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Violence as a means of entertainment

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Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby jesus_of_suburbia_old » Sat 22 Apr 2006, 03:01:15

Am I the only one who thinks that gratuitous, graphic violence is eroding our culture somewhat?

I'm not talking about the kind of violence you would see in a movie like Schindler's List, Hotel Rwanda or any other serious film. I'm talking about the kind in horror flicks that are basically used for kicks and shock value.

I saw the movie Silent Hill last night, and there were certain elements in the movie which didn't sit right with me. I may be reading into it too much.

I really don't want to retype all of my comments. Check this thread where I made them. It's at imdb.com, so there are plenty of uneducated retards who get pissed off when you try to analyze anything. This is obviously a more astute crowd here, so I wanted some input.

In case you are interested in the film, there are spoliers in it.

Silent Hill thread

So, do I have a point?
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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby Raxozanne » Sat 22 Apr 2006, 03:11:26

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jesus_of_suburbia', 'A')m I the only one who thinks that gratuitous, graphic violence is eroding our culture somewhat?


As far as I know gratuitous graphic violence has always been a part of human culture from dog/cock fighting to the gladitorial arena. It keeps on cropping up too often to be mere coincidence. I even heard of hunter gatherers laughing over a speared fowl that was flapping and sqawking in agony. It's what the masses want! What that says about human nature, I'm not sure but it can't be good....
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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby TommyJefferson » Sat 22 Apr 2006, 09:00:04

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jesus_of_suburbia', 'A')m I the only one who thinks that gratuitous, graphic violence is eroding our culture somewhat?


No, you aren't.

Traditional cultural taboos against enjoying death and violence were forged by people who had upclose and personal knowledge of it; farmer's wives who slaughtered goats, and men who dug the hole to bury their father in the back pasture.

The vast majority of Americans have never had a righteously good ass-kicking or cut the anus and trachea loose from a pig so as to get the intestines and lungs out.

Experiencing those two things will cure one's detached fascination with death and violence. Why pay $12.50 to see what is right in your back yard every day?
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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby arocoun » Sat 22 Apr 2006, 10:07:21

I don't think that graphic violence ERODES American culture; I think violence REPRESENTS it.

Regarding the near-universal existence of violent entertainment that Raxozanne was discussing: There have always been selfish, terrible things in human cultures; and there have always been movements--however big or small--against such things. Slavery, bloodsports, imperialism, etc. That's because people are diverse. Bloodlust and violence are no more a part of human nature than charity and peace--those are part of INDIVIDUAL nature.

All it says about human nature is that there are some humans that enjoy violence, and some that don't; some that enjoy bloodshed, and some that don't.
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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby Raxozanne » Sat 22 Apr 2006, 12:54:54

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('arocoun', '
')All it says about human nature is that there are some humans that enjoy violence, and some that don't; some that enjoy bloodshed, and some that don't.


Good point. I guess the million dollar question is what happens to determine those that do and those that don't? Is it genetic? Is it the way the person is brought up? Is it taught? I read a report once that said that Victorian children enjoyed stoning animals because they were repressed/ignored by adults during the Victorian era of 'children are to be seen and not heard'. Anyone else got any ideas/opinions?
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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby Vexed » Sat 22 Apr 2006, 14:32:22

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ll it says about human nature is that there are some humans that enjoy violence, and some that don't; some that enjoy bloodshed, and some that don't.


"It is unfair to blame man too fiercely for being pugnacious; he learned the habit from Nature."

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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby rogerhb » Sun 23 Apr 2006, 20:35:47

The Roman's had the circuses to keep the masses entertained but also to stop them getting too soft from living in the city.
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Re: Violence as a means of entertainment

Unread postby TommyJefferson » Sun 23 Apr 2006, 22:51:37

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Raxozanne', '.')..what happens to determine those that do and those that don't? Is it genetic?


Yes, propensity for violence is determined by evolution. Nature always seeks balance. Too violent societies self-destruct. Too passive societies get eaten.

Members of a society must be violent enough to defend themselves and exploit out-group societies. They must not be so violent that they kill so many in-group members their genes are extinguished. It's a delicate balance.

Every society has developed cultural taboos against incest for valid biological reasons. Every successful society has also developed cultural restrictions regarding violence toward in-group members for similarly solid biological reasons.

Note that all major religions frown upon killing weaker, but very necessary members of society such as women and children. Religions are simply modes of societal operation recognized over the long-term as successful and codified for it.

A perverse but interesting aspect of our modern complex society is its ability to circumvent the natural process of extinguishing too violent or too passive genes. We get stuck with caring for too many of both, usually long after they've had the opportunity to extend their genes into the future.
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