How much influence does the media truly have on our lives? That is a question we must ask ourselves when we hear about a gruesome murder on the news, only to find a copycat’s work displayed on next week’s edition. Is it really monkey see monkey do? When criminals or even just misguided kids get ideas for violence from a popular movie or show, something is indeed very wrong. The surge in martial arts business, vigilantism, acceptance and use of guns are just a few issues the media has propagated. On the other hand, one must note that human beings do have brains, (though they may not always use them), and the capability to make their own decisions. Thus, it is clear that while the media certainly has quite an impact and responsibility in correlation to violent acts and trends committed by the public, they are not fully to blame.
The very first sentence of an article authored by a popular yet highly controversial artist, Marilyn Manson, does bring up a valid point. He states that mankind, in the very beginning of time, did not need any form of entertainment to commit murder, that the disposition and human tendency was already there. While that is true, in his next paragraph he contradicts himself as he proclaims the fact that the media turns criminals into heroes with their publications. When these transformations from killer to celebrity occur, people absorb the messages the media relays, whether on a conscious or subconscious level. The repeated display of violence can grate on any person, without even mentioning subliminal messages and the power of suggestion. Continuing the thread of criminals turned heroes, kids who get teased may be impressed by the fact that the two from Columbine, (Klebold and Harris), stood up for themselves. Never mind that they did it with violence, with guns, and that innocent people were killed. Oftentimes teenagers cannot see beyond their own pains and problems, and when you are the runt of the litter, being picked on by all those bigger than you, anyone would want a healthy dose of revenge for the bullies. The only problem is, violence begets more violence. The crimes the media shows get copied, people take revenge too far, and the cycle continues, perpetuated in part by the media.
As to Manson’s argument that times have not become more violent, merely more televised, I firmly believe the evidence of today speaks to the contrary. There is violence galore in the world around us, and I would bet my last dollar our ancestors did not grow up in a time riddled with crime, seeping through the very pores of humanity’s existence. There is just as much violence in upper and middle class America as in the ghettos these days, even though that might not be what the media shows us. Is this because of the media? Not entirely. It isn’t the media’s fault that a kid can score a gun off the streets as easily as hot merchandise. Violence surrounds us, permeates our lives, no matter how hard we try to keep it out. Battered women’s and children’s shelters are overflowing, drive by shootings occur on a daily basis, drug deals happen not only in poorer neighborhoods, but where you and I live as well. There is nearly no way to escape the violence, and it feels as though the cycle gets worse everyday.
One problem that is a direct result of the media influence however, is how much violence is filtered through our movies, televisions, computers, music and even books. Ratings be damned! You can’t go watch a pg-13 movie anymore without seeing heads fly across the room, spleens falling onto the floor, or superheroes and villains beating each other senseless. The news is filled with details of how a husband can almost get away with murdering his pregnant wife or how a parent can commit a “mercy killing” for a child with Down’s Syndrome. Within rap, hip-hop, and a few other types of popular music, almost every other word would need to be bleeped out for the song to be acceptable. The internet exhibits websites that anyone can access regarding terrorism, abuse in the home, tips for predators, down to explicit instructions on how to build your own bomb. Honestly, our kids know how to get past the parental blocks, in ten seconds flat. It is true, sometimes our world can be watered down and hollow, as Manson tells us, but no need to spice it up with violence, when there is plenty more to illustrate. It is no wonder children are growing up more prone to violence these days, as the media displays it in nearly every aspect of our lives.
Let’s adress the issue of who should decide what comes through the media. To this complex and rather loaded question, I’m afraid there is no simple answer. The media can’t be allowed free reign with what they display, for the protection of everyone’s sanity, especially those with developmental and behavioral disorders, teens with a “herd” mentality, and heck, even unhappy adults looking for an outlet for their anger! I know this country is one of freedoms, particularly freedom of speech, but I definitely feel that freedom can sometimes be taken too far, more than ever when it heavily affects another human being’s actions. A parent can’t be with their child every moment of the day, covering her eyes when something gory pops up in the world, nor should they have to be.
Conversely, if we subject the expression of the media to strict rules and guidelines, we enter the rather gray realm of censorship. People do have a right to be aware of what is going on in the world, and know how to protect their families. Some may advocate knowing about the violence, being subjected to it is the only way to live however, I would most certainly disagree. Though some of his opinions do not sit well with me, Manson is also correct when he tells how we are the ones tuning into the hysteria. It has to be an individuals decision to shut off the television, it isn’t something one man, or even a committee can decide for the whole of America. If we let ourselves get into that frame of thinking, and start censoring what forms of expression should and should not be allowed, and whose opinions we do and do not listen to, we could very well have another Nazi, Germany on our hands.
Although the media may transform murderers into legends, and have a hand in continuing the violent cycle, we can’t blame the resulting copycat violence entirely on them. Times have indeed become more violent, not just more televised, the media does play a part in that cycle of violence as it is desensitizing the populace, the more the violence is seen, the more it is accepted. There is no “black and white” solution to this problem. We can’t blame one, because both factors influence the product, that is, violence in our country. While the media certainly bears responsibility in crimes the public commits based on televised or publicized events and descriptions, we have to remember man was born with common sense. Maybe it is about time he used it, practicing his freedoms with responsibility.
Works Cited
Article: Marilyn Manson, “Columbine, Whose Fault is It?”
