Violence On Screen Essay, Research Paper

In the last few years, I have noticed that on screen violence has become as

common as a Cheesesteak in Philadelphia. People often argue that the violence

seen on screen is influencing our culture, yet each year the amount of viewers’

increase. It seems that in order for your film or program to be successful it

must contain violence. In my opinion, this constant levitation of violence on

screen is due to our cultures’ infatuation with the art of violence. Violence is

present in the most of our cultures most enjoyedfilms like Independence Day,

daytime talk shows such as Jerry Springer and even in cartoons that have been

around forever like Tom & Jerry. I can recall a time when daytime talk shows

(Donahue, Oprah) would hardly ever have audience feed back and very few

panelists. My how times have changed. On today’s talk shows, such as Jerry

Springer, there is always a boisterous audience member, or an insane guest. Just

as sure as you will find Abe Lincoln on a penny, you will see a chair fly on

Jerry Springer. The Springer show was the first show to have guests’ fight

without stopping the camera. Jerry Springers’ blatant disrespect for daytime

show rules stirred controversy in the media but it also stirred up something in

the public?. interest.Although Jerry Springer had gone against all the rules

of daytime, his rebellion had made his talk show the most watched show in the

nation. When the Springer show surpassed the ratings of all time favorite Oprah

Whinfrey, it was re-established that violence sells. Recently the Springer show

has stopped airing its’ fierce and very real fights for many reasons, one being

that 23% of the people that watched his show are under the age of sixteen.

Although Jerry Springer is a show intended for adults, childrens’ shows contain

violence as well.When I was a child, I saw nothing wrong with the Elmer Fudd

hunting Rabbits or other Looney Tune characters being blown up, shot, or thrown

off a cliff. Wile E. Cyote was always being killed while scheming to catch the

Road Runner. The most popular cartoons always contained violence. Though not the

most violent, Tom & Jerry exhibited the cat and mouse chase with a little

extra. There have been countless times I have been glued to the TV as Tom was

beaten up, cut up, or strangled by the witty mouse Jerry. It did not even strike

me as violence, but it was. I watched Tom & Jerry a few days ago, I realized

that the whole show was based on Tom and Jerry trying to kill each other. Tom

trying to kill Jerry to eat him or keep his master and mistress happy and Jerry

trying to kill Tom to save his life. There weren’t a lot of weapons used in Tom

& Jerry except for a few explosives here and there but never any guns like

in many big screen movies.Everyone loves to go to the movie theatre with their

over priced snacks and sticky floors, but what makes movies sell? The films that

make the most money at the box offices are usually action films that have many

fist fights, explosives and big guns. Independence Day grossed more at the box

offices than any other film in history. The movies plot was typical. A group of

fearless humans attempts to save the earth from vicious extraterrestrial. Will

Smith fist fought aliens, blew up planets and clobbered all the bad guys. The

movie was consisted of a visual feast of explosives, property damages, and

incredible sound effects. Independence Day was to Sci-Fi what Twister was to

disaster films. Although Independence Day contained a massive amount of violence

almost every person in America went to see it, and loved it. Just because our

culture loves violence on screen, it does not mean that we all have sick and

tormented minds, we are not all just killers waiting to happen. Our culture is

obsessed with real issues being dramatized . There is nothing wrong with having

violence in films and on T.V. If a person wants to sit down and watch Will Smith

blow up a planet and save the world, then they have that right. I personally

enjoy watching action films with explosives, fistfights and death counts at

nearly one hundred. I love the feeling of leaving the theatre in awe of what I

just saw. Violence is apart of our culture both on and off the screen, only we

can make light of a serious matter through the production of films, talk shows

and cartoons.