[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Baby Shaker App Approved, Then Removed here

[greytone]

Gallows humor always seems lost on those directly affected by subject matter. That's fine, it's to be expected. But it doesn't change the fact that this was obviously meant to be a joke and not to be taken seriously, unlike shaking real babies which is very serious. That is how dark humor works. I wouldn't pay for an app like this but I don't think it's that big of a deal that it was approved. I also fail to see how it puts real children in harm way.

[Annie1]

So let me get this straight. We can have video games where the object is to kill all kind of people, innocent and guilty, but we can't have an app with some humor where you shake a pretend baby to shut it up? How many of us have wished to do that exact thing when a kid cries in a restaurant or a bookstore. This way, instead of getting angry, you can shake your phone and laugh. Stress relief in a phone - sounds like a good thing.
It's NOT REAL PEOPLE!!
If anything, I would think it makes people more aware of the subject that you SHOULDN"T shake a baby.
My god. I hate the preference that babies get...where are MY rights :-).

[alexxxxx]

The mocking of taboos is an established device of black humor, but a "black" shaded joke that implies that shaking a baby to death is an amusing taunt is definitely in the red zone. Not everything goes. And, yes, there are certain individuals with the IQs of gerbels who will regard this an encouragement to play break the baby.

[phydeux]

I find it a hysterical idea. Many of us have thrown darts at pictures of our boss photocopied onto a target. And I've been to a restaurant where you could pee on pictures of hated politicians and famous figures like Hitler laminated and stuck to the back of a urinal. I'd never pee in George Bush's mouth, but at the restaurant I can! And it makes 10 seconds of normally boring peeing that much more amusing.

And to Mothman, the reason they chose a baby is because iPhones use motion input and everyone's heard of shaken babies, not shaken comatose winos.

And for those affected by shaken baby syndrome, I'm sorry you've suffered such a hardship, but don't be oversensitive to others' gallows humor.

[msriot]

Lets hope and pray that none of you ignorant and disgusting humans that find such an application "funny" ever have children.

Maybe you should all do some research on the dangers of shaking a child and educate yourself before you defend something as grotesque as this application.

I find nothing funny about something that promotes child abuse humerous and shame on all of you who do. Shaken Baby Syndrome IS a violent form of child abuse. I wonder if you would all find a game that depicts child molestation "funny" as well.

What has this society come to? Seriously.

Come on over and pay my bills that I am forced to pay because my child is a shaken baby survivor. Did you know that it costs over $1M to raise a child with SBS? No, of course not , because you are all ignorant. Even better yet, see how funny it is when you see a childs grave that fell victim to this abuse. I didnt realize that games that promote killing a baby were funny.

You people are sick.

[Annie1]

It's interesting when people go for direct insults on IQ just because someone has a differing opinion.

[msriot]

I said nothing about intelligence...I called you ignorant. There's a difference sweetheart. Look it up. And while you're at it, read this as well. I dare you to laugh at the horrors that these children experienced and the daily struggles that their families go through....
www.children-of-sbs.com/

[Annie1]

Oh come on. You tell me there is a difference between questioning my intelligence and calling me ignorant, and you fail to see the difference between a game and a real-life tragedy? Who's calling who ignorant?

[phydeux]

msriot said:

Lets hope and pray that none of you ignorant and disgusting humans that find such an application "funny" ever have children.

Maybe you should all do some research on the dangers of shaking a child and educate yourself before you defend something as grotesque as this application.


I find nothing funny about something that promotes child abuse humerous and shame on all of you who do. Shaken Baby Syndrome IS a violent form of child abuse. I wonder if you would all find a game that depicts child molestation "funny" as well.


What has this society come to? Seriously.


Come on over and pay my bills that I am forced to pay because my child is a shaken baby survivor. Did you know that it costs over $1M to raise a child with SBS? No, of course not , because you are all ignorant. Even better yet, see how funny it is when you see a childs grave that fell victim to this abuse. I didnt realize that games that promote killing a baby were funny.


You people are sick.

What this society has come to is a bunch of whiny activist-minded people like yourself who can't see beyond the woe of your own personal tragedies and have to make your tale of woe the activist movement du jour. Yes, it sucks that your child was hurt. Yes, its unfair you're saddled with such bills. But don't call us ignorant because we choose to have a dark sense of humor about it. If you don't like the joke, fine, say so. But don't get indignant and self-righteous about it. Even a moron can tell the difference between the fictional world of a phone and the real world of a flesh-and-blood baby.

[JimDeansMeatyLinks]

Isn't the big danger of Shaken Baby Syndrome not that legions of parents an caregivers are violent towards babies, but that the caregivers don't know how harmful shaking can be? What's very sad is when a person ignorant of shaken baby syndrome perpetrates it. They don't mean to injure, they are frustrated, shake the infant, and next thing they know there's grave injury to the child.

I think a game that shows "when you shake babies it kills them," even though its intent is mocking an atrocious event, is a good thing. It makes people aware that shaking a baby is dangerous. I would rather have people tell really bad jokes the express knowledge about how things can kill others than have low public awareness of a danger. When I showed the news article to a friend of mine he immediately asked "Wait, you can really kill a baby by shaking it?" And because of that mocking game someone realized that they should never, for any reason, shake a baby.

[rkinne01]

I am truly sorry for what happened to your child. Shaken baby syndrome is a serious thing but most of us have enough sense to know the difference between a drawing of a baby and the real thing, we're not as stupid as all thse PC groups want to think we are. We're not going to shake a fake baby then a real one after playing with an APP on the I-Phone, that assumption is plan stupid.

[KaizenBlitz]

Agree. However, this doesn't explain why it was originally approved by Apple in the first place. Their approval process for apps has been quite mystifying, and to let something as immature and insensitive as a "Baby Shaker" app through to their store front is irresponsible at best. If they do choose to respond to how this got through their "filters", it could prompt a strong argument for why other apps of "questionable" value have been approved and apps that contain what many perceive as obvious value have not.

[Wicasta]

While I'm sympathetic to people who object to this kind of humor, I think the same people who think this application could lead to folks shaking babies are the ones who believe that video games and Marilyn Manson lead to Columbine. It's gallows humor. When I was driving a big rig, whenever you'd see a truck upside down in the median on the highway, the typical response on the CB radio was "That's a heck of a place to park a truck". Some folks would be offended by that remark, because someone could have been (and most likely was) gravely injured. Most would roll their eyes, grin, and move on, knowing the difference between dark humor and actually wishing another human being harm. Lighten up, people.

[Annie1]

Who decides what is 'of value' and what is not? You are saying that something has to be of value for it to be an application?

[Annie1]

Obviously, there are many different views/opinions about this subject. It seems logical to assume that there are employees at Apple who also have varying views. The person who reviewed this application didn't think it was a big deal, another may have refused it. To blame Apple for this application seems ridiculous.

[nerdcastrator]

Perhaps those who think this is "no big deal" will appreciate some of the other apps that will be available soon: "Lynch a Black," and "Gas a Jew."

[ltrain206]

Great, now Apple is responsible for the morality of this country. What happened to free market where if you were offended you simply did not purchase the product? Last thing I want is Apple telling me what is right and wrong.

[phydeux]

Actually Annie1, the point at which Apple failed is by not having a clearly defined review policy so that the reviewer knew what to do with such an app. And he/she obviously lacked the common sense to ask their manager for their input. I would imagine any manager would have seen that as a potential lightning rod that would cast the company in a bad light.

[RoC1909]

My thoughts exactly. People get their panties in a bunch over the dumbest of stuff!! This was meant to be a joke app! So I guess we should ban Grand Theft Auto because in the game, you can beat someone with a baseball bat and it might offend people who have lost their friends or loved one's to such a situation.