You're stating a half-truth in asserting crazy people have and will be among us, and missing the larger point. I don't think anyone is asserting Batman made this guy crazy or was solely responsible for his actions. That shifts the subject, really. This particular nut immersed himself in these dark and violent fantasies spawned for the edification of the masses. But within that population we know, as you point out, will be certain people who will get caught up in the fantasy and becomes real to them (as they're nutz). I don't know what action if any should be undertaken, but it is what it is. Maybe an acceptable risk, maybe not. I'd assume those who produce this crap cannot do better and are putting forth the most consumable product they can, but it appeals to and influences most profoundly the LCD ultimately. To deny these violent, dark fantasy epics-- subcultures to some-- are not influential is naive and dangerous. They are in fact so influential that they induce a tiny percentage of people, unable for a discreet amount of time, to distinguish betwixt fantasy and reality, and then to act out. We just saw this play last night.
Well stated, thank you.
But there’s always been and always going to be dark and violent fantasies for the wrong people to obsess on the wrong way. Ever read the un-Disneyfied versions of Grimms Fairy Tales? There’s some messed up junk in them. It would be just as easy for a whack job to obsess on Snow White and start cutting out hearts.
I don’t think they are influential to the masses. Look at that murder rate chart I posted earlier. As violent video games (and violent movies along with them) come out and get more and more popular the violent crime rate drops. Now we all know that correlation is not cause, so I’m not saying the games and movies are why the crime rate dropped, BUT with that rate dropping constantly while these games and movies gain popularity it makes a hard sell that the opposite is true, if they’re making people violent then where’s all the violence? People who go nuts are nuts to start with, we know from all the different things people obsess on (basically everything) that it’s not the thing, it’s the person. The question isn’t will this person with the bad tendencies obsess, it’s what are they going to obsess on. Jarold Laughner managed to get himself violently obsessed without watching movies and TV, some people are just screwed up that way.