Yes, I'm Teela (namecheck the YNH at the end of the suit and/or [Your Name Here]... I'm the latest victim of the Barbelith Soul Eater or whatever...)
quote:OP by reid:
I do think it's relavant as Teela (are you Teela?) seemed to suggest a causal relationship between violence in society and violence in the media. Something which as far as I am aware there is only anecdotal evidence of (and far more evidence to suggest the contrary) and would be impossible to measure in any way.
You made me choke on my coffee, but I'm an excitable fella. Where did you hear there was more evidence to the contrary? Seriously.
Everyone seems to think this is the case, but a review of research (check out Televison) reveals that, in fact, there's bountiful evidence that media violence affects societal violence. There are actual very few studies indicating no relationship. The quibble is over who is affected, also a media dodge. The evidence is neither entirely anecdotal nor adequately countered. And, taken in total, states clearly "violence in the media affects violence in socity." The few longitudinal studies conducted over periods of 30-40 years even indicate that childhood viewers of violent content are more likely to end up in prison for violent crimes than childhood viewers of neutral or pro-social content. The authors of the book are rigorous folks, they looked at all the literature: from government studies to media glom sponsored research to academic work.
We all want to believe there's some sort of separation between fantasy and reality but in truth television and movies occupy the position of cultural storyteller, shaman, bard, church, or tradition. But what about me? I watch action movies, Xena, Bruce Lee. Why aren't I violent?
The rest of the research indicates heavy viewers (roughly 5-7 hours a day) are more likely to believe that the world outside the window is a "meaner" place than it really is and to support harsher penalties for criminals, the death penalty, &c.
Ray, if I say your reading is somehow better informed than someone else's then I'll get accused of elitism. so let me try this from the angle kevin prodes: ie the folks he's talked to or the few cheers at the end of the film when I saw it. As a population we've been educated in the ethics of the antihero since at least the mid-eighties. Rambo keeps coming up. Batman. Nick cage in Con-Air (forgive me, a dear friend loves this movie). Criminals end up being the folks we root for. It's complicated and messy, but in the end at least half the audience will sympathise with Gabriel. In fact, if the scene where he shoots the senator (arguably okay anyway) wasn't there, he'd be pretty much unassailable. Even with it, he's "dong the right thing" by American standards and thus gets props despite being a psycho. Like Rambo. Glad to hear you were reading the same movie I was though. |
