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opinion:
Don't blame show
biz for violence
Teen violence is on
the rise and the entertainment industry has been taking the
blame for it. "It's a sick world we live in these days,"
says Eminem, from his album, The Marshall Mathers LP.
Critics are accusing
the entertainment industry for the teen violence going on
these days. Superstar rapper Marshall Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem,
is not the only one who has been under fire by critics for
lyrics in his songs; the video game industry has also been
scrutinized for violence in its games. Video games, such as
"Duke Nukem," have been accused of influencing youths
to act violently.
The root of entertainment
is entertain, which means to hold the attention of or amuse.
The intentions of music and video games are not to teach children
responsibility and the difference between right and wrong.
The blame for violence
need not be placed on the entertainment industry, rather the
parents of these misguided children.
Most people who
see violent movies live according to the law. The children
who are influenced by these movies are the ones that already
have emotional problems and over-identify themselves with
the movie. This cannot be blamed on the movie; the child's
emotional problems were a result of genetics or upbringing.
Critics say Eminem's
lyrics are violent and degrading, while fans view them as
an expression of art and reality. Eminem's music is his interpretation
of this world we live in and he uses extreme examples of its
sickness in his music.
Homosexuals who
feel lyrics in music, especially Eminem's, provoke violence
toward them should actually listen to the lyrics before protesting
because he uses the word "fag" to catch the attention
of people and get a point across, not to belittle or provoke
violence against anyone.
As for the attacks
on the video game industry, you've got to be joking. Video
games are strictly fictional and for amusement. Parents need
to take more of a proactive approach in raising their children
and monitor what they are doing. It's the job of parents to
teach children between right and wrong and what is real and
what is not.
However, it is
the job of the entertainment industry to entertain children.
If parents feel something is not appropriate for their child
then they should not let them view it. They should not use
the entertainment industry as a scapegoat for their child's
behavior.
Every child should
know that video games that portray people getting shot and
killed are make believe. If a child doesn't have the capacities
to comprehend that, then they should not be playing that game,
and it is the responsibility of the parents to enforce that,
not the video game industry.
Royce Mori is
a public relations and philosophy major at Cal State long
Beach.
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