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Is Nerf Teaching Us That Guns Are Fun/cool?


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#1 Trevor

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 08:56 AM

Now, I don't consider myself very politically correct or anything, but recently I've asked my friends to have a nerf war with me, and I've showed some of them my guns (recon, and LS). They all replied with something like "does the army have a contract with hasbro?", "what is this teaching kids to play with guns?", "I don't like guns in general" and "hasbro is creating the next line of future soldiers".

This always kind of just rages me. I personally don't like -real- guns and I would never buy one, but I like nerf guns for their novelty. I like that I can shoot my friends without actually hurting them, and for fairly cheap. I've tried airsoft, and paintball, and although they can be fun, it's expensive, and painful to get shot by either. I'd also like to add that you can't really bring either outside without the cops bothering you. Now we all know that the recent N-strike nerf lineup looks "semi-realistic", but it's still is very cartoony. If you look on the side of most n-strike guns you can clearly read "enlist, engage, enforce" or something like that, and I think that all of us here have noticed this. However, I've been nerfing for the past 10 years and I still remember the animal shaped guns, so I know that nerf hasn't been going this route forever.

So now to my question.

1) What do you think of real guns?
2) Do you think that nerf guns promote gun related violence?
3) What is your opinion on the newer more "realistic" N-strike lineup?
4) Nerf is generally considered a toy for boys, so alot of feminists think that toy guns promote the whole "men are powerful" idea in young boys, do you think this is true?
5) What do you think about guns in general( EDIT: nerf, airsoft, paintball, laser)?

I'm just curious as to what you all at Nerfhaven think about this.

EDIT:I wasn't trying to over analyze, these are just questions people have asked me. I gave answers like "toy guns don't make kids into killers", and "The n-strike series doesn't give me the urge to join the army." but I was just curious as to what you all thought.

Also, I don't personally own a real gun, nor do I plan to own one. However, I was curious as to how many of you actually own real guns. I know a large majority of us at nerfhaven are age 21+, and do airsoft and paintball, so yeah...

Edited by Trevor, 26 March 2008 - 02:45 PM.

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#2 imaseoulman

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:16 AM

1) They are very useful tools, and as Americans, it's our constitutional right to own them.
2) No. I can go into a long in depth answer based on what I've learned in my psychology classes (I'm a psych major about to graduate) but I'll just say that there are people that are more prone to violence than others.
3) Personally, I don't like most of the N-Strike line. They're fine for upclose/indoor wars, but they just can't compete with the SuperMaxx line and some of the AirTech line. I do, however, think they are much more comfortable to hold. As pitiful as the Mav's performance is, I really like the way it feels in my hand.
4) Femi-Nazis are just trying to turn all women into men. Men are more physically powerful than women (I know there are exceptions) and if you don't give boys toy guns they'll make their own out of sticks/legos/whatever they have.
5) How is this different from the first question? Guns are a tool for protection and killing (animals). They are also used as weapons. Increasing the amount of guns in people's hands does not increase crime, in fact there is evidence to show that the opposite is true. Are there gun accidents? Yes, but there are also car accidents and a lot more of them (approximately 45,000 auto-accident deaths vs. 1,500 gun-related-accidental deaths). Maybe we shouldn't make Hot Wheels anymore because it encourages little boys to drive fast and crash into things.
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#3 sputnik

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:20 AM

Femi-Nazis are just trying to turn all women into men.


Femi-Nazi's is my absolute favorite word.
I <3 Limbaugh.

On topic, I have no problem with owning guns.
I have 12 back at home, and I'm getting a concealed when I turn 21.
Besides, y'all heard about Columbine, Virginia Tech, and other shootings right?
Well did you hear about Luby's shooting in 1991?
A man walked in to the restaurant with two guns. Because of gun laws, one WOMAN patron had a gun, but it was in her car.
If the gun laws had been different, 23 lives could have been saved.

Edited by sputnik, 26 March 2008 - 09:45 AM.

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#4 pulletman

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:31 AM

I'm actually pretty sure you're gonna get flamed for this, but I believe it is a good question. A lot of people think we are right wing gun nuts and terrorists because we play with toy blasters. Well,

To answer 1: I actually don't like guns, I totally respect the people that own them and the people that don't. But I do believe in the case of protection guns are a good idea.
2: No, I don't NBC (or someone else) recently did a review with one of the columbine shooter's (craig harris?) fathers and he said the his kid never played with toy guns. And also most kids will play with toy guns and I bet you none of them will grow to commit mass murder. Plus pretty much all of the phsycology people belive toy guns have no effect one way or the other.
3: Well honestly, I don't f***ing care. I belive it was just a marketing tactic to get older more airsofty kids and younger kids that watch too much television to buy nerf guns. But my friend (who will be old enough to join in march)likes the look of the N-strike line, but he is an extremely left wing liberal, and I'm pretty sure he will join the army when hell freezes over.
4: Yes, I think this is true, what the hell of it? Look women have their books about how men are horrible, and they have all this shit on TV and on politics and everywhere about how women should be empowered. Well now men have a version of that too, it's called guns, beer, and SUVs.
5: I think guns are bad but toy guns are a totally different matter, also I find it best if we call them blasters.
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QUOTE(Crimmy @ Apr 23 2008, 09:31 AM) View Post

i'm retarded

#5 One Man Clan

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:32 AM

I'm going to let this go, but keep your politics to yourself.
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#6 umdlancer

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:44 AM

You're overanalyizing. Hasbro isn't making a concious effort to say "guns are cool." They're simply pandering to the demographic which gives them the most sales: preadolescent and adolescent males.

Prior to the release of the N-Strike line, Nerf suffered from relatively poor sales. Then they released the first few blasters in the N-Strike line, and profits went up. Somebody at Hasbro noticed, and went "realism = moar sales!", and thus set off the spate of semi-realistic blasters.

Note how the less realistic blasters in the lineup, such as the Magstrike and Titan, have essentially been discontinued. The Magstrike has been repackaged as an Iron Man crossover toy, in the same vein as the Spiderman vs Venom DTB's, while the Titan was repackaged and is being sold as a Target "exclusive" (though apparently you can still find leftover Titan unity sets in Toys'R'Us's inventory).
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#7 sputnik

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:46 AM

Note how the less realistic blasters in the lineup, such as the Magstrike and Titan, have essentially been discontinued. The Magstrike has been repackaged as an Iron Man crossover toy, in the same vein as the Spiderman vs Venom DTB's, while the Titan was repackaged and is being sold as a Target "exclusive" (though apparently you can still find leftover Titan unity sets in Toys'R'Us's inventory).

Don't forget the "Hulk Launcher" Titan/Hornet.
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#8 Galaxy613

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 09:57 AM

while the Titan was repackaged and is being sold as a Target "exclusive" (though apparently you can still find leftover Titan unity sets in Toys'R'Us's inventory).


So wait, the Titan unity set I saw at TRU is becoming a rarity? >.> Maybe I should pick one up next time...
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#9 smeagolsaur

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 10:27 AM

A lot of people think we are right wing gun nuts and terrorists because we play with toy blasters. Well,


haha.

People think guys who play with toy blasters are nerds not terrorists.
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#10 One Man Clan

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 10:30 AM

Leftover means they have a lot of them. They are about as rare as Honda Civics.
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#11 slowguitarman

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 10:46 AM

I read this earlier, and I expected it to be locked as soon as OMC got on, but I guess not, so I will give my two cents.

1) What do you think of real guns? I think real guns are great. I enjoy hunting, and I like to shoot in my backyard. I can't think of much of a better day than to go to my house and shoot guns with my dad. I am totally for people carrying concealed weapons(with a permit, of course). People that go through the legal stuff to obatin and carry a firearm, they are probably not going to go out anytime soon and blast a pedestrian.

2) Do you think that nerf guns promote gun related violence? No. As someone already said, some people are just more violent than others. Some people also grow up in different environments, and that contributes more than any toy gun will.
3) What is your opinion on the newer more "realistic" N-strike lineup? I am a big fan of the looks and comfort. As you will see with my ls-mav integration that I will post when I get it painted, I love cosmetics. I love the way my gun looks. It just wouldn't be the same if I had done the same thing to an xbow.
4) Nerf is generally considered a toy for boys, so alot of feminists think that toy guns promote the whole "men are powerful" idea in young boys, do you think this is true? My sister and one of my best girl friends both love guns. She and I nerf all the time. It isn't the fault of a man that he likes guns. Maybe women should try getting into more "powerful" hobbies...
5) What do you think about guns in general? They are good when you consult your brain before using them. A lot of gun related accidents occur because of stupid people. If you have kids, but you want to get a gun for protection, don't hide it. Kids look around. If they find the gun and don't know how it works, they will want to try it out. When I was around 7-8 or so, my dad bought a .45. I had been shooting rifles for a while, but I hadn't really shot pistols. When my dad got the gun, he showed it to my sister and I, and told us not to touch. We then shot a jug of water, and he said that we could be like that water jug. Showing us what it did let us know that it wasn't a toy, and it could be bad if we touched it. Guns don't advocate violence. Ignorant and foolish people advocate violence.
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#12 Matt31

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 11:02 AM

You're overanalyizing.


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#13 Galaxy613

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 11:07 AM

Very well said slow guitar man. :)
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#14 Quilan Fett

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 12:22 PM

1) Real guns suck.
2) In just a small way.
3) Kids these days know alot. I was hanging out with my friend's 4th grade brother the other day. He was with his friends and they were making rank calls using words I never heard at that age. I think these kids are the main market, and they recognize that bright unrealistic guns are "uncool".
4) I have never heard that, but hardly anyone at school knows I nerf.
5) You know how you watch that cop movie with your friends. In the las half hour, they are fighting the bad guy? You know that one henchman, the second to get killed? He doesn't even get a second glance. He might have a pregnant wife. Maybe he was actually n undercover double agent. You don't know because he got shot and is now dead. Now, since he didn't have a gun and was running away, why did he needed to be shot? At the end, when the Cheif yells at them, he cares about the wrecked car, not some hispanic henchman. Does that seem right?
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QUOTE(pokemaster @ Mar 3 2009, 04:18 PM) View Post

hasbro in a nerf war!!!!! dude the will cancel it and confinscate are guns

#15 sputnik

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 12:25 PM

5) You know how you watch that cop movie with your friends.


Key word here.
MOVIES DON'T MATCH REAL LIFE.

Edited by sputnik, 26 March 2008 - 12:26 PM.

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#16 Quilan Fett

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 12:51 PM

I didn't say it was real, it just shows our values. If people cared enough, they wouldn't put stuff like that in the movie.

Edited by Qui'lan Fett, 26 March 2008 - 12:51 PM.

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QUOTE(pokemaster @ Mar 3 2009, 04:18 PM) View Post

hasbro in a nerf war!!!!! dude the will cancel it and confinscate are guns

#17 Captain

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 01:01 PM

Think of it this way. If children who play with NERF guns ever have to be soldiers, they will already have basic skills with weapons and stuff, although I don't think that it is hasbro's intention to train future soldiers. NERF guns weren't always realistic, but I think people like the realistic guns rather than sillier, cartoonish ones, so the realistic guns sell better. The only exception in the N-strike line would be the Hornet, which does not resemble anything real.
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#18 jwasko

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 01:44 PM

1) What do you think of real guns?
Guns are fun/cool, but are also very dangerous and are most certainly not toys. They are also tools: they are meant to kill, but should only be used for that purpose in the pursuit of food and for self-defense (or the defense of a third party, by the alter ego rule [I think that's the right term]).

2) Do you think that nerf guns promote gun related violence?
I do not know that nerf blasters promote gun-related violence. However, I do believe that gun-like toys (including nerf blasters) can reduce the wariness that a person has around firearms. In particular, if the player is quite young and does not have the benefit of actually learning how to use a real firearm he can have careless accidents and (perhaps) a greater tendency to use a firearm in a violent act if/when he has access to a firearm.

My father took me to the shooting range at a very young age and taught me basic safety precautions around firearms; additionally, I saw what firearms were capable of. Those experiences taught me a sort of respectful fear of firearms that prevents me from using firearms recklessly.

3) What is your opinion on the newer more "realistic" N-strike lineup?
Well, one thing is for sure: I prefer it to the Airtech and Supermaxx lines' habit of firing from the bottom barrel.

My father never let me play with (more realistic) toy guns, and (I think) mostly only let me play with Nerf blasters because they were relatively unrealistic back in the day. Also I was fairly mature and was well aware of the dangers of firearms. As a side note, we had the understanding that they were blasters and not guns. He made sure that I understood that the blasters were just toys and could not seriously harm anyone. He made it clear, however, that a real firearm could easily kill someone.

4) Nerf is generally considered a toy for boys, so alot of feminists think that toy guns promote the whole "men are powerful" idea in young boys, do you think this is true?
I don't even know what to say to this question, but I must ask the question: why can't girls play with Nerf? It's not like there's some kind of girl-proofing on each and every box.

5) What do you think about guns in general?
I guess I could repeat the answer to #1, but I'd also like to add the fact that I find target shooting to be a very relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

Edited by jwasko, 26 March 2008 - 01:48 PM.

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#19 sputnik

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 01:53 PM

I didn't say it was real, it just shows our values. If people cared enough, they wouldn't put stuff like that in the movie.

Movie content is not representative of what the general public's values and beliefs are.

And to answer Question #4, If Feminists are getting mad that Nerf is mainly for boys, i.e. no girls on the box, just look at Barbie or Polly Pocket boxes.
How many boys do you see on them?
The same number of girls found on Nerf boxes.
None.
And that's just fine.
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#20 Galaxy613

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 02:38 PM

A man walked in to the restaurant with two guns. Because of gun laws, one WOMAN patron had a gun, but it was in her car.
If the gun laws had been different, 23 lives could have been saved.


Though you see, the media see that and says "If only we had stricter laws, that man wouldn't have those two guns." not "If only we allowed guns in public businesses, people could defend themselves."
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#21 Trevor

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 02:42 PM

I wasn't trying to over analyze, these are just questions people have asked me. I gave answers like "toy guns don't make kids into killers", and "The n-strike series doesn't give me the urge to join the army." but I was just curious as to what you all thought.

Also, I don't personally own a real gun, nor do I plan to own one. However, I was curious as to how many of you actually own real guns. I know a large majority of us at nerfhaven are age 21+, and do airsoft and paintball, so yeah...
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#22 raw shrimp

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 04:47 PM

5) You know how you watch that cop movie with your friends.


Key word here.
MOVIES DON'T MATCH REAL LIFE.


WHAT!?!?!?!?
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#23 analogkid

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 04:53 PM

Ok, well, lets see what I can say here that hasn't been said. Honestly this sounds like the whole "Grand Theft Auto" debate. The bottom line is that it is safe, wholesome fun. Its fairly cheap to get into and is a good alternative to other things that people my age do. Like for example, instead of going to the party and getting hammered and/or high etc. etc. why don't we have a nerf war or something. Thats exciting too. And about the gun law thing...think about it. You're changing LAWS to prevent criminals who regularly break LAWS from being able to legally get a weapon. Except that they have no regard for the LAW anyway. Just because someone says you can't doesn't mean you can't, and really it just makes it harder for the law-abiding people.
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#24 Silencer

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 05:07 PM

1) What do you think of real guns?
P{ersonally, I think that real guns are highly dangerous. But at the same time they are interesting and cool.
2) Do you think that nerf guns promote gun related violence?
No way! Nerf guns do not promote violence. They provide us with a way to have fun, and it's not as dangerous as paintball or airsoft.
3) What is your opinion on the newer more "realistic" N-strike lineup?
The only reason they look "real" is for the sales. As said before Hasbro found a boost in sales from the N-strike line. They are not trying to make us think they are real guns or anything.
4) Nerf is generally considered a toy for boys, so alot of feminists think that toy guns promote the whole "men are powerful" idea in young boys, do you think this is true?
The way I see it, the only reason that nerf promotes this is because men used to be the gender fighting on the battlefield. Now that women are fighting too there shouldn't be a dilemna.
5) What do you think about guns in general( EDIT: nerf, airsoft, paintball, laser)?
I think they are all really cool. Even though they are potentially dangerous, they are very fun.
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#25 Liam

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Posted 26 March 2008 - 05:10 PM

Now, I don't consider myself very politically correct or anything, but recently I've asked my friends to have a nerf war with me, and I've showed some of them my guns (recon, and LS). They all replied with something like "does the army have a contract with hasbro?", "what is this teaching kids to play with guns?", "I don't like guns in general" and "hasbro is creating the next line of future soldiers".


Hey buddy it seeems like you have yourself a bunch of hippies for friends .
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The chances of one person taking a bomb on a plane are one in a million. The chances of two people taking a bomb on a plane are one in a trillion. So if you're scared of a terrorist attack, bring a bomb on a plane.


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