Goodfellas, The Wire, and Red Dead Redemption.

[Bicoastal]

My favorite movie, TV show, and video game. All with plenty of blood and guns and shooting and dying. (Purely special effects of course, but sometimes I fear I may not be smart enough to tell the difference.)

Now, I don't own guns and or have any mental problems. I've never even been in a fight. Normal job, normal family, etc. I love nothing better than meeting up with my friends after work or on the weekends, to enjoy life in a purely non-violent manner. I'm also a huge fan of classical music and jazz and musical theater. And I'm nuts about baseball. My life is a pretty normal one, or so I used to think...

But I am I to understand from some here that, because I enjoy these FICTIONAL entertainments, I'm either (a) a ticking time bomb that could go off any minute or b) contributing to the problem of our country's violent gun-culture? Practically an accessory to the crime?

Well, I guess I'd find the nearest police department in my neighborhood to turn myself in to. Guys, do you think I should bring all of these DVDs along with me, to save them the trouble of seizing them from apartment as contraband?

After all, these "harmless" circular discs kill school children.

[a geek named Bob]

1. You'll have to google it

but Jason Yungbluth's WhatisDeepFried had a cartoon about certain weapons being classed as deadly weapons...

[OneMoreDemocrat]

2. Just a question...

Do you feel that your faves have or could have any effect with regard to desensitizing you (or another 'normal' person) to extreme violence?

[Bicoastal]

3. Friday's massacre was an example of extreme violence.

And by the end of the day, I was sitting at my cubicle, crying for those kids.

I can only speak for myself when I say that, no, I am not desensitized to things like that. I wouldn't be here arguing passionately about it if I was.

Only a crazy person can't tell the difference between fictional death and the real thing.

[reformist2]

4. You cannot extrapolate your personal experience to the general population.

[Bicoastal]

5. Neither can you.

Perhaps not you personally, but post after post of "I've never seen our culture get so scary and violent, and we didn't have those goshdarn video games back in my day" is really starting to piss me off.

I can't imagine our culture today is more violent than, say, the late 60s/early 70s, when wars, riots, assassinations, cults, and serial killers seemed to be omnipresent. And that was years before Space Invaders.

[justiceischeap]

6. And lets not forget Hitler

what was his excuse? Pinball? Solitair? Gin Rummy?

[Initech]

7. I'm getting sick of this crap too.

Two of my favorite movies are "Falling Down" and "Collateral" - both sweeping, violent epics set in my home town of Los Angeles. I play games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Assassin's Creed. And my current favorite TV show is Breaking Bad. Yet I would never even think to purchase a gun or even use it. People have been blaming violent video games since the early 90's - its nothing new. But those advocating censorship need to get over themselves.

[Laochtine]

8. drop the musical theater

And after years of MT management you'll be able to re-enter society. It's a tough road, but it works I've seen it.

[Bicoastal]

9. But...but...

(jazz hands)

[Laochtine]

11. Flmao

TY

[fujiyama]

10. I watch Dexter, Homeland

and Breaking Bad.

So I guess I should go become a serial killer, terrorist, and cook meth, because the TVz told me to.