Violence in our country is a scandal worse than almost anything Hollywood could dream up. Variety, the magazine of the entertainment field, has launched an industry-wide conversation about the influence of media and entertainment on the appalling level of violence in our country.
I picked up a copy of Variety’s Violence & Entertainment issue at the Sundance Film Festival, and was encouraged by the thoughtful debate that Editor Tim Gray and his team inspired for the issue. His opening editorial is both a call for reflection and action. In an editorial opener called “A variety of voices looking for solutions,” he makes a three-point call to colleagues in media and entertainment.
1. Don’t wait for legislation.
2. Be patient and persistent. Take action now.
3. Be hypersensitive to content.
It’s hard to imagine anything good emerging from the horrible and painful loss from the Newtown, CT killings. Yet, the dialogue and potential for broadscale action against violence is pushing out from legislative halls to grassroots and local actions. These tragic moments of trauma can lead to a breakthrough for change.
These are the messages we try to pass on from Not In Our Town. Change starts with all of us. We wanted to share some of the stories from Variety’s examination of violence that are particularly relevant to the NIOT community, including pieces on bullying, video games, and the media’s role in this national crisis.
How can we stop the violence? Please let us know what you think.
Patrice O’Neill
Not In Our Town Executive Producer
This week, we offer three pieces from Variety's Violence and Entertainment issue. Stay tuned for more Variety content.
Voices looking for solutions:
Introduction to Variety's special issue on violence and the media
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Jan. 15 would have been the 84th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. And Nov. 22 will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. So 2013 is bookended with reminders that we live in a time of idealism, charismatic leaders—and violence.
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As with anything that people are subjected to on a repeated basis, it is possible that seeing violence so readily in the media can desensitize people. We see a similar phenomenon in our work against negative stereotypes that may be instructive. In 2012, we conducted a nationwide poll of hundreds of non-Latinos, studying the perceptions that they have of Latinos. One portion of the poll was an online experiment in which subjects saw short clips, with each containing a positive portrayal or negative stereotypes about Latinos. The subject was then asked to answer questions. The results were very clear. People who were exposed to even a brief segment containing negative stereotypes had their opinions altered to the point that their perception of Latinos was much less favorable than the folks who viewed the positive clips. Media is powerful and pervasive in our society and the Powers That Be need to be responsible.
As corrosive to our souls as we may believe violence as entertainment to be, it’s important to point out that people in Europe are watching the same movies and playing the same games, and not picking up a Bushmaster weapon and randomly shooting people. Is it worth exploring whether violence in entertainment is a piece of that equation? I think it would be irresponsible not to explore it. American gun violence is radically out of control by comparison to what you see in other nations.
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