by Kathie MM
In our troubled times, where do you turn to escape from the depressing and frightening corporate media news? Many people turn to alcohol; increasing numbers turn to other deadly drugs. Indeed, problems of addiction are multiplying relentlessly.
You probably know about the toll both legal and illegal drugs are taking on society but did you ever think about one of the less obvious addictions readily available to anyone with a television? I’m talking about an addiction that captures people across race, age, social class, and politics, the addiction so readily provided by Hollywood—that is, violent films, including war films, wherein violence is glorified (despite pseudo-messages purporting to condemn it). Along with military industrial profiteers, we have film profiteers, the ones who exploit the fact that for many people, engagement in violence—in person or by proxy– is one of the cheaper thrills they can obtain. And believe me, all those profiteers are in cahoots with each other.
Think of the “Blockbuster films” you’ve seen (if indeed you’re a movie-goer and have been seduced into going to a blockbuster). How many of them portrayed violence, glorified violence, in gory detail? In how many did the “good guys” use just as much violence as the “bad guys”? How often could you differentiate between good guys and bad guys based on how much violence they used? In how many was violence applauded as good, honorable, justified when done by the “right side”? And even if there were frightening scenes, how often did those scenes leave you feeling excited? Let’s face it, many films awash in violence have “good guys” providing multiple justifications for their violence while revving up your endorphins and making you just itch to do something–all for big bucks to the producers.
Fortunately all tools, including words and images, can be used to promote peace as well as violence and to educate as well as anesthetize, as illustrated in our fourth example today of one of Jonny Lewis’s short comedy antiwar films.
Note from Kathie MM: Pegean says, Don’t miss the text at the end of the film. Eat it up. Food for thought.
She also asks, Did you see Saving Private Ryan? If so, what did you feel and think about it? Please let us know your response to Spielberg’s movie as well as your response to Jonnie’s video here on this site.
Children play with an electronically-driven Gatling gun aboard USS Makin Island Oct. 9, 2010. This image or file is in the public domain. Author: Marines from Arlington, VA, United States.