Critic's Notebook: Movie violence must not be stopped,The problem isn't Hollywood,

latimes.com ^ | Feb 15 2013 | By Betsy Sharkey,

[NoLibZone]

The problem isn't Hollywood, it's real life, where killing long predates film. What we see on the silver screen can be helpful.

By Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times Film Critic

February 15, 2013, 7:00 a.m.

I abhor violence. As a rookie police reporter years ago I saw the damage guns, knives, broken bottles, metal pipes, hands — humans — can inflict. From the terrifyingly premeditated to the unfortunately accidental, those images still have the power to shake me to the core. They will never leave me.

I don't, however, believe the movies are to blame for these acts. As good as Hollywood is at reimagining the intrinsic brutality that roams our streets, burrows into twisted minds, plays havoc with our world, nothing I've seen in movies comes close to what I witnessed firsthand.

Perhaps that is why movie violence doesn't offend me. I may be unsettled by it, but no matter the saturation level, I rarely turn away.

[NoLibZone]

The left make billions on violence Hollywood pumps out 24/7 .

It's the DNC largest money source.

[Bryan]

The Democrats’ largest source of money and power has always been the unions. But Hollywood, and people such as Rob Reiner and Susan Sarandon, are right behind them.

You are forgiven for this misunderstanding.

[BenLurkin]

“What we see on the silver screen can be helpful.”

http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/horse.wav

[SMARTY]

It’s also one of the few remaining ‘healthy’ industries in California.

Nice. The ONLY thing that Caifornia can be counted on to consistently contribute to American society is more and uglier smut and violence.... Hey! Hands off Nitwit Nancy’s sacred cow!! (Sacred CASH cow!)

[freeangel]

The problem is the dissolution of families which the left has been strongly encouraging. “No” families have provided the framework of moral decay where life isn’t worth the paper on which Roe v Wade was written. The “entitlement” structure of the left has meant a “me first” attitude and “everyone else be damned” right down to the newest Air Jordans that children of the left feel entitled to kill for.

[familyop]

It’s all in the context of the situation. There’s the difference between killing and murder. There’s the difference between what one must do and sadistic cruelty. It’s like the difference between motivation to practice proper capitalism and greed. All too many fail to understand. That’s why our economy is going where it’s going.

That’s why our constitutional (civil) rights are more often being violated. For example, animals don’t have rights as much as people do. If that rubs a nerve,...

[FlingWingFlyer]

The NRA, guns and gunowners aren’t the problem either. Now we’re getting somewhere.

[SpaceBar]

Hollywood is promulgating the lie that they simply make harmless entertainment. It has been known for a long time that people are extremely receptive to imagery and repetative themes hammered into them. Triumph of the Will being the classic textbook example, but people taken as a large group aren’t as free-thinking as they’d like to believe. Hollywood’s glorification of violence is directly connected with the attitudes of their audiences. It’s just simple psychology that molders of public opinion with political and social agendas have known for ages.

[RedMonqey]

The problem isn't Hollywood, it's real life, where killing long predates film.

Killing long predates guns.

Just ask Cain.

Time to ban rocks..

[Revolting cat!]

Classified ad business has moved to the net, as has, mostly, the car selling business. Hollywood is the last business that buys full page ads in rags like this one. That’s all that needs to be said.

[Antoninus]

Visual stimuli from extreme violence and porn has no affect on the human brain. That’s why explosions and beautiful women in skimpy clothing are never used in advertising.

[PapaBear3625]

I may be unsettled by it, but no matter the saturation level, I rarely turn away.

The issue is not whether you or I are affected by it. The issue is whether there are a significant number of people who, by frequent exposure to violence in movies and video games, can become conditioned to violence.

By the same logic that contends that we should ban guns because a few people go on rampages, or that we should ban 32 ounce soda because a few people get obese because of them, then by that same logic we should ban violent movies.

[eyeamok]

Did we not just hear the Administration blame some stupid movie that nobody ever saw for INCITING VIOLENCE??

[RedMonqey]

For example, animals don’t have rights as much as people do.

To paraphrase an (in)famous Supreme Court Justice:

'"Animals have no rights that any man is bound by the law to respect." What "Man" does have is dominion over the creatures and responsibility for the animals in his trust.


Rights demand the ability of responsibilities, not just the good stuff as in what teenagers think they get when they turn into adults as defined by the government.

Otherwise I agree with you...

[Strategerist]

The other problem is the US murder rate was higher before movies were invented.

[shoff]

It looks like Betsy Sharkey is putting in her bid to be invited to the latest Hollywood parties. She makes sure to drop enough names to fill a swimming pool and tells them how great they are. That their endless copies are really original. Hollywood is on notice; it is safe to invite her.

[Darren McCarty]

This isn’t Hollywoods fault, nor guns. It’s the fault of people who made the decisions they chose to make.

[TigersEye]

Ditto!

[ctdonath2]

Americans watch a cumulative ten trillion hours of movies/TV per year.

[Carry_Okie]

The ONLY thing that Caifornia can be counted on to consistently contribute to American society is more and uglier smut and violence....

I guess the chips in the computer you are using and the routers and servers that got your ignorant opinion online on a site hosted in California don't count.