The Dark Side: a modern obsession?

I'm sitting at the computer right now, headphones on, playing "Bohemian Rhapsody" too loud to obscure the TV sound. My daughter is watching the latest in an endless succession of horror movies; she's addicted. Her favorites seem to be of the "Saw" variety - lots of blood, screaming, and torture of innocent young people. To me, she might as well be drinking poison.

I think that way too many movies and TV shows dwell on the darkest aspects of human nature. They seem to revel in it. The worse the characters behave, the more sequels are released. We're up to Saw 3, for pity's sake! They must be making bank; otherwise, why so many of them? "Reality" TV is no better, the biggest jerk stays on while the "nice guys" finish last.

Whatever happened to the true heroes? The Lone Ranger would get laughed out of town these days; his modern counterpart would have to carry an Uzi and drive a souped-up Hummer. "Look out for #1" is the rule. The positive is minimized and the negative maximized in films, movies, music, books... the list goes on and on. Our obsession with evil gives its expression tacit consent.

That is not to say I advocate censorship. The first thing the autocratic dictatorship does is to burn books and close newspapers. No, the only censorship that works is self-censorship. We need to agree as a society that we don't want to wallow in misery - our own or anyone else's. We must stop being apologists for wrongdoers. Then maybe we'll turn back to the "good side."

Comments: 6

Gary S. May 4, 2007, 9:23am EDT

I share your concern for our culture, the direction that some things are going and the dreadful things that children are watching.

We can't change the culture overnight or stop Hollywood from cranking out this poison, but we can vote with our wallets and control what we rent, purchase and view--especially in our own homes.

If we stop paying them for this stuff, they'll make something else or go out of business.

On a personal note, I encourage you to share your concerns with your daughter and have an honest conversation about them.

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Rico V. May 4, 2007, 7:25pm EDT

Yes, it's an obsession, but not just a modern one. We humans have always had an interest in "dark" things if the current society allows it. Your daughter will grow out of it. What bothers me more than kids playing war games on their game machines is kids actually at war with real machine guns, sent there by folks from the Lone Ranger generation.

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brojer n. May 7, 2007, 12:21pm EDT

Wholesome movies actually make more money than R or PG-13. Wholesome movies are more of a challenge to make and thus the moguls take the easy way. Since our youth are not exposed to the classics as much as in earlier years, they don't know what good writing is. It almost seems as if satan has captured a whole generation.

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Jai S. Jun 3, 2007, 5:55pm EDT

Bohemian Rapsody - is one of my favorite music. It is a shame how things are progressing. Each of us have to begin by taking control of our own household!

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