Violence in media

[stevierocks87]

hope everyone had a happy new years eve. I have a lot on my mind right now and wanted to post to see if I could see if anyone understands. I just saw the movie Children of Men at the theater. I'm not really gonna give anything away about the movie, but if you don't want to hear scenes described don't read the next part........



SYNOPSIS
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Basically it is set in a future 2020s where there is a fertility problem and there have been no children conceived for like 20 years. The plot revolves around getting a young refugee girl in Britain to this sanctuary where she can have her child safely- like a miracle baby. Hard to do as the world is in chaos-like terrorist attacks EVERYWHERE- and Britain is deporting, rather savagely, all illegal immigrants, who flock there as it is one of the last relatively "safe" places, although still terribly violent-like the entire city is a ghetto.

The part I really want to talk about is one scene that is basically a prolonged shoot-out/gun battle in this refugee camp, with most of the refugees being blown up. I generally avoid very violent movies- I just had NO IDEA it would be this violent. It was the most intense thing- like the only thing more intense would be actually experiencing gun fire and explosions all around you, knowing any moment you may be hit or blown to pieces. I was kinda torn up.




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Although the movie is one that makes you think,question, and consider some "mega questions", the violence was entirely overwhelming- to me anyway. Most seemed unfazed, and we had all just practically been through a gory, violent shoot-out, as close as you can get without actually being there. It REALLY bothered me. I don't understand how people can be unfazed by such greusome, realistic, in-your-face violence. It was like being in the middle of it all- the style of filming practically made the camera an individual in the camp running for their life-so you felt like you were there. I can't even fathom the amount of violence in our society and media, and people just FLOCK to it. Our most popular video games feature people with guns stealing cars and going on killing rampages. It is in our music, movies, and on TV. Gun shots and explosions everywhere- people torn limb from limb. We don't flinch anymore. Hey- its normal- its not real.

With all this "not real" violence everywhere, doesn't it make the REAL violence a little less....bad? A little more normal? Would all the violence exist in our world if we weren't swiming in it everyday? We are absolutely desensitized to ruthless killing. Isn't it our first instinct to SURVIVE and carry on the human race? Its harder when we're killing everyone!

I think the violence everywhere may be our biggest problem as a society today. My friend told me he didn't get why it upset me so much and people don't flinch because "it isn't real", or that people are just violent by nature so it doens't phase them. It sure as hell phases me, and I don't see why I would be contrary to everyone else, except that I have made a conscious decision to avoid graphic depictions of violence whenever I can.

This REALLY concerns me. How the f*** can we expect to live peacefully with each other if we are surrounded by killing? I think extreme violence in media is totally unacceptable and is a major sickness in our society. I remember telling my mom when I was little that it should be okay to see a PG-13 because it was "only for violence"- no S-E-X.

Does ANYONE else see the violence everywhere as a problem too, or am I just a "wimp" and "people know its not real" so its not a big deal.

PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one.

Adam

[ryan8472]

It's called "being desensitized." Obviously you have not, and theres nothin wrong with that! But theres so much of that in the media today, whether it be on the news, or in a video game or a movie or whatever, that everyone just accepts it and gets used to it. I know it's happened to me, to the point where nothing short of absolute carnage will phase me.

[Miss Vicky]

I think most people can differentiate between Hollywood violence and the real thing. That doesn't necessarily mean that they've become desensitized. I know I can watch movie images of people being blown up, shot, maimed, mauled, torched, decapitated, dismembered, etc. and actually enjoy it - provided that it's not based in reality. If, on the other hand, the violence depicted is a recreation of the real thing (as in films like Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda, or any number of war movies) it certainly does affect me almost to the same level as it would if I were watching the actual events.