Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a California law banning the sale of violent video games to children is unconstitutional. Here, Cynthia Baron, academic director of the digital media program at Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies, discusses First Amendment cases in the gaming industry, how the newest ruling may affect the video game rating system and whether children are capable of judging computer-generated violence.
Comedian Tracy Morgan, known for his role as Tracy Jordan on the sitcom “30 Rock,” was widely criticized earlier this month after he made homophobic comments during a comedy show in Nashville. Some argue that people shouldn’t be upset by comedians’ offensive remarks. Others find this kind of comedy anything but funny. Here, Northeastern communication studies lecturer William Lancaster sheds some light on why offensive comedy is so common — and what’s really wrong with it.
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