in my opinion

Popular Culture’s Obsession with Violence

By Steven Landry

America’s reliance on violence to sell the newest video games and movies is at an all time high. In September 2000 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that 80 percent of “R” rated movies, along with 70 percent of “R” video games, and all music with “explicit content” labeling were being actively marketed to children under the age of 17. In addition to entertainment media, the United States’ news system is dominated by violent crime.

Not only are media images of violence common, they are considered an essential ingredient in creating a “best seller.” The U.S. movie industry, one of the largest in the world, has depicted — and exported — this “American Value” for decades. Looking back on the biggest blockbusters, it’s apparent which genre dominates: action…with violence. From Avatar, to Star Trek, Inglorious Bastards, 2012, Terminator etc, the list goes on. Out of Time Magazine’s top 10 movies of 2009, four had violent themes, and only two had themes of non-violence present.

According to one poll, 80 percent of Americans believe that movies are too violent. Yet, these films all had multimillion-dollar box office revenues. Ironic? It is the consumers themselves who determine what film studios see as profitable genres.

The video game industry, one that is rapidly expanding along with the technological market, is another industry inundated by violent images and themes. Out of the top 25 video games of the last decade, 19 were filled with violence (almost all had images of weapons or injury on the cover). Only five were non-violent. Further, with the top six all violent, it is hard to imagine why game makers would vie for anything but the status quo.

It is quite interesting and, again, ironic that many Americans criticize our media for being saturated with violence — yet many continue to consume this media. So, who is to blame?

As I research the topic of peace in media, the fact is that it is simpler to find out statistics on TV shows that are considered violent. For example, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Group, 61 percent of TV programming contains violence, and a mere 4 percent of those have overarching themes of non-violence. The result is that we know very little about the effects of peace — or non-violent imagery — in popular culture.

As audiences, we hold the consumer power. So, it is up to us to dictate our beliefs through the products we buy, and the media we choose to consume.