If you can get past the libertarian snark of this dude, he does make some good points.
I don't believe that superhero movies are to blame for violence in America, but there is an argument to be made that vilence without consequences isn't a good idea. On the other hand, it could also be argued that showing violent acts without a lot of consequences has been a staple of movies for, oh, 120 years or so. The Hays Code prohibited realistic violence; The Wild Bunch would never have been approved by the Hays office. It could also be argued that graphically-rendered violence is more violence-porn than realism.
Lack Of Register Meets Not So Closed-Minded
2 hours ago
4 comments:
I've long been struck by the thousands perhaps tens of thousands of peripheral deaths that just don't seem to count for much in everything from Godzilla (personal favorite, 1954) to what few of The Avengers I've seen, though the Transformers were the ones that really took it home. Yeah, Stars Wars took it to extreme ~ blowing up planets ~ but not in the graphic detail: giant possibly mechanical reptilian worms swimming through entire city blocks, OH! No! there goes Tokyo!
I wouldn't call it a boycott, but it's why I don't watch popular media ...
I grew up with unimaginable TV violence. I watched every gory show there was. James Bond was in the theaters, so it was full-screen violence. All the old 40's and 50's war movies. Never had the urge to be violent to another person. And I was given my first 2 rifles at 12 if I ever did choose to. Maybe I was special, but I don't see how real violence can be blamed on imaginary violence. There is a line there and that needs to be examined. Just a thought.
w3ski
I feel and think first person shooter games should not get a pass on this topic.
Eck!
I have to agree with the premise presented by the clip; that violence without pain or consequence is meaningless. Watching the example of the aircraft crashing and, after coming to rest, the human beings calming removing the headset without any injuries is ludicrous.
To see a cartoon character (Wily E. Coyote) fall 300 feet and have a boulder land on it and get up with a stupid look on its face is one thing. We all know that it isn’t real. It’s an animated cartoon. Yet those with a limited capacity to think and understand (children and it seems, many adults) see these actions and infer that in real life they will not leave someone injured, maimed, or dead.
The depiction of violence on television and the movies is unrealistic. How many times has the hero of a tv show been shot in the shoulder, and the next week they are back at work with their arm in a sling. The following week they’re good as new with no rehabilitation, no loss of function, no hesitation in their heroic duties, oblivious of the trauma they recently incurred.
And I agree with Eck, the first person shooter games should not get a free pass either. Let’s see, I spend 15-20 minutes creating a character, customized for my preferences, and then my avatar ventures out into the world to face the dangers. But not to worry, if my hit points (or heart symbols or whatever other health indicators) gets too low, I can just drink a potion or eat a granola bar and I’m back in action! But no rush. Even if my character dies, I can restore or respawn, back to full health with all the same gear and experience that I had before. I don’t have to restart and go through the character construction again. NO consequences.
Now I’m not that old ‘get off my lawn’ guy. I admit have played Halo, Call of Duty, and other games. But I’ve played them when I was old enough to understand it’s not reality. Some Young, impressionable children don’t understand that what they’re playing on the PS5 or XBox is not realistic, graphics be damned. I don’t know what the answer to society’s violence is, I’m not that smart. But I can see the point of age limits on games, movies and television.
Dale
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