Do you believe Violent entertainment influences society?

[Doctor Amadeus]

Showing the murderer's picture constantly. Telling us their life story. Interviewing their families. 24 hour coverage on all news stations.

I agree, not saying you or anybody else is wrong, but I wonder how much of that is how we see things vs, maybe being done on purpose. I mean I watch CNN, and I don't mean to pick on CNN, but most of the time when I see them cover something like say the Shooting happening down in Texas, I think in addition to trying to keep people tuned in for financial reasons, I think there is also an attempt to try to get a better understanding for viewers to better understand what is going on, for good or for bad.

[Aqua]

On it's own? No. But bad parenting or unfortunate circumstances can contribute to it's influence over a normal human being.

All a person needs is context and ability to determine fact and fiction and one can normally disassociate themselves from violent/sexual/graphic media. And even displaying media that is fact, one should be able to empathize with the victims given proper upbringing and not the abusers.

But there are always mentally unwell/abused people who cannot do this and that's where this issue gets muddy..

[Deleted]

No, but I despise torture porn like nothing else in the world. A good storyteller makes the difference, as always.

[Dhrizzle]

What do you mean "The media glorifying mass murder," In what context?


The news media, like say CNN, and the way they cover a story?

There are some concerns that the way the news media sensationalises mass-killings can inspire similarly disturbed people to commit similar acts for the fame. Also take for example the British/ISIS terrorist "Beatle John" who was literally given a rock'n'roll nickname.

If I remember correctly the responsible way to report such things is by focussing on the victims and aftermath of the acts, not to glamourise the perpetrator.

Getting back to the OP, which I'm guessing is aimed more at fictional/consumer media, I do think the media can affect people though not so much in the "monkey-see-monkey-do" way scaremongers like to portray. Exactly how it affects people isn't certain, and the people who know the most tend to use it to sell shit to people.

[Vinictus]

I don't think you understand violent entertainment. What you listed was fictional/acted content.

Violent entertainment would be watching 2 gladiators fighting to the death in an arena while people watched etc. I don't think its legal in many countries.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Not a fuckin chance.. This isn't the first time humanity is seeing "violence". And, even to all the little kids seeing it now on TV, video games, Movies, Mom&Dad fighting... Back in the Ancient days, even as a child 9 times out of 10 you were trained for battle and violence before the age of 13. You know how hundreds of thousands of kids today go through life without a scratch or a want in sight? Yeah, that many trained for wars & battle, back in the day.

Yes but historically, children as young as 9 and 13 were exposed to violence for very different reasons than today in most developed nations, and it wasn't exactly for the same reasons. I mean go back far enough and 13 was probably near considered a man, but I would say culture and social violence still played a role.

[Pickwickman]

What about Columbine, the shooters seem to be into a lot of extremely violent music and Doom. Do you think if it hadn't been for certain genetic predispositions, or even culture, combined with influence, that may have lead to what had happened?


Or what about James Holmes the promising med student who died his hair, and eventually decided to shoot up a movie theater?



Also many of today's youth, seem to be influenced by rap music both then and now, specifically urban neighborhoods, has 30 years of glorifying "Money, Bitches,and killing" finally reached a point where being a "Thug" is seen as a good thing might be a problem also.

You're literally regurgitating fucking Jack Thompson. Are you against video games?

[Uwibami]

I don't see how it would.
Most people would look at the movie/game, and know it's fiction, aka made up.

Hell the only reason why I personally even enjoy entertainment to begin with is because it's not real. I can watch a movie and get super in to it exactly because it isn't real.

[Deleted]

all entertainment influences society. ofc, violent entertainment is no exception

The more interesting question is: "how does entertainment in it's various forms influence society?"

[Mentia]

I agree, not saying you or anybody else is wrong, but I wonder how much of that is how we see things vs, maybe being done on purpose. I mean I watch CNN, and I don't mean to pick on CNN, but most of the time when I see them cover something like say the Shooting happening down in Texas, I think in addition to trying to keep people tuned in for financial reasons, I think there is also an attempt to try to get a better understanding for viewers to better understand what is going on, for good or for bad.

Yup, it all has to do with their ratings which of course = money. Anyone looking to end their life while wanting people the country to know just has to commit a mass murder. Guaranteed media coverage for at least a week.

Just look at that Boston bomber who got his picture on Rolling Stone magazine...it's really a shame.

[Pickwickman]

What about Columbine, the shooters seem to be into a lot of extremely violent music and Doom. Do you think if it hadn't been for certain genetic predispositions, or even culture, combined with influence, that may have lead to what had happened?


Or what about James Holmes the promising med student who died his hair, and eventually decided to shoot up a movie theater?



Also many of today's youth, seem to be influenced by rap music both then and now, specifically urban neighborhoods, has 30 years of glorifying "Money, Bitches,and killing" finally reached a point where being a "Thug" is seen as a good thing might be a problem also.

I love it how you explicitely removed "Finding that a young man who committed a violent crime also played a popular video game, such as Call of Duty, Halo, or Grand Theft Auto, is as pointless as pointing out that the criminal also wore socks" from that quote.

[Doctor Amadeus]

You're literally regurgitating fucking Jack Thompson. Are you against video games?

Am I, YES, but I wouldn't go as far as banning video games per say, but I do believe arts is a reflection of the society as a whole, and if our society what is popular or held up as important is any reflection of us at least in the U.S, Jack Thompson or not, I am not willing to reject the notion that is does have an influence.


BUT, for me it comes down to as simple as this, either A, we agree and recognize entertainment and the media does have an impact on violence or B, We all shut the fuck up about the Media having its influence on everything else.


I am willing to accept 1 or the other but not both.

[Violent]

Yes but historically, children as young as 9 and 13 were exposed to violence for very different reasons than today in most developed nations, and it wasn't exactly for the same reasons. I mean go back far enough and 13 was probably near considered a man, but I would say culture and social violence still played a role.

The reasons are really irrelevant.

Culture and social violence plays a part in everything, it always has. But does it today, MORE than it did yesterday? Not even close.

You think the HANDFUL of young guys going "nuts" and shooting up a place, or blowing it up, is new? Please, that shit is the LOWEST it's ever bee through our history.
we used to have entire ARMIES of men who did shit like that, were PRAISED for doing shit like that..

These handful of guys doing it now, are the fringe of society for the most part. The 1 in 1,000,000.

[Pickwickman]

Am I, YES, but I wouldn't go as far as banning video games per say, but I do believe arts is a reflection of the society as a whole, and if our society what is popular or held up as important is any reflection of us at least in the U.S, Jack Thompson or not, I am not willing to reject the notion that is does have an influence.


BUT, for me it comes down to as simple as this, either A, we agree and recognize entertainment and the media does have an impact on violence or B, We all shut the fuck up about the Media having its influence on everything else.


I am willing to accept 1 or the other but not both.

Then you should maybe read the links I provided, if you're open to change your opinion in the light of research.

What you're actually proposing is that authoritative media (your examples of the news and propaganda) is crafted to warp people's minds (something the KGB/CIA have studied for decades) which would be true. But to deduct from that that the general entertainment media is a way to change society reeks of SJW-speak. Culture influences media, media doesn't influence culture, because if they went against the grain of culture, they wouldn't make any profit.

[Deleted]

Influence can be positive too.

Only your bias makes you draw the preemtive conclusion that fictionous violence increses real violence while exactly the opposite could be true.

[mizeri]

people have been violent long before movies, video games, music, we just know of the violent acts now because of better news coverage and far more reporting of violent acts.

[Pickwickman]

people have been violent long before movies, video games, music, we just know of the violent acts now because of better news coverage and far more reporting of violent acts.

DINGDINGDING! We live in the most peaceful times EVER on our planet.

[I Push Buttons]

I don't believe violent games, movies, shows make us violent. I do believe that people with mental abnormalities who already possess violent tendencies can easily be influenced/inspired by violent games, movies, shows.

I for example, have been playing ultra violent video games pretty much my entire life. When I was six, I often played Mortal Kombat with my cousins. When I was eight, I was playing Duke Nukem and Resident Evil 2 on my N64 all the time. The first game I got when I got a PS2 when I was eleven was GTA 3. And games have only gotten more realistic and violent since then and I play them all. In the present, I spend most of my free time playing video games and ultra-violent video games are a majority of what I play.

I have no violent urges at all. Hell my family took me hunting a few years ago and I didn't even have the stomach to shoot a deer. After literally a decade and a half of almost daily violent games/movies/TV. And I love guns, I own two dozen firearms and go shooting all the time. But I don't want to hurt anything...

TL;DR: Violence is not exclusive to modern humans and modern entertainment. Look at literally ALL of recorded history.

[Deleted]

I seen Tarentino interviewed on British TV were he was asked about the violence in his films. He squirmed for 5 mins and refused to answer any questions regarding violence. He just looked like a tosspot.

If people always ask you the same bullshit over and over again it shows some disresspect
to the art form in question.

[Deleted]

If you mean in the "it will cause kids to shoot up schools" then no. There's been multiple studies disproving that. But I do think the media has some influence on us - we're saturated in it from birth, it would be absurd to think it doesn't. My personal (untested) theory is that we can compartmentalise that which is obviously fantasy, but the more subtle messages the media sends we only subconsciously pick up on, and hence can't compartmentalise as well. When we murder someone in a video game, we have the entire of the rest of society telling us not to do that in real life, so we know it's fantasy. But that isn't necessarily true of everything.