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MEDIA VIOLENCE - FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! :: 05/04/06 When I released The Hit, I expected a lot of things - criticism for the acting or story, or perhaps commentary on the low quality of some of the sound. What I didn't expect, however, was a barrage of commentary on how violent it was. In retrospect, it is rather absurd - 5 of the 7 actors involved die, blood is everywhere, the sound effects are extremely squelchy, and no one seems to show any thought or remorse about their rather extreme actions. The thing is, while making the film, it never really occured to me that this could be a problem. Some would say that this is because the media has desensitized me to violence. I found a statistic today that claims that the average American child will have watched 100,000 acts of televised violence, including 8,000 murders, by the time he or she finishes the sixth grade. It may sound horrifying, but that really doesn't bother me. Despite the fact that I've likely seen much, much more violence than the "average American," both in interactive mediums (such as making The Hit or playing Grand Theft Auto) and passive mediums (such as television and movies), I don't consider myself a violent person. I have never done anything particularly violent. I've never picked a fight, I've never hit someone in such a way that it could possibly hurt, and I've never run over any prostitutes while driving my car. The one time I became involved in real violence (I speak, of course, of when someone broke my nose by pushing me face first into a wall), I didn't respond with violence - I yelled at them rather strongly, but didn't fight back, and ultimately had the best outcome of the situation. It comes down to this - there is a difference between violence we see in television, movies, and games, and violence we actually take part in. You know why? Because the media violence isn't real. It seems like a simple concept to me, but a lot of people (both kids watching stuff and parents worrying about stuff) seem to forget this. The only real violence I see is on the news, and that violence often disturbs me. Honestly, if someone is too stupid to understand the difference between Grand Theft Auto and the real world, maybe they don't deserve to be buying video games. "But young kids are proven to be more impressionable," I can hear you say. Well, okay. Let's ignore for a moment the real life examples that prove my point, ignore all the other violent influences in children's lives (such as most sports - you really want to get some violent, angry testosterone running, try playing some tackle football), and assume that violence in the media really is the most dangerous element in our society. If so, then why is it there? There is violence in the media because we have a violent culture. Television, movies, music, and games, reflect the culture that they are in, not the other way around. If you have difficulty with the idea of your child being exposed to violence, you need to address the root of the problem, not the result. America is a violent place. It always has been, and it probably always will be, and so people will be entertained by violent things. If a parent were really concerned about their kid being exposed to violence, they would end the things that drive people to violent crime - hunger, poverty, homelessness. The vast majority of violent acts aren't done just for the thrill of it - they're done because the people committing the acts feel it is the best way to achieve whatever it is that they're trying to do, whether it be to get money, or food, or respect. Of course, no one wants to fight to end the real causes of violence - it's just too damn difficult. So go on, parents. Keep fighting Grand Theft Auto, Tarantino movies, and Marilyn Manson, while your kids are sitting right in the middle of a country so full of inequalities and deep social issues that some people can hardly help but be violent. Nobody likes to be told how to parent, so I'm sure this will just evoke a huge amount of anger from most of the people reading this, but I'm not asking you to change. I'm just asking you to think. So, think about it: where does the violence in your life come from? |