Homemade Domestic Violence Video Game

I’m in a class called "Interactive Technologies and Live Performance."  The title is pretty self explanatory, we learn about new interactive digital technologies and how to perform specifically for them.  Every few weeks we have an assignment in which we have to apply the latest concept we learned to a homemade film or video art project.  We presented our projects last class and today.

One of the projects that presented today was a girl on screen switching from a fairly androgynous ponytail, tank top and pants to an updo and floral dress, taking hits.  The viewer had a Wii remote and based on how they swung it around, the girl would feel the hit in her face, side, stomach, whatever.  The creators of the project (one guy and one girl) treated it like it was funny.  They giggled a bit when they said it was a "wife beater simulator."   I was so offended and shocked that I didn’t say anything until we were well into the discussion, mostly about the acting and specific glitches in the software.  Finally the professor brought up the problematic implications and I felt comfortable enough to speak.  I just brought up how problematic and offensive it is, to trivialize the real issue of domestic violence by turning it into a game, and i immediately got a huge backlash from the rest of the class.  One classmate said I shouldn’t feel offended because it’s not real, no one’s actually getting hurt.  Another said that the project "has to be made" because I was so offended, to open up discussion. 

I call bullshit on both of those.  There are much, MUCH more effective ways to bring about a discussion on domestic violence than by making it a game.  The way the two creators were presenting their project, also, made it incompatible with sensitive discussion.  They didn’t even acknowledge how horrible their concept was, even after the professor called them out on it.  I’m especially pissed off at the girl who told me I shouldn’t feel offended.  She has no idea what my past experiences are, and has no right to tell me how to feel about an extremely triggering video I was being shown on a 10 foot screen right in front of me.

I’m still shaken up about this.  Thoughts?