Do we learn more from media which consists of events that have occurred in the past or the events that occur in “Grand Theft Auto” and “The Hitman” which are forms of media that are only representative of reality?
It seems as though movies like Gladiator and Braveheart which are loosely based on historical events escape the criticism that is received by books like, “The Hitman” and video games like “Grand Theft Auto.” It should be clarified that I am not an advocate for unnecessary violence of any type when it comes to theatrical productions, however, I do believe that historical movies should be held accountable or at least to the same standards as the other types of media out there. Especially since the images displayed on the big screen are seen by millions of viewers across the country, the majority of which consist of teenagers who can be significantly influenced by mass media and pop culture. If this is in fact the case then why don’t we hear complaints accusing Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson of being the bad guys? If we are going to hold all forms of media equally accountable then they too should receive some of the blame for the random acts of violence committed by our youth.
I truly think that the reason media is too afraid to criticize these films is because they are based upon events that actually happened. These events are so incredibly realistic that would rather believe that we learn from past mistakes in which case these historical films are not to blame. There is a definite flaw here that exists yet I cannot comprehend how we can go about to break the mold.
I think this is a very interesting point you are making. I personally have never thought about this particular topic. I think it is very true that some of the movies based on historical events are very, very violent. Yet these movies never are blamed for any of the violence in society. I would assume that they could in fact play just as large a role as some of the other violent movies which aren't based on historical events. I think that this is an interesting quesiton to raise, but I just don't know if this particular mold will ever be broken.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the reason why these films are not criticized is because the majority of the American public has no idea that these plot lines are not completely factual. For example, I'm sure most of the people who watched Braveheart or Gladiator assumed that this was actually the way things were in those days. When in reality, these movies are definitely not completely accurate. An entertainment factor must be added, and in these cases that factor is increased violence and gore. These are not exploited to the extent of books like "The Hitman" because people think that the movies are more factual than they really are.
ReplyDeleteI think that maybe movies don't seem to be criticized nearly as much for the violence that other media are is for two reasons. The first reason is that movies have a rating system that tells the public who the movie was meant for, and although video games do too, they typically involve a first person type of violence that movies do not. The second reason was the reason discussed by Fabian in the presentation this past week about how stars=hits=money and video games and books typically don't have stars so its easier to pick on a smaller name.
ReplyDelete