Thursday, September 8, 2011
Erosion of Empathy
In Culture Jam there is a section that touchs on the subject of violience and sexual news on television programs. The book brings up the idea that such programs with violience and sexual content has eroded our ability to feel real emotions or empathize. I personally do not agree with that statement at all, but I do believe it is truely based on individual people, which alot of the ideas suggested in this book are. Sure maybe on average it has created a lack of empathy, but I do not think it should be generalized to all Americans. I know that if I were to see someone shot in real life I would be in shock and would be very upset, whether I knew the person or not. Seeing things on televsion is completly different then experiencing something in real life and I do not think what appears on tv creates people to feel indiffernt about violience. Even when I see pictures in ads of sick people or hear stories on the news about someone dying from an overdose to drugs it makes me upset. If anything I think this types of ads helps the everyday America see that such issues in life are real and are happening to people everyday.
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I think it depends on the situation. I do admit that there is a HUGE difference between what happens in reality and what happens on TV. Like you, if I saw someone shot right in front of me I would freak out. But on TV, I've seen so much violence that it doesn't faze me. A lot of people I know get creeped out from the Saw series, I just don't see how it's any different from what I've seen already in the media. I'm not some sick psycho that doesn't feel any empathy for imaginary, or real for that matter, people. I just have been viewing such violence for so long that I've come not to care.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say, she mentioned something about the commercials with the starving children. On page 23 of Culture Jam, Lasn states, "The first time we saw a starving child on a late-night TV, we were appalled. Maybe we sent money. As these images become more familiar though, our compassion evaporated. Eventually, these ads started to repulse us."
It does repulse me. But not in a way that I even feel that guilty anymore. It's more of a disgusted feeling directed towards the way the ads are presented. They try to pull at our heartstrings to get us to send money to help these kids. That's good, great, and wonderful but why do they have to exploit children like that. If they have to show me a picture of a children running half naked, dirty, and sick in the streets of Somalia just to get my help, then I have truly lost faith in our country.
Regarding our "erosion of empathy"--I think it is, at times--so subtle that we fail to notice. Think back though to what your grandparents might have watched on television or in the movie theaters. Hell, think back to the 1980's. We don't have to go that far...
ReplyDeleteBack to the Future is nothing like Saw V.
Not the same genre? Well. true.
A Nightmare on Elmstreet? Nothing like Hostel.
See where I'm going with this?
We have gradually demonstrated that we need more and more "jolts and shocks" to keep us viable.
I'm with Lasn here. But that doesn't mean that you have to be. :)
I agree that it depends on the situation. As far as violence there is a lot on TV and it is quite disturbing how we feed into it. As far as the sexual content I feel that violence and sex are two totally different things and should not be compared in this context. Taking another person’s life and nudity are completely different. I think it is funny how in our country sex and nudity is such a taboo even though it is a natural act to create new life. I mean just look at how everyone acted when Janet Jackson flashed her boob on live TV. It’s a boob but it’s perfectly fine to show someone getting cut in half or their brains on the sidewalk. The whole thing in my opinion is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMany entertainment outlets find it necessary to put out the goriest, most gruesome movie possible because its how they grab the viewers attention. The attention span of the modern American can only grasp so much so when all they see is images of robberies, shootings, and 8 Italian twenty something people forgetting how old they actually are, that the news or TV stations have to put out something that's has more bloodshed or more stupidity or else no one will watch. Its a sad fact but in reality it is the truth.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kayla; sex/nudity and violence are two COMPLETELY different things. Rape is different, it's an act of violence; a control issue. Sex is a natural thing. The only correlation between the two and media is that it's increasingly more graphic but there's only so much to see? The Saw movies are good examples (though I personally think the writers should be locked up) I don't need to hide behind my blanket cause the gore grosses me out. I don't turn my face because someone's boobs are on TV. I don't agree with how the media sexualizes women though. You'll see boobs twenty times before you see a penis on TV. The media does try to incorporate more and more jolts/shocks to keep it's viewers interested.
ReplyDeleteI believe when we see something gruesome, it makes us feel “grossed out,” but after seeing something like that over and over again you become less aware. It’s not as exciting anymore because you have already witnessed many cases that are identical. I have to agree with Dr. Mortimore and Matt that we need more jolts or shocks to grab our attention. As the years go on, I feel as though horror movies will only get more gory, and that more violence will occur in films to keep people entertained. Americans are constantly looking for bigger and better things in general. Therefore, making something more violent can only result in more viewers = more money. I’m not sure though that our feelings have totally come eroded though. Like Megan said, if I were to see someone get shot right in front of me I would still be devastated that I had to witness the incident. So I just feel like we can only narrow this eroded feeling in terms of violence on television.
ReplyDelete