Despite the fact he set-up an offshore retail service, providing import games for Australian consumers, and despite the fact he stocks consoles and video games in his stores nationwide, Gerry Harvey went on a televised rant last night on computer games, claiming that kids today are “screwed up on games”. Harvey also said that, if he could, he would ban all “leisure computers”.
We can only assume that, by leisure computers, he is talking about consoles.
In an interview with Ten Late News regarding the state of Australian retail, Harvey went on a largely unprovoked rant, sharing the kind of language and ideas I assumed went out with the ice age.
I think one of the great tragedies with youth is that they spend so much time playing games and crap on computers and they’re not outside. You’re not healthy and it’s a big problem in our society. If I could get rid of computers, all leisure computers for all of Australia I probably would. They can have them at school, but leisure time — no.
We’re talking about kids playing games mostly online and wasting their life away basically playing games online because they’re not getting any physical activity and their minds are screwed up on these games.
Is this real life? Is this the same man who sells import games via his online store? Is this the same man selling the consoles he wants to ban in his stores?
Wow. Gerry’s said some pretty crazy things in the past, including a claim that online retail doesn’t work, but this takes the cake. Actually, I think my favourite part is where he calls consoles ‘leisure computers’. Gold Jerry, gold.
You can watch the full interview here. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Thanks Matt H
Leave a Reply