Bob PeryeaViolence and the Media; or How much I hate Today Tonight
March 12th 2008 02:21
I was talking to some friends last night about the way that the media (or at least certain aspects of the media) often paints certain forms of entertainment (ie: movies, video games and music) as responsible for the ‘degradation of society’. I’m a sucker for violent movies and video games. In fact I’m watching Die Hard 4 right now, and probably going to go and play some Halo 3 when I’ve finished writing this. These are fairly stringently overseen by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). Despite this other forms of entertainment manage to avoid this scrutiny from both the OFLC and the media. I’ve been reading this article by David Elfick on the theatre to cinema transition of the Australian play/movie Blackrock. I remember seeing this play when I was ay school, it’s about the rape and murder of a teenage girl, full of sex and violence. He brings up the really interesting point that the theatre isn’t restricted by OFLC censorship or the media. Theatre a ‘higher art’ (don’t get me wrong I really enjoy the theatre) somehow manages to escape the examination that film and video games are subject to.
I can understand video games, they are a young and developing form of entertainment, and often revolve around violent behaviour. Film on the other hand is a well respected art with a century long history. Yet both are subject to OFLC, but often more tellingly elements of the media use movies as a scapegoat for violent behaviour, especially in youth. There was uproar about the play Pygmalion (later turned into the musical My Fair Ladyin the early 20th Century for using the phrase “not bloody likely”, but it was not banned or censored. A Clockwork Orange, a movie seen as groundbreaking today, was rated X in the USA and voluntarily withdrawn from British screens.
Another paper from the same site (the Australian Institute of Criminology) as the Elfick one, by Police Commissioner MJ Palmer states interestingly (and I think this is a really valid point considering what current affairs shows and some interest groups would have you think about the levels of violent behaviour in society) is that
and
Admittedly these papers were for a conference in 1997, so I assume statistics have changed since then, but the fact remains that the public perception of violence is no where near as dramatic as often believed. A 2003 paper ‘The Influence of Youth Violence on Youth’ by a large group of psychologists’ states that media violence does lead to increased aggression, however, it states that
While I don’t doubt that violence begets violence, I still have major misgivings about the idea that society has been degraded back to some medieval slaughterhouse because of violent movies and TV. Not the mention the idea that there even was some golden era when there was no violence and entertainment was all wholesome and family fun.
Update: Since I wrote this I've been thinking about it all the time. I think I'm going to do some more research. Hopefully find something newer than 11 years old this time though. Also if any cares, I get the feeling that stuff like this is going to be the mainstay of the blog. Other people have reviews down to a fine art. I'll just find random topics and whinge about them for a while.
I can understand video games, they are a young and developing form of entertainment, and often revolve around violent behaviour. Film on the other hand is a well respected art with a century long history. Yet both are subject to OFLC, but often more tellingly elements of the media use movies as a scapegoat for violent behaviour, especially in youth. There was uproar about the play Pygmalion (later turned into the musical My Fair Ladyin the early 20th Century for using the phrase “not bloody likely”, but it was not banned or censored. A Clockwork Orange, a movie seen as groundbreaking today, was rated X in the USA and voluntarily withdrawn from British screens.
A Clockwork Orange
Another paper from the same site (the Australian Institute of Criminology) as the Elfick one, by Police Commissioner MJ Palmer states interestingly (and I think this is a really valid point considering what current affairs shows and some interest groups would have you think about the levels of violent behaviour in society) is that
It is important to draw a distinction between the reality of violence and the mythology of violence perpetrated through popular culture and here I am talking about mass media, film and literature. For many people, their impression of police and police activity is drawn from these forms of media, as few people have daily contact with police.
and
The perception created by popular culture is that violence is endemic in our society. According to Bayley (1994), violent crime accounts for only about 2.3% of serious crime.
Admittedly these papers were for a conference in 1997, so I assume statistics have changed since then, but the fact remains that the public perception of violence is no where near as dramatic as often believed. A 2003 paper ‘The Influence of Youth Violence on Youth’ by a large group of psychologists’ states that media violence does lead to increased aggression, however, it states that
Because extremely violent criminal behaviors [sic] (e.g., forcible rape, aggravated assault, homicide) are rare, new longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to estimate accurately how much habitual childhood exposure to media violence increases the risk for extreme violence.
and as such doesn’t necessarily relate to violent behaviour but rather verbally aggressive behavior [sic], aggressive thoughts, and aggressive emotions.
Aggressive thoughts and language? Not exactly the decay of modern society that Today Tonight would have you believe. While I don’t doubt that violence begets violence, I still have major misgivings about the idea that society has been degraded back to some medieval slaughterhouse because of violent movies and TV. Not the mention the idea that there even was some golden era when there was no violence and entertainment was all wholesome and family fun.
Update: Since I wrote this I've been thinking about it all the time. I think I'm going to do some more research. Hopefully find something newer than 11 years old this time though. Also if any cares, I get the feeling that stuff like this is going to be the mainstay of the blog. Other people have reviews down to a fine art. I'll just find random topics and whinge about them for a while.
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Comment by Jarrah
Back to the Eighties
Plus - I HATE today tonight, and anything like it. Biggest trash in society there is.
An interesting note though - a current theater production on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is being considered for banning.
A female plays Jesus and wears no top when shes on the cross or something.
- Jarrah
Back to the Eighties
www.backtotheeighties.net
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
A fascination with violence has always been a major component of popular entertainment just look at the Romans or William Shakespeare's plays (eg: Titus, macbeth, King Lear etc), which to me debunks most of the theories surrounding contemporary censorship....as Ive stated on several posts about this topic, its the fantasy violence that makes it look fun and has no repercussions that's far more detrimental to youths. (EG: Tomb raider, james Bond etc)...depicting realistic violence with all its complexity's is far more positive.....also movie that paint the world in simplistic "us or them", "good guys or bad guys" terms do the most harm...IMO
Apologies for the sloppy text, time is of the essence today, I hope you got the idea.
Comment by Geoff Egan
Noise Fanatic
I reminds me of the Simpsons episode where they go to Itchy and Scratchy Land and marge is talking to an employee -
Employee: Here at Itchy and Scratchy Land we're just as concerned about violence as you are. That's why we're always careful to show the consequences of deadly mayhem so that we may educate as well as horrify.
Marge: When do you show the consequences? On TV that mouse pulled out that cat's lungs and played them like a bagpipe, but in the next scene the cat was breathing comfortably.
Employee: Just like in real life.
Hey, look over there!
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Comment by Mountain Fog
I do think they exert a lot of negative influence on the mentally vulnerable, which seems to be quite a large percentage of voter age people...hence the support of Howard for over 11 years!
cheers
fog
P.S. I remember seeing a minister being interviewed, can't remember which state she was from, on censorship in media, particularly TV, and she had the audacity to admit she watched "The Three Stooges" (yesteryear very violent comedians) as a kid, but considered today's children would get negatively influenced by watching the show, so she had it edited, no more hitting on the head with a hammer...I grew up watching it, never occurred to me to hit someone over the head with a hammer!
What idiots!
Comment by Geoff Egan
Noise Fanatic
I'm still trying to totally figure out this whole orble thing, but I just did an update, and I'm pretty sure I'll talk about this topic again soon....