What effect, if any, do you feel aggressive films have on society?

Question

Watch me asking this question on video here: http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/2678520/…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

i think that they de-sensitise violence and the effects of violence.

in the movies, a man is punched violently in the face and bounces back for more. and more, and more. he keeps standing, whilst being repeatedly hit in the face. There is seldom much blood. Teeth stay perfectly "Hollywood" - shiny and overly perfect. His vision is seldom impaired. He fights back.

in real life, one hard blow can knock a man out. the swelling can happen quickly. blood will rapidly fill the face and eyes(the head bleeds quite severely), teeth are usually first to be bashed out. There is nerve damage to the face, and long-lasting repurcussions from the damage.
In severe cases, a very violent blow can cause the victim's neck to break, from the force applied to the head.

Answer 2

I think they have a lot. Video games are 500 times worse.

Answer 3

None, only for the few weak minded

Answer 4

Not much. I think depictions of violence get blamed to much for things they don't really cause. When the world has so much violence in it already, how can you blame a film for causing it. Anyone who commits a violent or aggressive act and quotes a film as they're motive is either lying or stupid and would have been likely to commit a similar act anyway with or without watching the film.

Answer 5

Nothing compared to the news which shows the real horrific events that happen.

Answer 6

One of the effects aggressive films might have on society that would be the worst is the numbing effect it has on normal sensibilites. The more violence you see the less you are sensitive to it, and the less society can have empathy, compassion, or understanding towards anyone. Senseless violence and senseless crimes committed by people, numbed to violence, whose otherwise normal sensibilities would prevent them from doing so.

Answer 7

More violence? We can't prove that though, maybe it's just Urban Legend. Not everyone watch aggresive films regularly and can influenced by it. Only (quoting from one of the previous answerer) the weak will be affected

Answer 8

An obsession with violence is unhealthy and there are too many people who can't balance out their choice of entertainment. But a bit of fictional aggression every now and then can give me a lift and I'm not a violent person.

Some people say only the weak are affected. Perhaps there are too many weak people.

Answer 9

They only affect the weak minded.

Answer 10

of course they an effect!!!! every thing we watch effects us in some way, however small. violence is no longer taboo, its excepted. due to film, tv and video games we have made ourselves immune to some of the most grotesque aspects of humanity. its disgusting that we see death pain and tourture as a form of entertainment, though it seems this is part of human nature and throughout history there are examples of people that refuse to supress this need. it seems that todays violent films are simply an extension of the brutal gladiator battles of the romans or even the hedonism of the marquis de sade. i also find it interesting that we watch these films as entertainment but when they happen in real life we often show disgust.but surely by enjoying watching them we are some how justifying the acts portrayed.

Answer 11

None. If people have aggressive tendencies they will act on them whether they watch these films or not. Millions of people watched Saw, Seven, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, for example, & did not commit violent acts because of it.

Btw. Why do you look so nervous when asking the question?

Answer 12

I think this is a massive question, and one without a simple answer. My personal opinion is that the media is an easy scapegoat to apportion blame to, for example in the case of the Columbine school shootings much was made of the fact that the killers listened to Marilyn Manson and watched 'violent' movies.
There have been countless studies conducted in an attempt to show the effects of aggressive & violent movies on society, with vastly differing results. Some studies have found that violence in movies can reduce an aggressive drive in a person, while others have concluded that films have played a direct role in shaping criminal careers.
I certainly agree that children should be restricted from viewing certain types of film, as their moral & social reasoning is not as developed as an adult's, and therefore they may not fully appreciate the consequences these aggressive acts carry. However it is also interesting to note that children's cartoons are least likely to show the outcomes & consequences of aggressive behaviour.
Good question Greg, and one which will continue to be debated for years to come.

Answer 13

People have been watching Tom and Jerry and Roadrunner for years and it doesn't get much more violent or agressive than that.
I love horror films. The more gory and violent they are the better I like them. I don't have a violent bone in my body and don't feel like killing someone after watching Saw or Candyman. I think this is being used by the media to justify violence. As adults, why can't we be given the opportunity to make up our own minds and not be railroaded by this handholding nanny business? Give us some credit.

Answer 14

A society of freedom doesn't need censorship, this isn't 1984.

I believe violent media can have an effect on people. After all, the whole purpose of film is to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, so it must affect you in some way to be effective, however temporary that feeling is.

That said, films aren't going to make you a murderer anymore than Superman 2 is going to give me the power to fly. And besides for the violent stuff, there's an age rating for a reason. To stop kids watching stuff beyond their level of maturity and ability to handle what they see.

Parents who capitulate and buy their kids films and games way beyond their age disgust me, as they're the same ones who are the first to complain about the violence, did they even read the box/ watch the trailer?

We as adults have the right to choose, no one is forcing you to pay through the nose to see a film at the odeon, so respect my right as a consumer and don't cut SAW down to an episode of the teletubbies (because that would make me go on a killing spree:)

Answer 15

Being really honest with you, I can't watch violent movies.Horror movies like the Hammer Studio films used to scare me enough when I was younger.From clips of modern films I have seen, I think they go too far with the glamorising of killing.
These days we have many unemployed young people sitting at home watching this kind of stuff.All you need is one vulnerable person that's taken drugs, then watched something that they cannot break away from reality, then the dream of the film becomes a reality for them.
There was belief that the murder of a little toddler here in UK some years ago had been inspiration from a movie to the young lads that had murdered him.
We have too much sadness in real life, like natural disasters.I have no room in my life for aggressive films.
EDIT:Just been reading my 11 year son's kids newspaper called First News.A new poll by Ofcom says that two thirds of young people aged between 12 and 15 think that their behaviour is affected by violence in video games.Some games certified for 12 year olds are violent.

Answer 16

One thing people never seem to mention is not the violence itself, but the ease with which characters perform violent acts and make a clean getaway.

Films can make stabbing someone to death look completely effortless and lightning fast, whereas the actual physical demand of such an action is far from easy.

Therefore people feel less reserved about committing a violent act, as they've seen how easily Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone can do it.

Answer 17

I'm sorry Greg, I was killing thousands of Indians, seventy years ago, along with so many cowboys. I have even been to war. none of these thing have made me violent, in fact the reverse. I realise just what violence is and would go to great extremes\ to avoid it. I'm not to certain that kids associate game violence with true life. Please do not under estimate their intelligence. Having said that, its possible that some, basically retarded could. If you win on this one I will be very surprised. Thinking about it, there could be a reverse effect, they might not want to be involved?

Answer 18

well...let's face it...the world has never been peaceful..i think agressive films probably have more on effect on weak minded people as someone above said..

Answer 19

Aggresive films appear to make kids more violent and hyper.This seems to be one of the causes of add cases.

Answer 20

Military personell in Iraq have described how gunning down
enemy combatants felt like playing a computer game i.e. no sense of remorse for taking lives.

I`m not making any judgement on the servicemen or women themselves. I think they are incredibly brave people doing an incredibly difficult mission.

The point is the video games AND violent film have a numbing effect on our compassionate senses.

Answer 21

Human beings are already violent. The main thing that holds people back from it is fear of punishment. Forget films and games for a moment and imagine yourself driving down the road when you encounter the mother of all assholle drivers, tailgating first and then carving you up after he overtakes you. Now tell me that if you had a minigun on the front of your car that you wouldnt blast the idiot to kingdom come if it werent for the law!

Answer 22

Maybe they have a calming effect, because they lap up aggressive energy.

Answer 23

Many years ago the American Broadcasting Co. carried out a survey of 'kids' to see what effect if any 'violence' in movies and plays had upon them.

I'm not sure what the outcome of that survey was.

However, let's go back to Wm. Shakespeare - in many of his plays there is 'war' or reference to 'war' or the possibility of 'war', somewhere, usually abroad.

I think the intention of 'violence' in plays and movies, is to arounse the aggressive nature of the males in the population.

Take this next speech, from Wm. Shakespeare's "Henry V" - starring Lawrence Olivivier - the film was made during WW2 and the purpose it was to rouse the young men and the people of the country to 'war'. It has no other purpose.

St. Crispin's Day speech - Henry V - Larry
http://youtube.com/watch?v=P9fa3HFR02E&f…

There is no doubt that arousing male aggression is important at time of war. Some might even argue that arousing male aggression is a positive thing and that if it can be directed properly, then it can be of benefit to society as a whole.

I'm not entirely convinced about any of the findings. I only know one thing and it is this, as an old soldier, I know that if youg men are not prepared to fight for their country in time of war, then we are doomed to be defeated by our enemies.

A few days ago we celebrated the Dam Busters raid on the mighty dams of the Rhur. Guy Gibson VC who lead that raid was only 23 year old. He was a national hero then and remains so to this day and forever.

Warbird - Rolls Royce Avro-Lancaster - RAF Bomber Command
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNt1Cn2Uy…

The Avro-Lancaster bomber of WW2 is a magnificent sight. We should never forget the sacrifice of the Dam Busters - fifty of their number never returned from their daring raid over the Rhur on that night.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Source(s):

GREENWICH 220508.1441GMT

Answer 24

i personally don't feel it has any effect on people any more given how today's society is. we all see more upsetting things in real life. As i kid i remember watching the terminator and the aliens films and i haven't grown up to be an axe wielding psycho lol

Answer 25

stupid videio

Answer 26

Absolutely no effect whatsoever, in the same way that video-games have absolutely no effect whatsoever.

I'd write an essay, but I don't want to appear as though I'm taking the notion that aggressive films `do` have an effect on society seriously.

Answer 27

Well it deffinately puts violence in peoples mind, however I strongly doubt that all the violence in society is due to the media allthough the media maybe makes some people think that violence is a more normal thing than it is so it seems sort of justified a little. But people have got to stop harping on blaming the movies, its people that are violent, ok if someone sees somthing with violence in they might be slightly more inclined to be violent, but its more down to the individual than anything. Instead of stopping violent shows being shown on telly etc people should be more focused on drunks and drug addicts who dont know exactly what theyre doing or have their perseptions screwed with, thats the problem not films and media.

Btw love day after tommorow, its got some brill effects and cant wait for the new X men :)

Answer 28

I do not think violence on screen encourages violence in real life.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Violence on screen does desensitise people to violence. Therefore, we now have a generation, to which violence is just another fact of life, to be indulged in, or applauded!

The situation can be summed up in one word: BRUTALISED!

Answer 29

I love videos like this, makes me batter chavs with a baseball bat

Answer 30

Hmmm... Depends. Let's take for example a good crime thriller in the likes of 'Seven'. Moderate violence there, serving a purpose. Let's take a video game, like 'Grand Theft Auto', where the player has to identify himself with the main character. There we may have a problem, if it's a child or a weak person playing. Even worse, let's just take an utterly disgusting gore film like 'Hostel' whose sole purpose is to show people being cut in the middle etc etc- this is absolutely disgusting. How could this being entertaining? How could people entertain themselves by watching other people being hammered and butchered and burnt and yak!!! It has always reminded me of those huge arenas in Rome, where uneducated ignorants gathered to watch people being torn apart by lions.
On the other hand, one can claim that if fur-obsessed Jennifer Lopez can be a 'role model' for children, then why not 'The Hitman?'

Answer 31

I think violent films which are not obviously sci-fi or in a war situation can and do re-inforce violent emotions and behaviour in ppl who are not well adapted. I don't think predator type films do the same