L.A. Times: Violent Movies Don’t Cause Violence, but Guns Do

Understanding the fractured mind of a gun-ban fetishist.

by Howard Nemerov
February 16, 2013

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times penned an op/ed claiming that violent movies don’t make people violent, but instead are a “positive force.” Her diatribe highlights the mental disturbance that’s the result of hoplophobia. Here’s some analysis of her points.

“A good deal of movie violence is designed as a way for us to experience it vicariously.”

Why does she need to “vicariously” experience violence? If she were writing about XXX-rated movies, we would call it pornography, which purportedly offers viewers vicarious stimulation, too. According to a Psychology Today author: “pornography not only arouses, it tutors our imagination.” In this way, pornography “shapes male expectations” and “splits men’s consciousness,” destroying their ability to relate to real women.

Now we’re supposed to believe that violence-pornography doesn’t affect people’s minds, while sex-pornography does. Welcome to the split consciousness at the LA Times.

Here’s more evidence of a “split consciousness.” Sharkey acknowledges violence “has been with us since the dawn of mankind.” Violence preceded guns, too. Imagine a woman with a stick facing off with a large male. Now replace that stick with a pistol. It’s no wonder that rape increased in Britain and Australia after they enacted massive gun bans.

Another point of Sharkey’s is just as revealing: The thought of filmmakers making their movies “less gruesome” is, to her, “the scariest proposition of all.”

Why shouldn’t this be considered addiction? Addicts live in fear of losing access to their drug(s) of choice, upon which they’ve come to depend. The Medical Dictionary notes: “Using drugs repeatedly over time changes brain structure and function in fundamental and long-lasting ways.” [emphasis added]

Evidence suggests that those long-lasting brain changes are responsible for the distortions of cognitive and emotional functioning that characterize addicts, particularly the compulsion to use drugs.

Why shouldn’t watching violent movies cause similar results? This concept is widely accepted by researchers. Here’s the conclusion from a group of authors representing the Universities of Arizona, California, Iowa State, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin:

Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts.

I’m not a psychologist, nor am I diagnosing anybody here. But responsible journalists should always reflect on how to best serve society, considering the power we’ve been given to influence public discourse.

In that vein, we must ponder: If an author is addicted to the vicarious thrills she experiences from watching violence-pornography, then her brain function may have altered to the point that whatever she avers as truth must be examined. Furthermore, if such mental illness exists, then it’s socially irresponsible for the Times to continue allowing her to publicly praise violence-pornography as a “positive force,” because such enabling behavior not only damages the author’s chances of recovery, but it fosters an environment wherein more get led into addiction. If a major media organization says it’s okay, such rationalization can convince an impressionable person balanced between conscience and social pressure.

The comment by “fhk22553” was particularly noteworthy:

“Isn’t it amazing that we are asked to believe that a stationary billboard with simply a picture of an ugly (Joe) Camel on it , will make a young adult want to run out and buy a carton of cigarettes , yet , somehow that same young adult will be totally un-affected by watching a 90 minute film with a dozen people either blown-up , shot , or sliced and diced …. How does that work ? ….Is it magic , or just another case of Liberal Logic-101 …. What’s your best guess ?” [sic]


[Excerpt]

Read more:
The PJ Tatler » L.A. Times: Violent Movies Don?t Cause Violence, but Guns Do

How about a 35yr old women scorned on PMS week? will she need a license to walk the streets or dine at taco bell?

__________________
Just Think. If Romney Was President Now, The DOW Would Be Closer To 16,000. Unemployment At 6%, Average Household Income Over $50,000, And Joyce Bearhard Would Be Accusing All White People Of Being Racists.

Maybe we need background checks for movie tickets.

__________________
To me, negging someones rep is childish and I will never do it, except in response to someone negging me. Remember the Golden Rule, do unto others.

I wonder when someone will mention the sale of nail guns. people do get killed by them, I remember a story of a guy getting shot by one. he was getting his hair cut while construction was going on in the next store. a nail went thru the wall into him. I think he died. what a way to go.

__________________
Just Think. If Romney Was President Now, The DOW Would Be Closer To 16,000. Unemployment At 6%, Average Household Income Over $50,000, And Joyce Bearhard Would Be Accusing All White People Of Being Racists.

Hollywood spends Billions on Movies, TV shows and Commercials because they know no one watches them.


Wait what?

__________________
No Need to Thank Me For REP!

People cause gun violence.

There.

90% of commercials suck, they should show them to the worst criminals in jail just to torture them. especially those geico and progressive commercials.

__________________
Just Think. If Romney Was President Now, The DOW Would Be Closer To 16,000. Unemployment At 6%, Average Household Income Over $50,000, And Joyce Bearhard Would Be Accusing All White People Of Being Racists.

A Marketing Guy will tell you those are good commercials just because we remember them.

It's like that Ad Busters PSA from a while ago:

__________________
No Need to Thank Me For REP!

pornography, which purportedly offers viewers vicarious stimulation, too. According to a Psychology Today author: “pornography not only arouses, it tutors our imagination.” In this way, pornography “shapes male expectations” and “splits men’s consciousness,” destroying their ability to relate to real women



The REAL problem is women do not watch ENOUGH porn.

__________________

Ohhh, ok.

Off to xvideos~

Really want them comparing they porn guys to you, I assure you the average guy doesn't.

__________________
To me, negging someones rep is childish and I will never do it, except in response to someone negging me. Remember the Golden Rule, do unto others.

Psychology today says porn "shapes male expectations."





It hasn't turned me off to real women.

I see no reason to believe it would turn women off to real men.

__________________

I was just thinking the same thing. I remember someone killed by a crazed laborer using a fully automatic nail gun somewhere on Long Island.

Worker hurt by nail gun in South Salem

April 18, 2012 8:01 PM
By NIK BONOPARTIS
nik.bonopartis@cablevision.com


A construction worker at a South Salem construction site survived a freak accident Wednesday that left a nail lodged in the side of his head, according to State Police.

The 28-year-old victim was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he remained late Wednesday. Police have not identified the victim.

Surgeons were able to remove the nail from the man's head. The nail...
Worker hurt by nail gun in South Salem


Liz Giordano

Chief Executive Officer, Head Injury Association

By Beverly Fortune on July 29th, 2009





Liz Giordano


Linda was just 18 years old and working at a local fast food restaurant when a construction worker’s high-powered nail gun accidentally dislodged a nail that went through an adjoining wall, pierced her skull and damaged her brain.





Injury to the brain can result in physical, cognitive and behavioral changes that can require short term to lifelong treatment.

Linda is one of hundreds of local survivors with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are members of the Commack-based Head Injury Association (HIA), the largest provider of services for those with TBI in New York State. The HIA provides a wide variety of services and activities including at-home residential support and services, and operates six residential group homes and two day programs.
Liz Giordano | Long Island Press

I am pretty sure that anyone who uses a nail gun has "common sense", you would have to possess an IQ of 42 not to know your surroundings before shooting the weapon, its just like when an hunter kills someone in their back yard(like an infamous accident when some wife was shot by a deer hunter), wouldn't u think that when u are working with a nail-gun in a strip mall, you would have the common sense to figure out that a misguided nail will go right thru the walls?

__________________
Just Think. If Romney Was President Now, The DOW Would Be Closer To 16,000. Unemployment At 6%, Average Household Income Over $50,000, And Joyce Bearhard Would Be Accusing All White People Of Being Racists.

So the L.A. Times feels guns cause violence but violent movies have no effect did they not happen to notice the weapon of choice in violent movies are guns? So seeing gun violence played out in movies in a slick fast paced stylized way with a booming soundtrack has no effect? I'm not saying is has a major effect but to claim it has no effect is just silly.

__________________
If you don't want a sarcastic answer then don't ask a stupid question.