It's got to be about more than guns.
I can't say what it's all about, but I can tell you what's not helping: Our obsession with violence. Sex used to be the sensational visual overload of choice, but now it's graphic violence. Crime shows (of which some are more guilty than others) are the highest-rated on TV. And blood-soaked dramas seem to make critics choice lists year after year.
No, I'm not blaming violence on the media. They can be no more at fault than guns. It is, afterall, people who pick up their weapons and decide to strike. I also know violence has prevailed on this planet for centuries upon centuries. But the tone and volume of the violence is different now even than when I was a kid. Have there always been twisted criminals wreaking havoc on people in disturbing ways? Yes. But the "twistedness" and coldness feels more commonplace now.
These fictionalized portrayals can't be helping. We breathe the recirculated air of violence and wonder why it fills some people's lungs like a cigarette drag. Is it any wonder that the more graphic horror movies get, the more unspeakable these real-life crimes seem? Are all of these criminals' imaginations that incredible, or do the images they inhale introduce a whole new brand of terror into their minds?
Viewers: Stop watching these disgusting atrocities on film. Filmmakers and TV studio execs: Stop making them. We see enough of this junk in the news. Do we REALLY need to watch it in our downtime? Let's think outside the box and support entertainment that doesn't have to resort to gallons of blood loss to portray drama -- they're not the same thing.
It's time for some fresh air.
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6 comments:
Lois- I agree, if you don't like it then don't watch or buy it.
At the same time violence in literature, art, moving pictures and so forth will always be. It's a part of life. Having a good teacher, community and parents there to explain the consequences of violence is the best way to keep it from growing out of control.
Point well taken. But that's the beauty of civic action. Of course violence will never disappear from art, and I wouldn't advocate that. I'm all about freedom of speech! But because we live in a consumer-driven society, a bunch of people like me can say, "Hey guys, you know what? This has gotten out of hand -- time to pull in the reins a little bit and see if you can stop the the bleeding (so to speak) for while." It's the Carl's Jr. Effect. Do they have a right to run inappropriate ads with a teacher shaking her booty? Yes. Can people just turn the channel when it comes on? Sure. But because Carl's is a business, they respond to consumer concerns. Whether or not they should "cave" is a discussion for a different day. But I think if anyone in the entertainment industry really believes in what they were doing, they would stick to their guns and not back down, no matter what consumers say. In that case, my point is moot. But you can't blame a girl for trying!
yummmm FLAT BUNS.
Lois, a warning...once you give birth, this stuff is going to bother you more than ever before!! Once you feel like they are targeting your baby, you take it PERSONALLY.
I could not agree with you more. We really are soul sisters. I am more and more bothered by violence. I heard about No Country for Old Men and realized it was No Movie for This Old Broad. Too violent. I grew up not being exposed to violent movies due to a legalist denomination, but I'll tell you one thing, I am way less desensitized than the average person, and I cannot believe what people watch. And there are perfectly good shows that are ruined by violence for me, such as Monk. My daughter loves that show, and the violence upset me every time. I could go on and on. You hit a nerve with me. And what Missy said --oh so true.
LL, I think you would like this blog. Deep fun pithy posts, like - you!
http://sixteenseventeen.blogspot.com/
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