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Coyote Wrestling And The World Wide Web Analysis

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Wile E. Coyote, Wrestling, and the World Wide Web: Exploring the Causes and Effects of Violence in Popular Culture
Angela R. Davis
Fresno Pacific University Wile E. Coyote, Wrestling, and the World Wide Web: Exploring the Causes and Effects of Violence in Popular Culture The majority of violence results from social injustice prevalent in our society. Among the significant contributors are poverty, racism, unemployment, and substance abuse. There is also an issue of a proliferation of guns, inadequate or abusive parenting practices, real-life adult models of violent problem-solving behavior, as well as frequent exposure to violence through the media. Consequently, these facts lead to further conjecture such as; has the media desensitized …show more content…

Most experts contend that violent television shows, video games, and toys promote aggression and destructive behavior. Rhodes (2000) states, “The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institutes of Mental Health say that there is a link between entertainment and violence. In fact, no direct, causal link between exposure to mock violence in the media and subsequent violent behavior has ever been demonstrated…” (p. 555). While violence in entertainment is pervasive and a real concern; it needs to be understood and addressed rather than blamed as the cause. After all, it is possible seek solutions to minimize violence when you understand the nature of …show more content…

“In terms of exposure, the average U.S. child between the ages of 8 and 18 spends 6½ hours a day using media” (Strasburger, V., & Wilson, B. 2009). Children are the most vulnerable target, not only do they manipulate their parents as consumers, but they are also susceptible to being misled by what they see. Many children lack discernment between actual acts of violence and mock violence exhibited in pop culture. The authors of Children, Adolescents, and the Media assert, “… Youth today are confronted with a media environment that is rapidly changing. Technologies are proliferating, merging, and becoming more interactive. And the content featured in these technologies is increasingly graphic, realistic, and commercial in nature” (Strasburger, V., & Wilson, B. 2009). Television programs often mislead gullible children because of positive attitudes toward violence. Cartoons like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner follow the laws of animation physics and often display exaggerated cycles of violence. Thus, certain levels of violent acts were accepted and became the norm. The good guy beats the bad guy and over time children may become desensitized. Jacoby (1995) asks the question, “What impact does it have on a generation growing up amid dysfunctional families, broken-down schools, and a culture of values-free secularism?” (p

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