Did Hollywood Cause It?
by James Glaser
July 25, 2012

Americans seem to like to kill each other or anyone who is not an American. I am sure it seems so simple when you plan your killing all out, or even if you take a shot without giving it any forethought.

We have all grown up watching how Hollywood portrays shooting people. It is imprinted on our brains. Video games reinforce that imprint. You pull the trigger, and they fall over dead. Maybe there is a little blood, but for sure no horrible screaming for mom or God. Even when somebody is stabbed, they fall over dead with just maybe a big sigh. Somebody throws a knife, and it sticks in the guy's back, and just like that, he falls over dead.

In real life shooting and stabbing are seldom so neat and tidy. People can live a long time screaming at the top of their lungs with blood pumping out of them and getting all over the place.

For the last 90 years Hollywood has portrayed killing as something pretty neat, painless, and bloodless. Sure there are the exceptions now and then with a Saving Private Ryan or some vampire movie, but think back to all the cowboys and soldiers who took an Indian spear or arrow to the gut and quietly died. How about the people scalped or stabbed or thrown through a picture window in a bar fight. You ever see blood spurting out of an artery or horrible screams that go on and on? Heck, you don't even see split knuckles on the victor.

Let me tell you, after the adrenalin stops flowing, even in a fight you think you won, you rapidly start to hurt all over. It only takes one punch to make your hand sore for days. Why do you think boxers have those big gloves on?

Try shooting a short barreled pistol or any pistol at somebody (better yet at a paper target) more than a dozen feet away and see how you do. In the movies, guys shoot other guys without even aiming at 50 feet or further. It is hard to even hit the target with a hip shot. You might as well shoot with your eyes closed, and the guys who hold their pistol sideways just look silly to a practiced shooter, but in Hollywood's way of thinking, they are looking pretty cool.

That is what Hollywood is all about, looking cool, or brave, or maybe even sinister. Looking real is not part of the deal because they are out to entertain you. They are not making documentaries.

So, when you hear about the next nut case opening up and killing a bunch of people, ask yourself where they got the idea to do that. There is probably a good chance that there has been a movie with the same story line or one close to it. Thanks for teaching us how really cool violence is, Hollywood.

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