Television, Evil, Violence, Good?

P

PT

Off 'Motherfuckin' Topic Elite
I've been pondering this for quite some time now. When I was kid, studies were around that the average cartoon had something like 10 acts of violence per minute. So, of course the questions were abounding, was TV good for us, or did it merely spread the violence, toughening the soul and desensitizing our minds to violence.

Surely there are some links to violence that is seen on TV and violence that is happening in our streets, but the question is, is it happening because of TV, or is TV happening becuase of our world?

Another branch of the same discussion, I love watching the new crime dramas, Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Law and Order CI, CSI, about the only one I don't watch is CSI Miami, but I never did like David Caruso, so...

Anyway, what effect do these shows have on us, are they providing a deterent to criminals in showing that the slightest mistakes they make or trace evidence they leave behind will be found and they will be brought to justice, or, are they showing the criminals how not to get caught?
 
art imitates life imitates art. i think it is a reflection of where our society has been and is right now. the problem is that it can influence but i think its the real life violence that is making the television violent: it is a reflection of our society. Now if TV has such an influence i have to say this

who has Marge's Beehive blue hair style?
what 2 year old do you know wants to destroy the world?
 
freako104 said:
what 2 year old do you know wants to destroy the world?
Click to expand...

I did...but I gave up on the idea when I realized we have a government that can do that much more effectively :p

Television merely reflects what's already out there. Before the current crop of cops'n'robbers we had cowboys'n'injuns.... Before TV we had movies and radio with their serials, before radio and movies there was live theater, burlesque, itinerant entertainers. Humanity has always sought diversion, a fiction where the good guys win, where there is a clear solution. The best art, however, has been that where those lines are not drawn so clearly and the viewer needs to look within to find truth. That's too much work for most people, so the most popular entertainment has always gone for the easy answers. :shrug:

I do believe that violence has become more explicit in all creative forms: music, video, film, literature. This is not a new thing, imo, simply a return to the circuses of past eras where fights to the death were cheered on by the masses sitting in the arena watching. Again, simply a reflection of the depravity that has always lurked in society's soul.
 
I come from Africa man - TV is a new thing here, we used to sit around the fire singing kumbaya when I was a kid.
 
freako104 said:
what 2 year old do you know wants to destroy the world?
Click to expand...
my littlest has been having a damn good go at it since day one...

and I don't think cartoons have quite the same effect as actors portraying characters...I find the kids around me are more apt to act out things done by actors as opposed to toons...i.e. bugs bunny vs. power rangers...they don't fling each other off cliffs and chuck anvils around but they certainly try and power ranger each other to death :shrug:

those are the shows I curtail, therefore.
 
There are places the normal mind wouldn't go without being lead there...The effect on our psyche is tremendously different when you compare smacking someone on the head with a hammer ala Three Stooges style, and the ensuing oh, oh, oh, oh...response by Curly vs the Tarentinoesque version. Which shows the slow motion impact and resulting skull fracture ripping the skin apart and spewing vast amounts of blood on the camera lens while we watch the eyes of the victim roll slowly back until only the yellow-white bloodshot areas are apparent/ cut to the drop of blood as it trickles down the cheek of the corpse and drips from the motionless chin falling slowly to the floor and splashing in an already substantial puddle....Once the latter has been viewed, there is left a scar that leaves us desensitized. The comedic aire of the Three Stooges (or whatever cartoon you choose to substitute) never lets the mind wound, much less scar...
 
Squiggy said:
There are places the normal mind wouldn't go without being lead there...The effect on our psyche is tremendously different when you compare smacking someone on the head with a hammer ala Three Stooges style, and the ensuing oh, oh, oh, oh...response by Curly vs the Tarentinoesque version. Which shows the slow motion impact and resulting skull fracture ripping the skin apart and spewing vast amounts of blood on the camera lens while we watch the eyes of the victim roll slowly back until only the yellow-white bloodshot areas are apparent/ cut to the drop of blood as it trickles down the cheek of the corpse and drips from the motionless chin falling slowly to the floor and splashing in an already substantial puddle....Once the latter has been viewed, there is left a scar that leaves us desensitized. The comedic aire of the Three Stooges (or whatever cartoon you choose to substitute) never lets the mind wound, much less scar...
Click to expand...

Still don't think that can compare to witnessing a public execution such as burning a heretic or beheading a traitor. Or how about taunting someone imprisoned in stocks, or watching gladiators in the Coliseum? I personally witnessed six bulls die in an arena in Madrid in 1986. We are violent creatures, this is only reflected in our "entertainment". :disgust2:
 
tonks said:
i grew up on wile e. coyote....and i have never once dropped an anvil on anyones head.
Click to expand...

I went to a halloween party once dressed as Wiley. I had two bent up bed springs taped to the sides of my feet, and I carried a sign that said "Yikes."
 
Ms Ann Thrope said:
Still don't think that can compare to witnessing a public execution such as burning a heretic or beheading a traitor. Or how about taunting someone imprisoned in stocks, or watching gladiators in the Coliseum? I personally witnessed six bulls die in an arena in Madrid in 1986. We are violent creatures, this is only reflected in our "entertainment". :disgust2:
Click to expand...



whihc i do agree wiht. it is sad that humans have been this way but we have. but with the burning and the public executions it was for a deterrent as well as entertainment. humans can be very sadistic beings.
 
chcr said:
I went to a halloween party once dressed as Wiley. I had two bent up bed springs taped to the sides of my feet, and I carried a sign that said "Yikes."
Click to expand...
:lol2: you are so cool.
 
The old Warner Bros. cartoons were actually produced for theaters to be shown to adults. But the TV stations stuck those on Saturday mornings to show to kids. They needed something to fill the time, and they had the cartoons sitting around collecting dust. It's sort of the same deal as saving the crappy, hour-old fries to put in Happy Meals instead of giving them to the adults.
 
Squiggy said:
desensitized
Click to expand...

Nice job Squiggy. You hit it squarely on the head.

There is a huge difference between Wiley E or Moe & the current crop of claptrap. It's across the board. Green Acres or The Simple Life. Gilligans Island vs Survivor. Bewitched or Charmed (which I'm embarrassingly addicted to), Dragnet or Law & Order. I still believe that the guys (or wimins) in the white hat need to come save the day. A clear order or right & wrong. No, life isn't that simple. Our entertainment should be. (mostly)

As I mentioned a while ago, there is a psychological change (desensitizing) with images we're presented with & choose. During WW1 the soldiers used "bullseyes" as target practice. They had a very difficult time shooting people during battle. By WW2, the used human silhouettes & the hits & ease of shooting went up, markedly. Today, our police (and miltary) use real sets & practice using bad guy/good guy pop-ups. They are in psych training more than weapon training.

Is TV good or bad? Neither. It is. What's presented & our choice of viewing is the question. Give me the white hats anyday.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top