How?
He said that he personally thinks it's hilarious. However, he doesn't always have a play space autonomous from others who may not (for him, his wife) and other gamers who would enjoy the game may have a similar situation. I don't see how that perpetuates the taboo so much as it simply recognizes that there is one.
I know that I wouldn't have played the game around family for these very reasons. It is what it is. It's a thing in our culture and what the games industry chooses to put in games is not going to change that. Recognizing this and advising developers to make sure their games are accessible/receivable as possible to all those who would want to freely enjoy them is not my idea of perpetuating a taboo.
These reasons are
never a good justification to change something about a game.
I brought up the chainsaw killcams in GoW plenty of times in this thread myself. But the reason I did is because they're completely gratuitous and obscene, like much of the content in Saint's Row 3.
I wouldn't want to play Gears of War around my 5 year old nephew. If I had to choose, I have to tell you I'd rather he see the ridiculous-ass purple dildo than geysers of blood.
The difference is I'd never advocate for changing
either of these things. It's up to the developers to identify a style and tone. I
like the Lancer, and I like the ridiculous shit in Saint's Row 3, even though I never even used the goddamned Penetrator and it's a basically tiny part of the game being singled out to make an unnecessary point.
He didn't say his wife, by the way. I don't think he's married, but I have no idea. He said "your average guy."