Media Affect on Violence in America - Essay Example

Third, violence in the media helps us to understand the nature of violence and why we should avoid it. Violence is part of our lives. For hundreds of years, it has always been part of human entertainment. Even before television, movies, the internet and the entire media system has been created, people from all over the world have been entertaining themselves with plays and sports that involve bloodshed. Early recorded history of the Egyptians show that these people has been re-enacting the killing of their god Orisis (Shaw, Ian (2003).

Ancient Romans also have their share of violent entertainment. Gladiator games which involve bloodshed were very popular around 380 B.C (Adkins, Lesley; Roy Adkins (1998). This sport drew the people to the coliseum and spur economic activities. Yes, the whole idea of people screaming with ecstasy as one gladiator raises his blooded sword while the other fall bleeding on the ground seems barbaric but we cannot deny the fact that fascination of the people on the bloody gladiator sports did help shape the Roman culture and economy at that time.

Since the ancient times, our fascination on violence and bloodshed has changed much. People are still fascinated with bloodshed and violence and this made violent films very profitable nowadays. According to boxofficemoj.com and filmsite.org, 8 out of top 10 box office hits of all seasons have explicitly violent scenes in them. At number one of the list is Titanic, which grossed $600.8 million to dat,e featured the violent struggle between the two leading men in the film (www.boxofficemojo.com).

In number two of the list is Dark Knight which grossed $528.6 million featured even more violent scenes with lots of explosives and fire power (www.boxofficemojo.com). Even the supposedly innocent movie "Shek" which is designed for young viewers and is at number four on the list of all time box office hits has some violent