Entertainment Industry And The Culture Of Violence

Is there a “culture of violence” that is plaguing the American public? It seems as though many adults, especially politicians believe this to be true and are using this reason to suggest change in this election year. But where does this stem from?  Is life more violent than it used to be, or are all the stories just out in the open rather than kept quiet? The entertainment industry holds one of the largest influences and puts these ideas in the open to the public so this is where I see this idea sprouting.
The video game industry thrives on games that revolve around violence. Whether it is Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed, these games seem to encourage people to go around and seek revenge or take the law into their own hands by using violence. But is this really happening? I have played games in both of these series, but I do not feel the urge to go out and kill or hurt the people who may be in my way. I see the games as just an interactive movie that I get to help arrive at the conclusion. There are a bunch of advocacy groups which are trying to limit the availability of these games to minors in order to keep them from playing, but I cannot see this working. For one thing, there is a rating system that is already set up, and similarly to the movie rating system, children aren’t allowed to purchase games that are rated “Mature”. And if a parent doesn’t want his or her children playing these games, then they should not be buying them for the minors. Even though it makes sense to try and make sure young children are not playing games where the objective is to kill other human beings, should parents be instilling basic moral values in the first place? A parent should not buy a game for their child if the child is unable to distinguish between fiction and actuality. What kind of a society would we live in if it was acceptable to kill over petty feuds? We can’t blame the games that kids are playing if they think it is real. There is a big difference between reality and fantasy, and I think kids should be taught to make a distinction of the differences.

Hollywood and the film industry also have a monumental influence on culture and many movies are geared toward people wanting explosions, guns, and violence. But does this make us more violent? I love watching action movies and two of my favorite movies revolve around violent plots. But that is one reason I love them so much. I don’t have to go out and be violent. I can live through the characters so I can be peaceful and moral in my own life. And even movies that are violent sometimes need to be in order to convey a certain message or theme. One of these is the message of whether or not violence should be used to combat violence. This seemingly simple idea has been a topic I have written a lot about and I still don’t know the answer. But without the entertainment industry producing films and movies about it, I wouldn’t know where I stand on the topic. I am sure it is possible that there are some people to want to re-create movie scenes and emulate characters which would be a strong argument to ban violent movies but I don’t think it is that big of a problem.

There are people who argue that movies are becoming more violent and vulgar than they have been in the past and I would agree. The things that are put into movies nowadays seem outrageous, but that is exactly the point. Our culture has grown to expect extremes for entertainment because we can get the mundane in our own lives. I don’t know anyone who goes to strip clubs weekly like Barney Stinson from “How I Met Your Mother.” None of my friends like to fight crime in their free time like Batman. I know I will not ever go rent a house on a beach somewhere with people and live for a summer just partying like on Jersey Shore. That is why people like the shows they watch. It is a way to escape from our lives and they don’t want an escape to a parallel reality. People want excitement, surprises, and anything that will grab their attention. Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to seize a person’s attention, so violence and vulgarity are increasing.

The entertainment industry, which I believe includes film, television, music, and video games, has the power and influence over society to make change. This to me is unquestionable. But will they? I don’t think so. Sure they could strive to make more family friendly movies, promote healthy, moral values. But at the end of the day it comes down to business and these ideas do not sell nearly as well as violence and sex. Why else hasn’t a change occurred? I doubt the directors, writers, and producers want to encourage violence and sex (some might, I am not inside their heads) but they promote these concepts for money. That’s what matters in the end for the companies.

The news, which is a large part of television, is being driven by the want of high ratings. That is why I believe most news stations typically report the most outrageous and astonishing stories. It is less about the truth behind the matter and more about which angle behind the event will get the most attention. I think that when a story is being covered, it should be unbiased and show all sides. Unfortunately, the various stations would rather just appeal to a specific audience, even if it means skewing the story to fit their “image”.

The violence that I hear about often strives from war and greed. Occasionally there will be someone who does something heinous for a peculiar reason that stands out, but for the most part this is rare. The media bombards people with stories from war-torn nations, and the social media fuels this from another side. It is now possible to hear about a woman’s experience in the Arab Spring from her twitter feed or blog, giving a first person account of what is going on. People often are drawn to news that shocks their system, and that is why I believe people observe an increase in violence which may not be there. When every John and Jane Doe can report on a crime, it appears as though there is an uptick in what is happening.

Today’s society is driven by the entertainment industry, which in turn, is driven by profit. Once they find an idea that sells, it is going to be exploited in every possible manner. Rarely do companies think about what message they might be sending out to the public. If they did, I believe there are a gaggle of movies which would not have been made. They sell and that is what is most important to a business of any kind. Is it possible to instigate change through the entertainment industry? I would think so, but it is extremely unlikely. People seem to want violence and sex in movies, music, and games so that is what will to be sold in large quantities to the masses.