Visual Violence

It really does sadden me when people no longer recoil in disgust at images like that, but lean forward in anticipation for what’s coming next. The level of violence shown on tv and in the cinema now has now has crossed way past any lines that was ever in place in the past.

And it very scary.

Why? I’ve always believed watching violence for the ‘joy’ of watching makes you numb to it. What is numb? When you can watch a clip of someone getting their leg chopped off or beaten to a pulp and not feel a single thing. I know it can be argued from the angle of, “Oh, it’s just a film, it’s not real…” Though i dont agree- Fine. But with the internet there are so many clips out there just begging to be downloaded, and the worst part is, these are not movies. The people getting hurt/mutilated/killed are not actors. The blood is not tomato paste. The screams are not pretend.

I remember back in Form 6, when ‘beheading’ was the in thing, one of my classmates downloaded the clip into his hand phone and passed it around during class. When he asked if I wanted to view it, I said no, its so sick. And he laughed, saying “Its so cool, you hear him scream then suddenly- stop.”, I still can picture his face. No pity or compassion for the life that was brutally taken, but laughing at me instead.

Another time at a friend’s house, they decided to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I just thought it was another normal horror/thriller flick until the gore got too much for me (this was barely halfway into the movie). I left the tv area, took a magazine and spent the rest of the time reading; while in the background I heard the Woooah’s and Ooooh’s of whatever sick thing was happening to the characters on the screen. They did try to persuade me with the whole “Its not real”, but… no. They thought I was scared; that wasn’t it.

Why do you feel the need to have to cajole me into watching it anyway? I’m far from impressed when people tell me they enjoy viewing anything in this extreme genre.

Perhaps its due to the way I was brought up when I was younger, my parents monitored what I watched and wouldn’t allow me to view anything they deemed to have overly excessive violence for my age. They’d even do the hand-cover-eyes thing. And I thank them for it.

Today, history repeating itself so to speak. Being out with some friends, and one of them had a real clip of some guy getting bashed to death I think, and he played it right there and then in the mamak. What saddens me is how they transformed, actually getting excited and moving closer to the screen to get a closer view. What scares me is their response to what they saw. I told him, I wish you wouldn’t download such disgusting things. My friend said “It automatically downloaded.” ... “Well, you can automatically delete it. It was your choice to keep it.” That is the truth, its all about choice.

Having done some minimal study in the area of Gothic fiction, it does explain how humans have the sense of ambivalence towards things that are disturbing and unnatural. Pain and terror produces a delightful horror, where you feel repulsion and disgust; but at the same time attraction and fascination. In written form it is very different because the reader imagines the scene as it unfolds, and has a certain level of control over the blurry images created in his head. However, with it being in visual form, there is no limitation because you are being shown exactly what happens.

Take this excerpt for example :
“If you still think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.” The Tell-Tale Heart.

Yes, its brutal and describes a sadistic act, but when i read it, the picture painted in my head was vague and hazy, not DVD 9 quality. Had this been on the screen, I’ve no doubt it would’ve shown each inch of flesh that was cut bit by bit.

And you wonder how there can be such sick people out there, committing unimaginable acts?

I don’t.

Because they don’t need to imagine it.

Its only a mouse or remote control click away.