The Hypocrisy of 'Sinister' (M9): Lyrics vs. Player Conduct Standards

[Cambra]

The lyrics i'm talking about are:

"Looking for pleasure"
"You groaned, yeah you did"
"Got you in my sight, baby it's my first time, I'll take it slow yeah"
"Now get down on your knees, I'm asking please"
"Release the leather"
"Don't stop"
"I'll take all I wanna, Gotta take all I wanna, Don't let me down"
"Never let me surrender"
"Now watch me grow"
"Going hard, going soft"
"Free for all, consensual, I thought I'm in the clear"
"Ready or not, bottom or top, what you got in mind?"
"A little more I'll give you more, I couldn't choose this honey"
"Under my heels, twist and turn, I don't hear a safe word"

My problem is the inconsistency.

The game's rules and the GMs are crystal clear: we have to keep things PG13 in public chat. Why? Because, as a GM told me when I got warned for calling someone "cringe," I should "assume someone could be 13." That's the standard we have to live by.

So then I log in and hear this song, with lyrics that are deliberately sexual to an extreme degree.

My question for Square Enix is simple: Are you aware your players can be 13?

If not, why tell me to assume I'm talking to a 13-year old?
If so, why make a song like this?

It's the definition of "rules for thee, but not for me." As players, we're held to a strict, family friendly filter in our words. Also if I repeated these lyrics in Limsa Lominsa's shout chat? I'd get a violation faster than you can say "safe word."

[Jeeqbit]

I think that the answer is simply this.

If something is reported, the act of reporting it makes it against the rules, because you bothered someone enough to make them want to waste time out of their day to file a report. They don't act on things unless they are actually reported.

Since songs can't be reported because they aren't players, they don't see it as a problem.

Whenever they've done something due to age, it's been as a result of a report by a player.

[SalamanderIX]

There's a huge difference between these things and no inconsistency whatsoever.

A song is just content.
Choice of words in public is about treating people with respect.

[Appleboops]

If you truly have an issue with the over-sexualized lyrics of this song, which quite frankly having read them just now I wouldn't even judge you if you did, you could always file an official complaint via the ESRB website since FF14 is rated T - Teen
That said, if it's just a question of FF14 Development and Design being hypocrites .. oh well that's just how things go sometimes

[Wasselin]

Those lyrics are suggestive sure, but are they really worse than things that play on the radio?

[tuypo1]

Little silly maybe but it's ultimately much less likely to catch the ire of states than player chat is.

[TwiceDamned]

I actually will take the other approach.

Report it, if you think it's a problem.

Then Jeeqbit's first statement on it becomes part of the issue.

[SyferU]

Because if you let the community run free, you have male xaela hunting down lalafell like children or some other deranged stuff.

Thats a huge jump from some suggestive lyrics in a single fight.

[ZephyrMenodora]

So sad OP can't publicly ERP as they seem to desire, but what an eyerolling take to think these lyrics makes this "extreme" sexual content.

Also those lyrics are PG-13.

"Never let me surrender" - oh gotta wait until your 21 to hear that!

[Carstien]

The lyrics i'm talking about are:

"Looking for pleasure"
"You groaned, yeah you did"
"Got you in my sight, baby it's my first time, I'll take it slow yeah"
"Now get down on your knees, I'm asking please"
"Release the leather"
"Don't stop"
"I'll take all I wanna, Gotta take all I wanna, Don't let me down"
"Never let me surrender"
"Now watch me grow"
"Going hard, going soft"
"Free for all, consensual, I thought I'm in the clear"
"Ready or not, bottom or top, what you got in mind?"
"A little more I'll give you more, I couldn't choose this honey"
"Under my heels, twist and turn, I don't hear a safe word"

My problem is the inconsistency.

The game's rules and the GMs are crystal clear: we have to keep things PG13 in public chat. Why? Because, as a GM told me when I got warned for calling someone "cringe," I should "assume someone could be 13." That's the standard we have to live by.

So then I log in and hear this song, with lyrics that are deliberately sexual to an extreme degree.

My question for Square Enix is simple: Are you aware your players can be 13?

If not, why tell me to assume I'm talking to a 13-year old?
If so, why make a song like this?

It's the definition of "rules for thee, but not for me." As players, we're held to a strict, family friendly filter in our words. Also if I repeated these lyrics in Limsa Lominsa's shout chat? I'd get a violation faster than you can say "safe word."

I don't think you understand the rating system that's in use. You seem to think PG-13 is supposed to be pure and for children? It isn't. PG-13 is a rating where parental guidance is strongly advised. There may be non-explicit sexual themes, coarser language and innuendo. You won't get much in the way of swearing in it or actual explicit acts but references such as the ones in these lyrics are well within those guidelines, and parents are advised to check if they think it's appropriate or not before allowing their child to view it.

Nothing in this song is sexual to an "extreme" degree, just a normal degree you'd find in a lot of PG-13 content.

So in short, you're making a mountain out of a molehill. Step off the soapbox, educate yourself on what the rating actually means and maybe take a step back.