| Reference Type |
chapter
|
| Title |
Why we watch, the attractions of violent entertainment |
| Chapter/Web article title |
The psychology of the appeal of portrayals of violence |
| Author(s) | Clark McCauley,Dolf Zillmann |
| Editor(s) | Jeffrey Goldstein |
| Publication Date |
00-00-1998 |
| Page Number |
179-211 |
| Comments |
While I agree that audiences gain pleasure from violence when an offender gets his just desserts, I question how Zillmann can ignore fewer films fit this traditional, conventional good vs. bad narrative and his ommission of dealing with violence which does not constitute 'righteous violence'. |
| Synopsis |
Zillmann broadly questions why we are so attracted to violence in cinema, television, literature and media and expresses his astoundment that this question is so little explored in psychology.
He traces theories (catharis, Jung's animal instincts 'shadow', transcedence through identification stemming from Freud - i.e. portrayals of violence as instrumental in holding down societal violence), Beer's morbid curiousity, quest for excitement which originated with communal hunting and killing) for this enjoyment of violence and ultimately concludes most of these speculations are unverifiable due to the impossibility of falsification.
After spending so much space critiquing others arguements I predicted once he mounted his it would be significant. However, the basis of his arguement lies in the moral judgement of the audience which sanctions violence against 'bad guys'. If a character promotes a negative affective disposition we hate him/her espically if the character is positioned as a threat to society and can thus enjoy violence against him/her. Violence by this character is essential in setting them up as morally bad and deserving of punishment.
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