Apple Dis/Approves Baby Shaking iPhone App
Late yesterday afternoon, controversy was beginning to build about an application Apple had approved and was appearing in the App Store. Baby Shaker is exactly what it sounds like: You shake babies.
For those not in the know, Shaken Baby Syndrome is a term used to describe the constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from the violent shaking of an infant or small child. According to the National Center On Shaken Baby Syndrome, research shows crying as the number one trigger leading caregivers to violently shake and injure babies. SBS affects thousands of babies and parents in the United States.
Baby Shaker, a product of Sikalosoft, first hit the Apple App Store on Monday and has since been removed. Considering Apple rejects a lot of applications for one reason or another, the fact that this one slipped through the approval process is quite surprising. According to the Guardian, Marilyn Bar, founder of the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, said in a statement: "Not only are they making fun of shaken baby syndrome, but they are actually encouraging it. This is absolutely terrible."
The blurb for the game challenges users to “see how long they can endure his or her horrible cries before you just have to find a way to quiet the baby down!" The game shows an image of a baby, coupled with audio of a child crying. The user shakes the handset and red x's appear in place of the child’s eyes. Click play again and your presented with another, different, image and more crying. It goes without saying that the application is tasteless but really, it doesn’t even seem like much of a game. Shake, click, repeat. Yawn.
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Shake that money maker!
Forgot to add that the creator of that APP is a greedy A-hole.
A big blunder for Apple to let this get through...Hopefully they will be a bit more thourogh when considering apps for the iPhone...
This is sickening. Whomever reviewed this app and accepted it should be fired.
Am I the only one to had a small chuckle at the description? Red X's over the eyes? A different crying sound each time? It made me laugh, but maybe because I already know that shaking babies is obviously bad.
It's one of those, "lol... did I just hear them right??"
that just goes to show you how broken apple's approval process is
So people are capable of realizing the difference between video games and real life in terms of hard drugs, high violence and harsh language, but not when babies are involved?
On second thought, I can see this app being useful when playing Yoshi's island (damn you crying baby Mario!).
And they didn't let the boobie shaking one through.
I actually think this is really funny. People just need to lighten up and realize its a joke. If you don't like it, don't download it.
Video games allow us to explore and do things not normally acceptable or possible. I've done things in games I'd NEVER do in real life. So when something like this comes along as sickening as I think it is, it's still just a game. That said I'd have no interest in doing a shaking baby app, or a holocaust simulator. It's just bad taste and makes light of a horrible thing.
This brings me back to my feelings about the freedom of speech. You may have the freedom to say something, but should you? I just feel like sometimes people just go too far.
This brings me back to my feelings about the freedom of speech. You may have the freedom to say something, but should you? I just feel like sometimes people just go too far.
I don't see the 1st Amendment being overturned - nor should it. That's what makes our country so great. I won't get beheaded for saying that our leaders in Washington are greedy pigs.
I won't get beheaded for saying that our leaders in Washington are greedy pigs.
YET!
I don't see the 1st Amendment being overturned - nor should it. That's what makes our country so great. I won't get beheaded for saying that our leaders in Washington are greedy pigs.
That's my point. We have the freedom of speech just for this reason. To protect us from oppression. It's just been turned into an excuse to say or do anything without merit behind it. Sure they have the right to do so, but I feel like it's abused sometimes, or at the very least taken for granted.
I thought this was pretty amusing, I don't even consider it "sickening" like some of you say you do. It's obviously a joke, one that happens to exist within a video game, it's funny, laugh. Why must people be so sensitive about silly things like this?
I thought this was pretty amusing, I don't even consider it "sickening" like some of you say you do. It's obviously a joke, one that happens to exist within a video game, it's funny, laugh. Why must people be so sensitive about silly things like this?
I'm not up in arms but if you've ever seen a shaken baby you'd be sick to your stomach.
It's in ill taste to say the least. And even in our hyper-violent society, killing babies is still considered despicable by almost everyone and no one considers it "fun". It's perverse at best.
Some things are off limits to mainstream companies and it's just surprising Apple would allow this through.
If its not funny, then why are there 10 million dead baby jokes on the net?
funny how people are saying they like it just to piss others off...even FUNNIER for those dopes who are FALLING for it!!!
That's my point. We have the freedom of speech just for this reason. To protect us from oppression. It's just been turned into an excuse to say or do anything without merit behind it. Sure they have the right to do so, but I feel like it's abused sometimes, or at the very least taken for granted.
I'm sure very few people would argue that there are things that shouldn't be said, and there are things said which have little to no merit. But the difference between "shouldn't" and "can't" or "can't without fear of punishment" is the entire purpose of free speech.
Maybe I shouldn't say "I enjoy killing babies," but I still can.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I just think it's abused and taken for granted. Not saying it should be taken away, just respect the fact that we have the right when a lot of people don't.
Okay that enough about this.
Boobies!
I actually think this is really funny. People just need to lighten up and realize its a joke. If you don't like it, don't download it.
Exactly. Who really cares? The product doesn't interest me, but why should it be taken away from those who might find it interesting?
Ofcouse, this is Apple's service, and they can do what they want. But I certainly hope they don't censor their products because a few people want to take freedoms away from other.
BIG difference in a virtual shaking baby and the real thing. They aren't going after games for allowing the virtual slaying of other people so they need to shut up... they're being hypocritical.
It is called "shaken baby syndrome" and it is nothing to joke about. There are enough impressionable idiots that might get the wrong idea with this little game and think that it is ok to shake a baby. Once is too many. In regards to games that kill other people.....well most adults can defend themselves and babys can't.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/shaken.html
It is called "shaken baby syndrome" and it is nothing to joke about. There are enough impressionable idiots that might get the wrong idea with this little game and think that it is ok to shake a baby. Once is too many. In regards to games that kill other people.....well most adults can defend themselves and babys can't. http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/shaken.html
Wow... you don't get it either. I wasn't making the point of who could defend themselves I was stating the hypocrisy of the argument. If you're to stupid to get it I'll give it to you another way. Games also have animals being killed... good enough for you????
It is called "shaken baby syndrome" and it is nothing to joke about. There are enough impressionable idiots that might get the wrong idea with this little game and think that it is ok to shake a baby. Once is too many. In regards to games that kill other people.....well most adults can defend themselves and babys can't. http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/shaken.html
Yeah!
Let's ban all content that makes us uncomfortable and we don't like! That's what freedom is all about!
Good thing that Apple removed it from the store. But still guilty of allowing it initially. And they claim to be best of class. My ass!
Quite tasteless that piece of software really. It belongs in a Quentin Terrentino movie or some other sick place, not on a public markedplace. if it'd get a rating it'd be M anyway.
Yeah!Let's ban all content that makes us uncomfortable and we don't like! That's what freedom is all about!
What the hell does this have to do with freedom? We have to have some guide lines. You can't do whatever the hell you feel like doing. You aparently don't get it.
Wow... you don't get it either. I wasn't making the point of who could defend themselves I was stating the hypocrisy of the argument. If you're to stupid to get it I'll give it to you another way. Games also have animals being killed... good enough for you????
If I was responding to your post I would have quoted it. I was making the point about babies not being able to defend themselves that is all. That was my point. You can read right....? Who cares what you think since you have no idea what you are talking about. Hypocracy has nothing to do with it. It is right and wrong. In some circumstances we do kill animals and people and it is accectable......I am not sure if you will find a time when it is ok to kill a baby. So your point is invalid.
What the hell does this have to do with freedom? We have to have some guide lines. You can't do whatever the hell you feel like doing.
I would agree. But I say, live and let live. If you're not harming anyone else, why should I stop you?
This product is stupid and tasteless, but they aren't shaking babies by using it. They don't harm anyone by using this product, so why are you hell bent on controlling other people?