TL;DR
This video is pointless because GTA has always favored dick jokes over serious moments. What did the guy expect?
I disagree on this post for several reasons. (1) I think the video contains valid criticism because I think its pretty obvious that GTA does have some aspirations of making a "statement" about American culture. There's no reason to bring up government surveillance, terrorism, gentrification, the struggle of leaving your born-into socioeconomic class, if you have no intentions of making a statement. GTA V deals with all of these. But that statement is completely devoid of any actual point. It just ends up being a bunch of politically charged stereotype humor with poop jokes. I think the video goes into good detail as to why you could reach that conclusion so I won't retype here. If you disagree with the premise that any part of GTA's storytelling or world is meant to be an actual artistic statement then you'll reject anything I type here anyway.
(2) Instead, lets act under the assumption that you're correct and that this whole lovingly crafted game world is a big joke. There is no intent by Rockstar to leave any message or statement. There's still a huge criticism to level at the game: The joke sucks. It's mean-spirited and crass, sure, but most importantly its unoriginal, its lazy, and its not funny. It never rises above anything an edgy teenager would joke about with his friends and doesn't come close to other video game edgy comedy (like Southpark or Saints Row for example).
Actually Southpark is a great example. That gif the other day where the South Park game's difficulty selection screen also changed your skin color darker had a more meaningful statement
and was funnier
and was more clever than anything Rockstar has ever pulled off in GTA.
So my larger point is that, however you choose to view the GTA series, the writing sucks.
