Our attitude to violence is beyond a joke as new Batman film, The Dark Knight, shows

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 26 Jul 2008 | Jenny McCartney

[I still care]

If I were 10 years old, would I be badgering my parents to take me to see the new Batman film, The Dark Knight?

You bet I would. It's the latest and biggest release in the superhero genre, which children instantly understand as a direct appeal to their special interests.

It's also touched with the alluring suggestion of forbidden fruit: the maniacal, deranged face of The Joker, grippingly played by the late Heath Ledger, leers from posters all over town.

If I were the parent who relented and took a 10-year-old child to see The Dark Knight, would I be sorry? Once again, you bet I would.

[allmendream]

I wouldn’t know the entertainment value of any of those movies, as I haven’t and wouldn’t watch them. But I have seen the latest two “Batman” movies.

And as to “Batman” - he clearly is not out to do violence for the sake of violence - and “Batman” is not idolized for committing violence - but in putting his life on the line to protect the citizens of “Gotham”. Batman does not intentionally kill, and he does not use a gun.

Why is a hero heroic? Because he is willing to meet violence with violence with a disregard for his own safety and comfort - not for self serving goals - but to defend things larger than the self.

In the case of “Batman”, the goal of not having young boys have to watch their parents gunned down in the street after a petty robbery.

Batman is a movie about heroism - not violence.

That may not fit well into your world where violence is a “protest” that leads to peace - but there are reasons why the hero is idolized - and it is NOT violence for the sake of violence.

[MarDav]

So what? Your child needs to learn how to navigate the world some day—sickos included. Might as well start them off while they’re young. Think how better prepared they will be once they get older (if, of course, they get the chance).

[rarestia]

Sorry, let me clarify, I don’t explicitly agree with the author of this thread’s referenced article. I agree that Batman, like other superhero/comic book movies, is meant to be entertainment in the way it was in the comic book.

I think the opening part of the title is correct, though: Our attitude to violence is beyond a joke. This movie is the wrong canard, but there are other examples, as I’ve illustrated, that validate his claim.

[allmendream]

Violence for the sake of violence, like gladiatorial games in Rome, will always lack the long term appeal of actual heroism.

While such gore fest debauchery may have an appeal to the mentally lazy and debauched - it will always lack appeal to the high minded.

The mass appeal of “Saw” and such garbage is a symptom of the disease, not its cause.

In a society more familiar with actual heroism such a movie would lack popular appeal. While churchlady busybodies may condemn ANY movie with violence - I think a good rousing violent story of heroism is a COUNTER to such garbage - not a ‘gateway’ or sideline of such.

[rarestia]

Agreed.

Violence is necessary to remind us that it should be reserved for extreme circumstances. The gore-fest debauchery, as you explain it, seems to be de rigeur in today’s Hollywood. Comic action movies (i.e. Batman, Spiderman, Transformers), I would consider entertaining, but when you have millions of teens sneaking into movies like Saw, Hostel, Final Destination, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, et al., you have millions of young minds seeking to play out these morbid fantasies as a proxy for their understanding of the violent human condition.

This kid was obviously a psycho. Whether or not he got his ideas from the movies remains to be seen, but I agree, it’s not likely.

[ex-snook]

"If I were the parent who relented and took a 10-year-old child to see The Dark Knight, would I be sorry?

You'd be bat sh!t crazy.

[dmz]

A six year old is reportedly dead and a three-month-old injured at the theater, at 12:30 AM. What is the matter with parents these days? Children should be home in bed instead of listening to special effects blow up cities at that hour.

<><><><>

That’s your takeaway from this story? Really?

[jmacusa]

Art imitates life.

[SaraJohnson]

When my sons were young, they did not do sex and violence in entertainment.

When they were teens, I would not allow rap music in the house and we only had one TV and did not have cable. They had to buy a lot of their own stuff, so that meant they had to work and get good grades for sports so did not have time mess around with dark entertainment media much.

[I still care]

That’s a huge jump.

Txrefugee was just making the point that a 6 year old should not be at a midnight screening of a violent movie.

[discostu]

People over analyze things. There’s 311 million people in this country, some of them are bound to be nutters. If this really was a societal ill these types of incidents would happen weekly. They don’t.

[discostu]

The only part of advertising we know for sure actually sells products is product awareness. They let you know about stuff you might want to buy, they don’t make you buy anything. Everybody knows about violence. There’s no magic in the creation of demand, it’s just about product awareness.

They don’t actually show that stuff during the family hour. They imply it often, but they don’t actually show it. Of course most good movie directors will tell you implication gets a message across better than showing something. Which creates an interesting dichotomy when trying to “protect” kids from images, we don’t want to show them these things, but not showing them implants them deeper in their heads.

[Future Snake Eater]

Not a huge jump at all. Have you seen how many nannies are clucking over such a non-event? Either they miss the forest for the trees, or they think the parents are at least partially responsible for the murders of their kids. Whichever one it is, they need to back off and understand what’s REALLY important in this story.

[justice14]

My parents raised me the same way. I did listen to Christian rap music though (Yes, there is such a thing).

[Wurlitzer]

Boy where to start:

First the absolute lie:

"They don’t actually show that stuff during the family hour. "

Can't speak to what you are watching but thanks to 200+ channels on Cable, it is sure available 24/7 on Time Warner.

" There’s no magic in the creation of demand, it’s just about product awareness."

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! No intention at all of the media using millions of dollars of commercials to get people to buy stuff. I'd like to see you sell ads using this logic.

100% fact is violence is allowed almost 24/7 while the occasional exposure of God's creation can expose a network to millions in fines.

This is but one part in the communist manifesto to destroy the fabric of the USA. That is not hype for anyone who actually read the communist manifesto.

[discostu]

Cable is a different matter, the “family hour” is an FCC standard that applies to broadcast TV and and radio, since you don’t show things on radio that’s out for your statement.

I didn’t say there wasn’t intention, I said there wasn’t magic. Of course the big punchline is other than pure product awareness nobody actually knows if commercials work. The ongoing joke of people in the advertising business is that the only thing you know for sure your ad sells is other ads... by your competitors.

Exposure of God’s creation doesn’t expose anybody to fines. Now taking the Lord’s name in vain on broadcast is another matter. But religious programming is perfectly legal AND rather frequent.

[I still care]

I believe in movies about heroes, and I am not one of those that gets OCD over violence in movies. That said, I have really noticed lately movies seem to be getting more and more violent. I’m not sure if the it’s a symptom of a more violent society or it is driving it, but I believe there is a relationship.

I mean, of course, everyone says and notices that, but I’m talking about the last maybe five years, brutality and violence have gotten over the top. Perhaps it is the better CGI responsible as much as anything else, but I really have seen the violence increase.

Current Top 20 movies at redbox:

50% R
40% PG-13
10% PG

1. 21 Jump Street R
2. Safe House R
3. Act of Valor R
4. Lockout PG-13
5. A Thousand Words PG-13
6. Wrath of the Titan PG-13
7. Wanderlust R
8. This Means War PG-13
9. Sherlock Holmes PG-13
10. Big Miracle PG
11. Machine Gun Preacher R
12. Project X R
13. Casa De Mi Padre R
14. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island PG
15. Friends with Kids R
16. The Grey R
17. John Carter PG-13
18. Contraband R
19. Chronicle PG-13
20. Ghost Rider PG-13