you can see his character's mouth movements.

There is no "obvious link between the game and the child�s increasing visciousness towards his mother", because the kid isn't even PLAYING the game. He's just sitting there with a headset on yelling at his mom.

Yes, Live is full of kiddie a-holes, but so is the internet. It's not games that create them, it's the fact that the internet to provides undisciplined children the chance to randomly abuse people with no repercussions. This isn't limited to kids either, but they're the best example.

It must be a really slow news day at Joystiq if they're digging up crap from July and calling it "news. Especially since they got it all wrong. This article belongs at landoverbaptist.org

Chris McMahon @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

My wife and I curtailed our kids gaming to weekends only (and only if their weekly grades were all B's or better). It's made a huge impact on their personalities (and they don't have any thing above a T rated game).

Mike Kiser @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

While all of the kid's problems obviously didn't stem from the game, the video does illustrate the overall concept of why parents need to be more involved in their kids' gaming.

This type of parenting is exactly what gives video games a bad reputation in the press, and is the main reason I started my site. While we cannot turn bad parents into GOOD parents, we CAN try to educate them as much as possible about the gaming industry and how important controlling the games their kids play is. Most parents are starting to make the right decisions - these parents apparently didn't.

Just imagine if this family kept guns in their house, the kid became a loner for whatever reason, finally "snapped" one day, and we'd have another tragedy on our hands. This kid probably plays GTA:SA too. Sad.

Kiser
Site Admin
gamerparents.com

JackFrost @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Substantiated by the facts: That kid is spoiled.

Unsubstantiated by the facts: The game caused the behavior.

#6 has it right on this one. The premise "Given the obvious link between the game and the child's increasing viciousness to his mother..." is a not at all a given. If the kid was holding a banana while levelling invectives against his mother, that has the same level of demonstrated causality that this situation has. That is, the presence of a bratty kid and a video game at the same time implies neither causality nor correlation.

To Mr. Quilty-Harper--Editorial opinion pieces are fine with me as a Joystiq reader. But responsible journalism of any kind (including blogs) will mark them as such, and do more to substantiate conclusions. Because this is a constructive criticism, I ask that you please do not remove this comment.

dru @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Man that is bullshit. Why won't see just get him the chocolate milk she promised.

xBenDoverx @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

In response to Roger:

The reason why someone else was recording was because it was a clan match. It's very common for clans to have people recording the matches in order to study what went wrong or what went right.

Slashbunny @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Uh... I don't see the link between the game and this little shit. I've seen plenty of little bastards like this that didn't even play video games. What they need is for a parent to beat the shit out of them. If this kid never got Rainbow 6, he would be no different.

I think you nailed it in the title: "Spoilt brat", NOT "the video shows a clear idea of what video games can do to young children". The kid is a spoilt brat, which was not caused by any video games. It was caused by bad parenting. Period. This kid would throw a fit and cuss at his mother if he was "busy" doing anything.

Shit article for suggesting that little brats like that are caused by video games. You fail. Fire yourself.

justin @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I bet my kid would never yell at me like that or he knows he would be getting a major ass whipping. Thats the problem, no discipline, she can count all she wants but whats that gonna do. The kids should learn respect for parents at an early age and that can last for a lifetime the majority of the time.

m.a.r. @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I was gonna say...this vid has been out there for months. Almost feels as old as YATTA! at this point.

Stretchpants @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

If I ever even THOUGHT to yell at my mother back in the day whilst playing a match of Tecmo Bowl with a friend, I wouldn't be alive today to post this comment.

On parenting: When you let the internet and online games raise your children, this is what you get.

Adam @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Pfft, in my eyes thats called bad parenting. Nothing to do with the game, that kid is spoilt and is used to getting his own way.

DG @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I blame the proliferation of suburbs, the competetion of material gain, the rise of conservatism in America, and lastly, the ineffectiveness of the mother herself. The video game? Well, that's no different than the child watching an action movie, playing with action toys, or reading action comic books.

matt @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

If I was that kids parents I would of busted his xbox over his head. Seriously what parent lets there kid get that disrespectful. Im more disgusted at the parents then I am the kid. But that doesnt mean the kid is innocent by no means they are just both wrong in this situation.

GameFam dad @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

"Given the obvious link between the game and the child�s increasing visciousness towards his mother"

I have to take issue with the irresponsible editorializing here.

What jumps out at me in this video is NOT that Rainbow Six will magically turn your good little angels into dangerous, violent, ungrateful, chocolate-milk-addicted bastards.

You certainly have to ask what this kid is doing playing a game that is inappropriate for his age...

However, instead of tying the game itself to his behavior, you should connect the very fact that his mother would allow him to play the game with his behavior.

It ain't the game. It's the obvious lack of parental responsibility and discipline.

As long as you make sure they play games that are appropriate, and as long as video games are just one of many types of recreation for your kids, then games can be great for them (Read Killing Monsters, What Video Games Can Teach Us About Learning & Literacy, Game On, etc.).

That puts the responsibility on the parents to learn which games their kids shouldn't be playing, and to make sure that they don't spend the entire day in front of the TV.

The ESRB can help serve as a guide, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents. Shouldn't this be a no-brainer?

Bottom line, when it comes to my kids, EVERYTHING is my responsibility.

Or maybe it's the chocolate milk's fault.

-Dan
http://gamefam.blogspot.com

logikil @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Okay, first things first. If ever there was an argument for the fact that this is a parent driven issue, this video is it. I don't know about you all, but if i ever....and I mean EVER....talked to my mom like this at 9, i wouldn't be here today. I am 28 now, and i still don't talk that disrespectfully to my mother.

This is what happens when you have parents terrified to discipline their kids for fear of being hauled off for abuse. Yank the damn crds out the wall and smack that kid a couple times in the ass. I guarantee if you keep doing that he's gonna stop. Or hell just take the system away. He didn't buy it, he's not paying electricity.

God that just makes me fume.

Sinnen @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Wait, didn't this come out like... a year ago?

That kid is just acting, he's not 'real'.

I might not have read the article fully... but I mean, COME ON PEOPLE!

Phil @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I see this as a lack of parental control as obvious from the fact that the nine year old is playing a game meant for 17 year olds. I am sure mommy does whatever the kid wants, he has her trained. All I have to do is scream and rant and I will eventually get what I want from my parents. Put some boundaries on the little sh*t! Take his game system away from him, the game system that you bought for him. "If you talk to me this way, you don't get to play Xbox." It is a PRIVILEDGE not a g*ddamn RIGHT for you to play xbox.

I used to work in a Video Store about 10 years ago when I was 18. A 13 year old girl and her friend wanted to rent Boogie Nights. I would not rent to them since the game is NC-17. "My father says it is okay for me to rent this movie," she said. I told her if your father wants to come in and rent it for you than that is fine. She goes outside and gets her father, he comes in all pissed off and asks, "What is this horseshit?" I tell him that this game is NC-17 and is one rating below a porno movie. His words to that, "I don't care what she watches."

Good parenting @sshole!!! That's why your daughter is going to end up pregnant at 15 and shiv you in the back when all of a sudden you decide to start laying down the law.

G*ddamnit! When are we going to start laying blame where blame is due. The video game and movie industry cannot be held liable for what negligent parents let their children do. What are they supposed to do, put a rep in every home in America and make sure the children are obeying the age restrictions....oh wait, they already exist, and it's called the F*CKING PARENT!!!!

jojo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

gee, could it be that being a mother doesn't actually mean you are intelligent or know how to raise a kid? why is that when someone has a title like mother or father they get an unearned degree of respect from people?

she's a mom. she's also a stupid bitch. she bought her kid the game. she lets her kid talk to her like that.

bad parenting.

Ruari_02 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

and this child grew up to be... the President of the United States.

Farmer Griff @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

I am surprised Mr. Jack Thompson has yet to comment on this one.

And this is why I think parents are the ones at fault for their kids behavior. My mother would of slapped the shit out of me if I did something like that. A simple muttering of a curse resulted in punishment. I have worked with spoiled kids at the camp where I worked. My thinking was, if they don't obey the rules, they sit out. I had to do that to a whole group multiple times before saying to the director, "either you handle this or they aren't doing a thing at the boating area." Kids neeed to learn that the world isn't fair. Go and get your own god damn milk. Sorry if I just offended you Jack.

Mastertigurius @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

If I was a parent, and my kid talked to me like that, I would've literally thrown his Xbox out the window. Then I would make him fix the hole it made in the pavement.

babu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

If I had a kid, he would never do this.

WebPimp @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

This one has been around for a long time:

http://www.joystickwidow.com/media/movies/misc/ChocolateMilk.wmv

mercatfat @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

"Given the obvious link between the game and the child�s increasing visciousness towards his mother"

why has everyone taken issue with this line without realizing it is obviously sarcastic? this is joystiq.

Art Guy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Jebus, if the mom knew what was good for her she would have gotten the kid something to drink. Kids need milk for growing strong bones and tendons. What a lazy and mean mom.

3 weeks ago I was rollerblading on the roof of the house and my mom started yelling at me. I've done it a million times and never hurt myself, there are even black marks carved into the shingles going up and down from how many times I done it. So the old broad is yelling at me, even though it's 100% safe because I've never once hurt myself on accident.

Anyways I got all pissed off because she is so stupid so I went to moon her and I slipped and fell. It's all her fault, if she would have been inside minding her own business like a GOOD mom (cooking me up a yummy snack, washing the floor or cleaning my undies) I never would have broken my leg. Once I get this cast off I'm going to show her whoose is boss. You have to show parents their place or they think they can boss you around like they owns you. I let my kid do whatever he wants, I may only be 14, but I'm a much better role model than I have. I visit hims every other weekend (unless there is a game on) and bring him candy, you have to watch em close cause 7 month old babies can choke on hard candy and gobstoppers.

Joaquim @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

This has nothing to do w/ games... don't you guys see what we have here? Its a classic case of chocolate milk addiction!

This thing is dangerous...

udx @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Yeah. This kid was acting like a nutbag. If I were to slap ether the parent or the kid, I would slap both.

The kid: for being an spoiled brat

The parent: For NOT doing her job right.

OtakuCODE @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

If you think the game has anything to do with the familial problems in that household, my recommendation would be for you to either go join forces with Jack "Look at me, I'm insane" Thompson or seek professional counseling.

Under no circumstances should you be writing at a gaming-related blog.

Rocket Punch @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Stupid parents have stupid kids. Very logical.

The Wallbanger @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

IT'S NOT THE GAME, IT'S THE MULTIPLAYER!

Seriously, do you think anyone would get this worked up over a single player mode? One that could easily be paused?

It's too common for multiplayer chat to be increasingly hateful and offensive. It's these kids who try to trash talk, but aren't clever enough to add anything but more F-bombs. We've all played these types of people. The verbal aggression without repercusions makes children of any age more prone to increasing this behavior.

If I were the parent, I'd take away the Xbox Live instead of the game. Hopefully the gamerzones and reputation stats on the Xbox 360 will help scrub these jerks from the community.

1337Thespian @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

This is when you take off your belt. A kid like him can learn a lot from a sound thrashing.

hassan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

First off i wouldn't be arguing with that kid in the 1st place. The minute i told him to turn off the xbox and he didn't i would have turned it off myself. Then when he started cursing at me i would have beat the shit outta him. That's what's wrong with these kids today they have no respect because the parents let them get away with anything. But if parents want their kids to talk to them any way they want that's their fault for not disciplining them. I wish i was that boys's father, when i got done with him he would never wanna touch a controller or ever raise his voice.

hassan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

ZeroCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

This is obviously a TERRIBLE mother. She's doing several things wrong:

1. She's letting a 9-year-old play a M-rated game.

2. She's letting a 9-year-old play online without real supervision.

3. She doesn't back up her warnings. At all.

4. She "brings him whatever he wants to drink" rather than turning off the Xbox and ordering him into the kitchen to get his own drink.

5. She doesn't punish him for talking back.

6. She swears at him, and lets him swear back, showing no respect between the two of them.

7. She doesn't punish him even after he calls her a "bitch" and she doesn't turn off the Xbox even when he's screaming at her. She has NO control over the situation.

8. She doesn't stop him from broadcasting his hissy fit for the world to hear on an online game where he's obviously WEARING A HEADSET for that purpose.

9. During all of this, she doesn't seem to notice that her 9-year-old son is playing a game that involves killing people. It's not even a factor in her argument with him, and neither is the fact that his gaming priveleges could be revoked permanently.

Verdict: Unfit mother. Bad parenting. Rotten kid.

Result: The future of our nation.

jacob @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

His mom promise milk chocolate and she didn't bring it to him... She lie so that's what she gets. Her son was having a clan match and that could be more importaant than anything ... even his mother. I agree with the kid.

nod @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM

Regardless of the "authenticity" of this particular video, I know we've all probably heard similar things on Live: kids screaming, cursing, throwing out racial and sexual epithets, etc. Generally vile stuff that tends to ruin the Live experience. What this video does do, is it makes you ask, where are the parents in all this? When their kids are screaming "die you fucking nigger" over and over again on Live...

Microsoft obviously ignore the elephant in the living room as they've not done anything to address it thus far, although they portend to with their "gamer zones" -- we'll see how that works out.

Personally, I've never liked the headsets much, and have come close to cancelling Live a few times after having to deal with these kids just to play some Halo 2.

What to do...