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Why is killing so fascinating?

Started by aitm, February 18, 2013, 09:39:39 PM

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aitm

I have long given up the urge to kill anything. Couple that with a fair understanding and awareness of current world culture I find it unsettling that people find shows or movies about killing so fascinating. My wife is drawn to this new show "the followers" which is, from what I see, nothing but the adventures of people willing and eager to kill other people. Why is this?
   She gets annoyed sometimes, though she never admits it, because I like to laugh and watch shows that make me laugh. I have seen enough hate and ignorance daily, why would I want to fill this shit in my head before I sleep? What is this?
   I understand that money is why some make this shit, but what is the fascination with watching it?  What, why do people find people murdering other people so goddamn interesting?
   And what more, how can one not be interested in laughing instead? Even more problematic, why would someone not want to laugh instead of watching murder?
   I am truly saddened, disappointed, disillusioned.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Shiranu

Its in our genes... we wouldn't have lasted long in the wild if we had an aversion to murder. Likewise I think civilizations that (until very recent history) did not fetisize violence and were more pacifistic in nature would quickly be destroyed, so you have a psychological survival of the fittest.

That said, in this day and age we should be intellectually strong enough to realize the harm in this, but even then... there is just something in our genes that romanticizes violence.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

aitm

I understand the simplicity in that Shir, make no mistake I could easily kill if I had the need. But to watch others die, for petty reasons, to find this entertainment...befuddles me.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Wheatthins

Violence and death are still taboo to an extent. (at least real life violence anyways)  Sure we show lots of  violence , aggression and killing in popular media, but its always shown in an unrealistic way.  Its the safer way of dealing with the realities of humanity at its most vicious.
I don\'t see alot of good or evil in the world, mostly just confused people.

AllPurposeAtheist

It's porn for our 'true' nature? It's much like porn in that most men don't in fact have a huge schlong and most women don't really want brutal anal sex followed by 'the money shot' and yet we watch this nonsense and get excited.. Most of us are not going to blow 'the bad guys' away with a pistol making their bodies fly backwards 10 feet on impact...
It's our sick fantasies fueled by media reports of crime, Crime, CRIME! When in fact crime rates have been steadily dropping like a stone and more people practice safe sex....
All hail my new signature!

Admit it. You're secretly green with envy.

ThePilgrim101

Not a clue why. Still, I'll be playing Battlefield 3, Bastion, and FTL tonight so maybe I'm completely mad.
Quote from: \"azmhyr\"
Quote from: \"quoting\"New Testament doesn\'t Justify the banning of gays from anywhere.
Well, the old testament permabans them from life tho.

Hydra009

#6
Conflict makes for griping entertainment, and lethal conflict doubly so.

AllPurposeAtheist

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"Not a clue why. Still, I'll be playing Battlefield 3, Bastion, and FTL tonight so maybe I'm completely mad.
Kill him Aitm.. we need to rid the world of violence.
All hail my new signature!

Admit it. You're secretly green with envy.

Thumpalumpacus

Quote from: "aitm"I have long given up the urge to kill anything. Couple that with a fair understanding and awareness of current world culture I find it unsettling that people find shows or movies about killing so fascinating. My wife is drawn to this new show "the followers" which is, from what I see, nothing but the adventures of people willing and eager to kill other people. Why is this?
   She gets annoyed sometimes, though she never admits it, because I like to laugh and watch shows that make me laugh. I have seen enough hate and ignorance daily, why would I want to fill this shit in my head before I sleep? What is this?
   I understand that money is why some make this shit, but what is the fascination with watching it?  What, why do people find people murdering other people so goddamn interesting?
   And what more, how can one not be interested in laughing instead? Even more problematic, why would someone not want to laugh instead of watching murder?
   I am truly saddened, disappointed, disillusioned.

It has always angered me that here in America, depictions of murder are regularly shown on broadcast television -- but depictions of lovemaking are regarded as "obscene".  That perfectly inverts their relative values, if you ask me.  I consider the violence found on our TVs to be overwhemingly pornographic.
<insert witty aphorism here>

Hydra009

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"Not a clue why. Still, I'll be playing Battlefield 3, Bastion, and FTL tonight so maybe I'm completely mad.
I think I'll be playing Bejeweled, Civ5 (permanent peace, no barbarians), and Spore tonight just to switch things up.   :D

Wheatthins

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"It has always angered me that here in America, depictions of murder are regularly shown on broadcast television -- but depictions of lovemaking are regarded as "obscene".  That perfectly inverts their relative values, if you ask me.  I consider the violence found on our TVs to be overwhemingly pornographic.
Funny, I've always been upset by how here in America, portrayals of real  life graphic violence or accurate simulations of it are censored and never shown.
I don\'t see alot of good or evil in the world, mostly just confused people.

ThePilgrim101

Quote from: "Hydra009"
Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"Not a clue why. Still, I'll be playing Battlefield 3, Bastion, and FTL tonight so maybe I'm completely mad.
I think I'll be playing Bejeweled, Civ5 (permanent peace, no barbarians), and Spore tonight just to switch things up.   :D

I imagine you'll also be playing as Ghandi?
Quote from: \"azmhyr\"
Quote from: \"quoting\"New Testament doesn\'t Justify the banning of gays from anywhere.
Well, the old testament permabans them from life tho.

GodvReligion

Quote from: "aitm"I have long given up the urge to kill anything. Couple that with a fair understanding and awareness of current world culture I find it unsettling that people find shows or movies about killing so fascinating. My wife is drawn to this new show "the followers" which is, from what I see, nothing but the adventures of people willing and eager to kill other people. Why is this?
   She gets annoyed sometimes, though she never admits it, because I like to laugh and watch shows that make me laugh. I have seen enough hate and ignorance daily, why would I want to fill this shit in my head before I sleep? What is this?
   I understand that money is why some make this shit, but what is the fascination with watching it?  What, why do people find people murdering other people so goddamn interesting?
   And what more, how can one not be interested in laughing instead? Even more problematic, why would someone not want to laugh instead of watching murder?
   I am truly saddened, disappointed, disillusioned.


I think for most it satisfies that base need that is encoded in our genes.  This is why it is easier to act in anger and violent ways than it is to peacefully sit and talk to work out differences.  You are one of those people that find it fruitless (and for the most part, rightfully so.  I say the most part because there are times violence is needed) to act out in such ways and therefore don't find pleasure in the fantasy of it.  You also have people like me that have seen violent gruesome death so I think I've become more numb to it.  I'm the kind of guy that sees those kinds of shows so I just go "Oh, that cool I guess."

Thumpalumpacus

Quote from: "Wheatthins"Funny, I've always been upset by how here in America, portrayals of real  life graphic violence or accurate simulations of it are censored and never shown.

Yeah, broadcast TV laregly features sanitized violence.  I think it says something pretty shitty about us as a nation, though, that we find violence more acceptable.
<insert witty aphorism here>

Hydra009

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"I imagine you'll also be playing as Ghandi?
Arabia.  :P