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Why Are We Fascinated with Violence? An

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Entertainment." (2017). Senior Honors Projects. Paper 574.
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 Why are we fascinated with violence?
An investigation of mass media’s role in depicting violence as entertainment
Kseniya Dmitrieva

Abstract
A literature review was conducted to determine the most common patterns in violence-related topics
portrayed in mass media. Psychological research suggests that violence is a by-product of society: as a learned
behavior, violence and aggression are experienced through modeling by adults, peers, and the outside sources. With
the vast emergence of mass media in the 20th and 21st centuries, mass media channels have been branded
“responsible” for the formation of aggressive behaviors in children and young adults.
The relationship between publications of violent events in mass media and viewers’ role is far more
complicated. Mass media is a common way of communicating new information and serves as a source of
entertainment. When speaking of crime, the line between news and entertainment is often blurred. Mass media, like
daily newspapers and news channels, present the most up-to-date information about many events, including crime.
Serving as the gatekeepers between criminal events and the public, these news outlets have the power to maintain
what stays “hot,” the power to leave out certain details, or to present events in the light that is most appealing to the
average viewer. Sensational, most gruesome cases become especially newsworthy. Cases like robbery, rape, murder,
and aggravated assault amount to only 11% of all criminal cases; serial killings amount for less than 1% of all
criminal cases; and the vast majority of incarcerated adults are nonviolent offenders. Nevertheless, it appears that
these cases are far more commonplace and frequent.
The frequency paradox, a term developed while working on this project, is the irrational idea that random
violent crimes are far more prevalent and commonplace than they actually are, due to the frequency and the
dramatized way in which mass media outlets present them to the viewers. Only one-fifth of violent crimes made
national news broadcasts in the past twenty years; the majority of them includes elements of “sensationalism” –
especially violent, have unusually high death toll, and tend to stir political discussions. The frequency paradox may
be responsible for creating moral panics, a public outcry for political change. The frequency paradox, however, does
not apply to all channels of mass media, but only those that value quantity over quality.
New-generation mass media, like podcasts, YouTube channels, true crime books, and unsolved mystery
documentaries have created a space for crime-obsessed individuals to talk about true crime to other crime-obsessed
individuals. New-generation mass media creates a deviated culture from those who are merely interested in
“consuming” crime as mindless entertainment. New-generation mass media calls for help from the investigator
within us, spending hours listening to facts and evidence of crimes, and to aid in solving them. This contemplative
space challenges the frequency paradox with public action to solve murder mysteries and disappearance cases. This
project will suggest an idea that emergence of new generation true crime media is a product of socially-aware,
socially-educated, socially-connected Millennials…

“Why are we so fascinated with violence?” of violence: wars, terrorist attacks, mass
is a question that has been asked thousands killings, gruesome punishments of the
of times. Some evolutionists explain this medieval times.9,13 These events are not
fascination with gore and violence as our novelty to our ears; we are surrounded by
animalistic, prehistoric nature.9 violence in fiction and in reality. This
project does not aim to explore the history of
Violence is often associated with exertion of violence neither does it answer the questions
power, whether it is over another individual like “how do we prevent violence?” or “why
or a whole society. Rapid advancements in do people exhibit violent, aggressive
one culture drive its citizens to explore behaviors?” The main focus here is to
beyond the borders, to dominate the lands, understand why we are attracted to it? What
the hearts, and the minds of people who are are some ways in which, perhaps, mass
weaker. Aggression is contradictory when it media affects our perceptions of violent
does not support our beliefs. Why do we acts? And how does it possibly desensitize
prohibit killings but vote for capital
punishment? Our history is built on the acts
us towards horrendous homicides, positive correlation between observing
slaughters, and assaults. brutality on TV and imitating aggressive
behaviors in children.1,3,12 Long-term
The effects of mass media’s portrayal of exposure to these observations can
violent events have concerned researchers predispose children to violent behaviors into
since the emergence of television. Bandura adulthood.12 Mass media, especially daily
(1963), in his groundbreaking Bobo doll newspapers and news channels present the
experiments, has concluded that children are most up-to-date information about many
twice as likely to express aggressive events, including crime events. As much as
behaviors after observing a real-life adult 95% of the American public depends
through a television set who has beaten and heavily on news media for information
kicked around the doll. He explains it as a about crime.8 Serving as the gatekeepers
social-learning theory, where adults between criminal events and the public,
modeling particular behaviors can have these news outlets have the power to
tremendous impacts on children. He states: maintain what stays “hot” and what does
“Observation of adults displaying aggression not, the power to leave out certain details, or
conveys a certain degree of permissiveness even present these events in the light that is
for aggressive behavior.”1 Centerwall (1992) most appealing to the average viewers.
similarly concluded that infants instinctively News channels and newspapers
imitate adult behavior, even negative disproportionately report violent crimes, and
behaviors. Children as young as 14 months tend to focus attention on “sensational”
of age are able to observe behaviors seen on matters.2 Cases like robbery, rape, murder,
TV and incorporate observed behaviors into and assault get a lot more attention than
their own.3 The majority of these studies minor felonies and violations.13
were driven by the assumption that Overrepresentation of crime and violence on
television is a ‘gateway’ to certain TV can be explained by a strategic move to
behaviors, such as aggression, smoking, sex, maximize viewership numbers and therefore
and other negative behaviors. More recent profits “by catering to the public’s
studies have focused their attention on video fascination with rare and sensational acts of
games and their role in exposing children to violence.” To make crime news more
violence and murder through first-person entertaining and appealing to the consumers,
shooters. With their vast popularity among “the news media over-represent violent,
young children, researchers have jumped on interpersonal crimes because they are
the bandwagon of proving video games as a dramatic, tragic, and rare in occurrence.”8
bad influence rather than their direct benefits
to cognitive development.5 There is little Similarly, crime television series have an
conclusive evidence, however, regarding appeal for “sensational” criminal cases.
video games’ role in generating aggressive Allegedly based on actual events, crime
and even violent behaviors in adolescents shows like America’s Most Wanted (AMW)
and young adults. But the television debate and Unsolved Mysteries tend to dramatize
remains heated. details of the crimes. Content analysis
showed that these television series “convey
The next closest source to observing an unpredictable world filled with unsafe
violence, other than being a direct people and places,” creating a sense of
participant or a victim of violent events, is “modern danger.”2 Analysis of TV vignettes
television. Numerous experimental studies from two reality-crime shows, 92% of
and empirical evidence suggest a strong AMW vignettes depicted violent, personal
crimes (rape, murder, kidnapping, child Orange is the New Black (6.7 million
molestation, and robbery). Murder is viewers), and several Marvel-owned series
depicted in 52% of both shows. The (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil) that
researchers concluded that criminals in these openly present violent content “on demand,”
shows are presented as “traditional urban have seen similar viewership numbers.23
legend villains, such as drifters and These are just a few examples of violent
hitchhikers. Other criminals are portrayed as television shows that give violence an
Satanists, gang members, and drug dealers.” entertaining angle. Portraying cruel and yet
The most frightening criminals have been likeable villains, Game of Thrones has made
portrayed as psychologically unstable, violence more appealing, sometimes more
“typically, a crazed killer, a psycho, a romantic. Appealing to viewers’ attachment
maniac, emotionally disturbed, showed no to certain characters, Orange is the New
emotion, disregards authority.” Given Black has given a spin on the view of
sociopathic/psychopathic characteristics, women who commit crimes as being
depictions of crime and criminals are independent and strong. With the inclusion
dramatized and stereotyped; this deepens the of superheroes in Marvel series as crime-
viewers’ sense of imminent, commonplace fighters, the violent acts are also given more
danger, creating a perception that “no one, appeal.25
no matter how careful, is safe,” conclude
Cavender and Bond-Maupin.2 Crime as “a Undoubtedly, violent crimes like murder,
central component in entertainment,” rape, and assaults are considered wrong by
presented as “realistic,” blurs the boundary many civilized societies. Many countries
between reality and fiction, desensitizing the have established rules and laws that prohibit
audiences towards serious and violent its citizens from committing these acts.
offenses.6 Similarly, more contemporary Many countries have created prisons to
television “crime scene investigation” series punish perpetrators (retribution and
have sustained their popularity since the late rehabilitation) and keep them from
nineties. Law and Order has been on air for committing these acts again
20
twenty seasons (1990 – 2010); Law and (incapacitation). Acts of violence are far
Order: Special Victims Unit has been rarer than we would expect. The vast
approved for 18 consecutive seasons (1999 - majority of prisoners are nonviolent
present); CSI: Crime Scene Investigation offenders. Serial killers amount for less than
was on air for fifteen seasons (2000 – 2015) 1% of all perpetrators.20 The rates of violent
and documented an estimated of 78.3 crime have been declining in recent years,
million viewers; CSI: Miami was approved becoming lowest since the 1960s.15,20 In
for ten consecutive seasons (2002 – 2012); 2014, an estimated 11,205,833 total arrests
shows like NCIS and Criminal Minds have were made: 498,666 for violent offenses;
been on air since early 2000s (2003 and 1,553,980 for property crimes; 1,561,231 for
2005 respectively) and are still ongoing. drug abuse violations; 1,238,190 for larceny
Continuous popularity of these shows can be theft; and 1,117,852 for DUI. In 2015, a
correlated with continuous interest from the total estimated number of murders in the
public; most of these television series have U.S. was 15, 699. In March 2017, 3.1% of
maintained an audience of above 5 million all offenders in the U.S. were incarcerated
viewers.25 for homicide, aggravated assault, and
kidnapping.15
More recent fictional series like Game of
Thrones (10.4 million total viewers),
So why then, does it seem like intimate, Continuous circulation of most sensational
violent crimes are so prevalent and criminal cases in the news and television,
commonplace? Katz (1987), in his extensive creates the frequency paradox (a term
research on what makes crime news, has developed while working on this project),
noted that violent crimes make up a small defined as the irrational idea that rare violent
percentage of crimes and yet they get an crimes appear far more prevalent and
enormous amount of news coverage. commonplace to an average spectator due to
“Murders and rapes, less frequent crimes in the frequency and the dramatized fashion in
FBI statistics, are among the most frequent which mass media outlets present them to
crime subjects on both news and the viewers. The frequency paradox may be
entertainment shows,” states Katz.13 responsible for creating moral panics, and
Through extensive and frequent coverage of shifting public opinions about sensitive
the same few violent events, these crimes issues that later call for political change.
start to seem more commonplace and Some of the most famous examples of moral
prevalent. For a comparison, in 1980, panics include: the all-time famous Salem
violent crime made up about 70% of crime witch trials, the ‘hysteria’ over the alleged
news as compared to only 20% of the rise of violent crime in the late 1960s that
official crime rate.13 Because they appear has created a greater public concern with
more prevalent, we as spectators start to neighborhood youth’s behavior; the ‘War on
make generalizations about these types of Drugs’ that has started a hysteria over the
crimes. Such a sensational, overly-displayed increased consumption of crack cocaine in
act of armed robbery committed by a 10- the 1970s and still drives political and social
year-old child makes an average viewer agenda today; panics over video games and
assume that many (if not all) children “these them being the main reason for school
days” are capable of committing an armed shootings; the rise of HIV/AIDS in the
robbery.13 Even if that case was a single 1980s have polarized public opinions about
shocking occasion, many news outlets will the LGBTQ community; the ‘War on
emphasize the word “shocking” rather than Terror’ that has dramatically increased the
“single.” The dramatic, selective way in levels of government control. Can you think
which crime news is presented, makes us of some of the most recent events that have
believe that there is an imminent immediate caused an unprecedented panic in the
threat to society, its values and its safety.13 society? Moral panics tend to exacerbate the
In the longitudinal investigation on news levels of concern over a certain issue that is
coverage of mass killings in the United perceived to “attack” the moral state of our
States, Duwe (2000) concluded that only populations. They are hostile, alienating,
about one-fifth of all violent mass killings often too simplistic, and are characterized by
were reported on national news. They were disproportionate exaggeration of facts or the
deemed as the most “newsworthy,” a lack of whatsoever.4,11 Moral panics tap into
characteristic that is defined by most public sentiment, pushing for an outcry for
shocking, one-of-a-kind occasions. change. The catchy, often overused slogans
Newsworthiness, as they determined, continuously circulated in the media drill
contained exceptionally high death tolls, into the hearts and minds of the public,
which later was named “body-count deflecting attention from the facts of the
journalism,” included a crazed killer, and situation and the reason for the panic itself.
appealed to the viewers’ political The incidents that harvest extensive news
representations.8 coverage are more likely to ignite public
fears, and it is no longer a conspiracy to As for podcast audiences, the number of
suggest that public outcries for harsher laws people in the U.S. who are aware of the term
and increased policing do half the job for ‘podcast’ increased from 22% in 2006 to
legislators to influence social and political 55% in 2016; that is an estimated 150
change.4,6,16 million people. The mean time of listening
to a podcast in one week is about 4 hours
The frequency paradox has taken over some and 10 minutes with an average of 5
of the most common channels of mass podcasts listened in one week. Similar
media like television and news, the channels trends in age are also noticeable; the
that value quantity over quality. It influences majority of podcast listeners belong to
an average viewer - a mindless panic- Generation X and Millennials.
consuming machine. It keeps us ‘hooked’ on Approximately 38% of listeners are between
the latest sensational criminal cases through the ages of 18-34 and 34% are between the
the continuous exposure. It can be ages of 35-54. 41% of listeners have a
speculated that the emergence of new-age median income of 63K; 78% have some
mass media, like podcasts and YouTube college education, or graduate education.19
channels have generated a new Sociologists who have been investigating
spectatorship. New age media deviates non- the consumption of news media suggest that
average spectators from those who are highly educated audiences are more likely to
merely interested in ‘consuming’ crime as critique traditional news media as they are
mindless entertainment; such as the daily more exposed to academic criticisms of
news readers who do not sustain an interest these channels of communication.7
in crime stories – “they are not interested in
analyzing the patterns of crime coverage, The creators are able to interact with their
neither do they theorize about sociological audiences through comment sections
implications of crime.”13 The creators of allowing them to create original content that
new-age mass media are often referred to as often reflects the popular demand.
social influencers. Self-administered Subscribing to a channel that produces the
channels of new-age mass media experience content of one’s preference generates ‘types’
less censorship and are able to create a of audiences. Certainly, many viewers are
contemplative and interactive space for both subscribed to more than one channel as they
the viewers and the administrators. may have many interests, but one trend is
evident: Unlike television, where most
YouTube and podcasts are quickly gaining viewers watch whatever is on air, YouTube
popularity. Official YouTube statistics generates the list of ‘suggested’ videos
reports state that the social media network based on the video categories that are most
“has over a billion users - almost one-third watched by a specific viewer. Podcast
of all people on the Internet. As of March creators, similarly, create a subculture of
2015, creators filming in YouTube Spaces listeners who spend hours upon hours on a
have produced over 10,000 videos which podcast that matches their interests. Unlike
have generated over 1 billion views and 70+ one-way communication about crime that an
million hours of watch time.” The majority average viewer receives from news media
of viewers mainly belong to Generation X and television, YouTube channels and
and Millennials, ranging between the ages of Podcasts allow audiences to contribute to the
18 and 49.22 creation of content.
More recently, the topics like conspiracy again gained public attention by creating a
theories, crime mysteries, and missing public movement for a fair re-trial.19,21
persons’ cases have been circulating these
channels of mass communication. Some Online forums are expanding, bringing
content creators even completely devoted together thousands of individuals who are
their channel to these topics. One particular eager to solve a crime. Two blogs in
YouTube creator John Lordan (going by particular are gaining public attention:
YouTube name LordanArts) creates content Reddit and Websleuths. Reddit emerged in
that specifically covers missing persons’ June 2005, reaching as many as 250 million
cases, murder mysteries, and conspiracies. users in April of 2017.23 The majority of
Spending hours on researching these cases, Reddit users are between the ages of 18 and
he is able to present as much factual 29 (estimated 58%), followed by adults
information as possible. Referring to his between the ages of 30 and 49
audiences as ‘BrainScratchers,’ LordanArts (approximately 33%).18 Relative to the
calls for viewers’ attention to some cases general internet population, the vast majority
that received little to no media attention in of Reddit users are college-educated
hopes to solving these mysteries. Some adults.17 Websleuths is a crime discussion
viewers personally contribute their research forum where individuals are able to partake
to his growing channel.26 in investigations of criminal cases, trials,
and missing persons cases. Launched in
One particular podcast has captured the May 1999, by November 2016 it has
public’s attention to not only its content but reached over 100,000 users.24
also the possibility of making a change as a
listener; ‘Serial’ podcast covered the case of With the promising development of new-age
Adnan Syed allegedly involved in a 1999 media more research is needed regarding the
Baltimore murder case. ‘Serial’ has taken a audience trends and content analyses.
responsibility of presenting all of the facts Perhaps, investigating the influences that
and the truths of the case. Since its original these media channels have on audiences can
release date on October 3rd 2014, ‘Serial’ provide us with a better understanding of
was the fastest podcast ever to reach 5 how important it is to distinguish between
million downloads by November 2014. By the traditional and non-traditional crime
December of 2014, the number of consumption. On the other hand, an
downloads has increased to 40 million. An investigation of the audiences’ contribution
average number of times each episode of to these channels may give insight into the
‘Serial’ was downloaded estimated to interactivity of new-age media as compared
approximately 3.4 million. Following the to traditional media outlets.
footsteps of ‘Serial,’ podcasts like ‘Someone
So why are we fascinated with violence?
Knows Something,’ ‘Unsolved,’ ‘Criminal,’
The answer is complicated; to be definite in
‘Those Conspiracy Guys,’ ‘The Generation
deciding whether our interests influence
Why Podcast,’ ‘Missing Maura Murray,’
mass media to present more violent content
etc. have devoted their time and efforts to
or if mass media keeps us “hooked” on
moving away from crime as mere
violence would be synonymous with solving
entertainment and taking investigation into
the “chicken and egg” riddle. It is
the hands of creators and listeners. Since the
complicated mainly because mass media is
emergence of these podcasts, some of the
created by a select group of individuals who
cases have been re-opened and re-
are able to give us the content that they
investigated. The case of Adnan Syed once
deem worthy of viewers’ attention; if we did criminology and criminal justice, 48(6), 837-
not enjoy crime, we would not have kept 850.
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