There are many
issues surrounding this media debate, and the arguments tend to be quite emotive.
You need to sift through the following sites and have a look at the different
views of parents, psychologists, academics, audiences and media producers.
The irony at the heart of the Violence in The Media debate is that a lot of
the media coverage of this topic which condemns violence, actually incorporates
violence and is designed to titillate and stimulate violent reactions.
Be aware that
many of the sites listed below are written from a particular viewpoint, so
be careful when evaluating the evidence presented - many are specifically
designed for anxious parents seeking to control their children, for instance.
Others may be posted by media producers wishing to defend their (lucrative)
way of life.
People have been
arguing for centuries about the effects on an audience of represented violence.
It is very difficult indeed to research the effects scientifically, even if
your science is sociology. What we are left with is a series of opinions and
theories, and it is up to the individual to pick their way through the maze
of statement and counter-statement, reviewing the arguments, and remember
whose authority they are citing when writing their essay. This is a very dangerous
area to risk your own opinions, or to make any statement that is unsupported
by evidence.
Most media research
is done in relation to television, but don't forget the importance of film,
newspapers, computer games, and, increasingly, pop music.
Keep up with
the latest news stories on violence and the media with the Media
Watch section of Yahoo! News.
Recommended Reading
Ill Effects:
The media/violence debate - edited by Martin Barker & Julian Petley
(Routledge 2001)
Why We
Watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment - edited by Jeffrey
H Goldstein (Oxford University Press 1998)
Screen
Violence - Karl French (Bloomsbury 1997)
Recommended Viewing...
...but
not for the faint-hearted. These films form part of the discourse on violence
in the media by being very violent themselves, and by dealing confrontationally
with the issues involved. Therefore, they contain some very violent scenes which
may shock and disturb (that's the point). They have all attracted the wroth
of censors, politicians and parents over the years. You can make up your own
mind. Enjoy the nightmares.
Natural
Born Killers (1994) - a violent killing spree by photogenic young lovers
turns into a media circus. Brutal to the extreme, messy, inventive and much
written about (see case study page here)
The
Firm (1989) - Alan Clarke's chilling account of the amorality and
violence of the 1980s football hooligan. Gary Oldman is brilliant as Bex;
why is he now condemned to playing Hollywood villains? Please do not confuse
with the flabby John Grisham potboiler starring Tom Cruise or I will get
violent towards you.
Man Bites
Dog (1992) - It's Belgian. It's a mockumentary about a serial killer.
It's very funny, until the rape scene. It makes you take a long hard look
at yourself and your relationship to violence onscreen
Videodrome
(1982) - Cronenberg extrapolates our desire to get our rocks off to onscreen
violence into a warped fantasy world where Debbie Harry has dark hair and
James Woods has hands that turn into guns. Years ahead of its time, although
Cronenberg did steal a lot of his best shots from the Japanese masterpiece
Tetsuo.
Dobermann
(1999) - French. Violent. Nasty. Goes beyond stylish in terms of mise-en-scène
and camera angles. Redefines violence as a fashion statement.
The Killer(1989),
A Better Tomorrow (1986) - Life in Hong Kong has never
been like this. Perhaps I don't know enough professional hitmen on a social
basis. But John Woo has never been into realism. Check these out for an
understanding of where Hollywood has stolen a lot of its best violent moves.
Woo, and to a certain extent, Tsui Hark, pioneered the enlivening of dull
good-guy-chased-by-bad-guy stories with their flamboyant 'bullet ballets.'
The original and best.
A Clockwork
Orange (1971) - A film about the influence of violence which was accused
of influencing violent behaviour itself. Kubrick deftly visualises Anthony Burgess's
literary riffs on ultraviolence and brings us Alex and his droogs. It continues
to cause a furore because of the rape scenes. But the ending is one to make
you think.
The
Issues
...but
not for the faint-hearted. These films form part of the discourse on violence
in the media by being very violent themselves, and by dealing confrontationally
with the issues involved. Therefore, they contain some very violent scenes which
may shock and disturb (that's the point). They have all attracted the wroth
of censors, politicians and parents over the years. You can make up your own
mind. Enjoy the nightmares.