+73 I was unaware that watching people torture other people is movie-worthy material, amirite?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

It isn't but there are some sick people in this world.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Fear factor is disgusting...

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It is the Roman Coliseum blood that runs in American's veins. We have been cheering the hurting of people for centuries.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

can you give a more specific example? are we talking gladiator style pointless competition? or are we talking about tv shows dealing with torture?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

Yes, I was referencing the gladiator/wild animal killings of convicted or innocents (Christians were among that crowd). Humanity seems to have an obsession for blood and guts. Why, I am not sure. Cock fighting, pit bull fighting, bull fighting, MMA fighting, for starters. And as if we did not get enough in real life, we had to carry it in to our entertainment - video games, music, movies (horror and slasher flicks). Young boys and teenage boys obsessively play shoot/kill games and watch hundreds and thousands of murders committed daily in the the television they watch. But then we are somehow amazed that when some of them go out and commit REAL murder, why they feel no remorse or have no guilt or shame for doing such. The brain is a computer. Trash in - trash out.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

That's a bit of a fatuous argument though, almost as if you're saying the movies, music and whatever else is responsible for kids going out and doing those things. Life was far more brutal and cut-throat before those things came along.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

So if a small child grows up playing killing video games, and can not at that age distinguish between absolute/concrete and fantasy/abstract, you are telling me that it could not possibly be impacting them permanently and programming them in a negative way? I have done a little research in my time. I don't know it all, but we are raising a generation of killer teens, and that has not always existed.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

I played extremely violent video games as a child, and watched action/horror movies, and played shooting games outside. We even played with BB guns, and we made real swords in a forge to have proper sword fights. None of us have grown into psychotics or murderers.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

How do you know what all of your tendencies or capabilities are?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

If you read the stories about all the mass shooter teens, every single one (notice all male and no females) was an avid gamer - some having NEVER fired a real gun in their lifetime. Cops say they shoot with the precision of expert marksmen. How is that possible if the games are not impacting them?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

And the movies and/or games may not CAUSE such, but they are certainly a major contributing factor. If you disagree, please tell me your explanation as to why more and more young people are committing violent crimes and murdering for "no reason."

by Anonymous 10 years ago

I don't believe that's true, for a start. Increases in violent crimes are invariably down to an increase in reporting of crime, or a reduction in the threshold of what constitutes a violent crime. If you go by statistics, the greatest "crime wave" in UK history was just after the formation of the London Metropolitan Police Force. As we are able to observe more, and as more people are emboldened to report what happens to them, the crime numbers will inevitably rise. That may sound cynical to you, but it's something that media NEVER takes into account when they irresponsibly and crassly dub an entire generation as a bunch of delinquent, violent psychopaths. Secondly, placing the blame on games, TV shows, movies etc is laying the foundations of a nanny state that will do nothing to solve the problems of society. China has MASSIVE restrictions on TV violence, swearing, and all the things you say are the major contributing factor to these crimes, and yet China's rate of violent crime is ALSO increasing. Economic factors play a much bigger role in crime rates than the things you are describing. There's also issues of food additives affecting behaviour, a lack of discipline at home, and a general distance between parents and their kids. It's down to the parents to monitor more closely what their kids are doing, thinking and feeling. It's such a typical lazy-ass parent reaction to point the finger elsewhere. If you ask me, the real source of apparent degradation in society and values is actually down to lax parenting and a refusal of people to take responsibility. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault, according to these parents. It's the TV they watch, the games they play, the music they listen to, the President's policies, the school's curriculum... etc etc. Finally, you pointed out that all those shooters were male and avid gamers. Well, if gaming is the major contributing factor, why have there not been any female shooters? Girls are avid gamers too! It's also a bit fatuous and unreasonable to take isolated examples and translate it into the norm. The vast vast vast majority of people playing those games are not being affected in the ways you are describing at all. Take me and my friends for instance, as I already described.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

First off, when I read your post, I was under the impression that you personally were against violence in television or movies. Obviously, that is not the case or the point of your post. Quite frankly, I am not sure what the point of your post was now. Secondly, I just looked, and violent crimes among youths in the UK and America are down, so I give that one to you. I had not checked in some time. Third, I did not ever say the movies and games CAUSED such, but did say they are a contributing factor. As you clearly indicated, many things go in to the breakdown of a society and the youth specifically. I think you hit 2 of them right on the head - the family unit and economics. It is a real catch 22 situation. For years, there was a thrust by women's lib and feminist groups to scorn any female who wanted to stay home and raise her children. That was viewed as archaic or only something religious people did. Now that a lot of real life has run its course, women are starting to come back around and realize that staying at home might not be such a bad thing. We also have a reversal in some households, where the woman is earning more than the man could, so he stays home. Either way, if both parents are out working, then who is raising the children? Some are fortunate enough to have extended families who can and do pitch in to help, but most turn their children over to day care. If a child is dropped off at daycare by 7 a.m. and not picked up until 6 or 7 p.m., it is easy to see who is "raising" the child and having the greatest influence on them. Regardless, "lax parenting" is virtually the inability to parent much at all if both parents are never around. In today's society with such high costs of living, it is almost impossible to raise a family on one income - unless of course, that one income is quite substantial. That is not an excuse (as you put it), but a reality. If the bills don't get paid, there is no place to live or anything to eat. Finally, would you explain to me what you mean by your post? You say you grew up playing and watching all sorts of violence and horror, so why make a post about watching torture as being unworthy of movie material?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

I'm not the OP, you do realise that, right?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

Holy shit - I give up! No, I did not. I was just going off your reply to my first comment assuming you were. Anyway, no big deal.

by Anonymous 10 years ago