Whimsical Wanderings of a Frightened Mind

Hmmm... I watched the Manchurian Candidate on friday. I must say that it was very thought-provoking. Not just becos of the oh too real plot of rich, powerful corporations being able to buy and insert politicians into the government, but more so becos of the super realistic acts of brutal killing depicted in the show.

I must say that im rather aghast at the media for relaxing its limits at the amount of violence shown on tv nowadays. Do u remember when was it that u actually saw dead bodies on tv or in the newspapers when u were younger? No I dont cos there werent any. It was like a taboo. A big no no to show such things on a public medium. People shun channels or papers with such pictures cos they were gruesome and scary. But look at the media now. When I first saw channel 8 showing the actual beheading of the American guy, nick something, on tv, I was disgusted. Not only by the ugliness of the act, but also by the willingness of the broadcaster to show something which I deem unsuitable for mass viewing. It was like tabloid material. "I dare to show something more. Something scandalous. Something out of the limits." Just so as to gain more viewership.

U know, the media is suppose to be responsible to the public. They cant act to their own whims and fancies just to increase their readership or viewership. What do they expect from showing such pictures to the masses? "Oh, I am preparing them for the future. U know, just in case they see somebody dead on the streets and they go aaaah... and run away. Well, now they could go, 'Hey, i have seen this before. I think this guys dead.' " Wow! So bloody social-conscious. I dont know bout u but the thing is with more and more of such brutal acts and deranged pictures shown on public medium, people, yes, will get immune to it. Do u still remember the pics of the 2 Saddam sons who were killed by US forces? Their faces were bloated, bruised and sewed together. Like Chucky in childs play. But this is real. Real dead human. Real scars. Real blood. Real death. Their pictures were splashed on both the Straits Times and The New Paper. It was ugly. It was scary. It was uncalled for. Do we actually need to see them dead? Do we need to see their bruised and battered faces? Do we need to see the pain in their opened eyes? I dont think I was happy seeing them like that. Were you?

The problem with all these pictures and clips of brutal acts is that they shouldnt have happened in the first place. Now that they have happened, we do not need to see them. In public media more so. Everybody is able to view them. Everyone. Including kids. Children. Innocent, idealistic, simple minded children. U want them to see dead people too is it?
Everyone just gets numb after being exposed to such things over a period of time. I see myself just not bothering with such pictures when they come up on the papers nowadays. I see children telling me, "Yah. Dead people lah. Aiyah, die already all look like that one." The three kids that I tutor tell me that they just laugh at the beheading clip when they saw it on tv. I was shock, i must say. Saddened too. I asked them why they found it funny. They said they saw it frequent enough as their father often buys videos of such things. Banned tapes from China to watch, share with the family. I was immediately stunned. I felt the world spinning. How could any parent want to allow their children to view such morose acts? Why would any sane-minded father want their kid to see people dying thru accidents? Is it fun? Is it some kind of derange humour?

I must say that I am frightened. Petrified in fact by all these stuff. I am shocked that anyone should be subjected to watch such inane violence. Animated violence is bad enough. Mortal Combat was banned. So why arnt such pictures and clips not censored or better enough, not shown at all? Children are now immune to most violent and gruesome pictures. So is that good? What do u aim to achieve by that? I dont wish to have kids looking and pointing at me while Im dying. Laughing and giggling cos it seems funny to them. Do you?

posted by nick_xian @ 7:45 PM