VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA: A LITERARY ESSAY

Who's to Blame?

Violence in the media has been a burning topic amongst the population for decades now. With violence being a prevalent theme in music, TV, and movies, it has led to people blaming media consumption habits on violent acts. Music and visual media alike have been put under intense discussion regarding acts of violence, blaming the media for these actions rather than the individual who has committed the act. This is an important topic of discussion due to how common violence is in the real world, and how people may use media as a scapegoat to make themselves seem more vulnerable in a courtroom setting. Exposure to violence may have a direct effect on mental health in some cases, but this should not make the artists behind the media responsible for violent crimes. 

 

Acts of violence should not be blamed on media consumption, as an individual choosing to commit violent acts is up to them alone. People can be influenced by the things that they see and consume, but this does not make music, TV, or movie consumption to blame for violent crimes. If someone decides that they are going to harm or kill someone, this is their own choice; this means that these are the morals of the person and the problems of the individual. If the individual was not troubled in some way, they would not commit extreme acts of violence. Violence stems from problems within an individual; violence in the media may seem to heighten these impulses in some cases, but the artist should never be to blame for acts committed by unrelated individuals who claim to be affected by their work. If an individual is taking influence from a violent piece of media that they consumed it does not mean that the media “made” them commit the act of violence. 

 

If an individual views a piece of media and decides to use it as a handbook rather than watching or listening to it without taking on a negative influence from it, that is an issue within the individual; not an issue within the media. There are countless people who can watch, see, or hear the same things as the people who act on these violent impulses without doing so, and it shows that it is almost always an issue with the individual, not the media that they choose to consume. Media can influence people in both positive and negative ways by evoking emotions and sometimes passion in people who find enjoyment in certain franchises or artists, but when this infatuation with media turns harmful, it isn’t entirely the fault of the media like some may claim it to be. Hearing or seeing violent media turning into violent fantasies or acts is never something that should happen in a regular case; and in the case that it does, it is the fault of the individual experiencing these issues. How someone chooses to express themselves through media is never to blame with their outside issues, some of which may lead to violence. In the case of a violent act, it is never fair to blame pieces of media; unless the individual has explicitly copied something they saw on TV. If someone has committed a “copycat” crime, it is due to them being troubled and misusing media as guides to commit these crimes. There is the argument and study behind violence in media influencing people's actions, but these people would not lash out in the way that they did if they did not already have underlying issues present, some of which may be amplified upon seeing violent acts carried out in movies or works of music.  

 

Music artists such as Marilyn Manson, KMFDM, and HIM have been blamed for various violent crimes and deaths throughout various decades. KMFDM and Marilyn Manson have been topics of debate in the Columbine High School massacre due to one of the shooters being a fan of the two bands. After the brutal murder of Jodi Jones, her boyfriend became the prime suspect. Upon finding a Marilyn Manson CD and DVD in his home they were confiscated and used as court evidence during the trial (“Blame Jodi Killer’s Upbringing”). Artists being blamed for crimes that they were not involved in is not a new phenomenon, and the most blaring occurrences happened decades in the past. This can lead to an artist’s reputation and image being tarnished entirely, and it isn’t just Manson being blamed. If an artist was directly responsible for an event, they should be blamed; but when it is someone acting out, that is their own personal grief (nadiakhomani). KMFDM, a band that has been against violence from the moment they formed, have been unfortunately linked to school shootings due to the assailant in the various cases being a fan of the band (Ellasar). The industrial band has been brought under harsh spotlight in three different school shooting cases, most infamously, the Columbine shooting that took place in 1999 (Ellasar). The band has described the backlash as being similar to a “witch hunt” and like Manson, they had to put out a public statement informing the public (Ellasar) that they are not responsible for the actions of their fans and that they do not condone violence of any form. 

 

“KMFDM are an art form — not a political party. From the beginning our music has been a statement against war, oppression, fascism and violence against others,”. It is unbelievably hard to imagine what an artist being blamed for such extreme acts must be feeling in the moment while they are under intense blame for the tragedies, and it is deeply unfair that they have to come out and state that they are not the ones to blame for the actions of the individuals committing these acts. KMFDM are one of the most severe cases of this occurring, and they had to make another statement due to a recent school shooter assailant being pictured in a shirt baring the band’s logo: “We don’t believe Natalie Rupnow wore a KMFDM T-shirt because she’s necessarily a fan of the band, but instead because she glorified the Columbine shooters. Sadly, there’s a subculture of sick individuals who do have an obscure fascination with the Columbine massacre, and our band’s acronym will forever be associated with it.”. 

 

Many cases of suicide have been blamed on music, Manson being another severe case of people believing that music was the sole factor in causing the individual to take their own life (Kretkowski). In one case after the death of a 15-year-old boy, it was alleged that he had shot himself after listening to a Marilyn Manson album (Kretkowski). The father of the boy stated that he believed that the music made him take his own life (Kretkowski). Cannibal Corpse and 2Pac were also mentioned in the case, and there was a complete failure to acknowledge how the father may have been a neglectful parent prior to the death of his child (Kretkowski). In the case, it was never questioned as to how the son got a hold of the firearm and the album that was clearly marked with a “parental advisory” sticker on the front cover (Kretkowski). Music is not among the warning signs of mental issues among youth, a point that was stated by the president of the Recording Industry Association of America during the case, adding that even the most famed pieces of literature deal with topics of violence (Kretkowski). Finnish band HIM have also been met with controversy that was later spoken of by frontman Ville Valo. He stated that he was blamed for a suicide due to their song ‘Join Me’ being an “invitation to kill yourself”, when the song itself is not even about suicide (Carlsson). Valo later cleared the air on the subject further in an interview with Modern Fix magazine, stating the following: "It's not about suicide, that song. It's about giving it all away,". These cases are all examples of mental illnesses and other issues occurring within the individuals in question, and the media they consume cannot “make” them do anything. If they are compelled to commit an act of violence after listening to an album or watching a movie, that is a sign of an underlying mental issue. 

 

The media franchise Jackass has been the face of many lawsuits due to the graphic nature of both the televised show and the movies that followed the original MTV series. Due to the likelihood of young people wanting to imitate the stunts performed on the show, it was required that there were extensive warnings put into place on the broadcasts of the show. An 18-year-old New Zealander was found guilty in a case where he had set his friend on fire; in this case, Jackass was brought to blame, the assailant's lawyer stating that he had taken influence from the series (Sharpe). This claim was entirely false, due to no stunt involving being lit on fire ever being aired on the show or being done in any of the five movies (Sharpe). Seeing stunts done by young people on TV absolutely influenced an entire generation of Jackass and CKY copycats, but acts of genuine violence were never portrayed in either franchise. There is a stark difference between recreating a dangerous stunt and causing bodily harm to someone, and the distinction is clear. 

 

Many psychology studies have been made regarding violence in the media and how it can leave lasting impressions on the youth that are exposed to this material. It has been found that an exposure to violence on TV can have a potential risk of aggression and desensitization in the individuals that are consuming the content with the violent material present (American Psychological Association). There is no way to tell if a violent piece of media will affect an individual in such a severe way, and it has been found to be in the best interest of parents to limit exposure to violence in media during the upbringing of a child. It has been found that seeing violence in media can lead to desensitization towards such imagery, leading to violence seeming “normal” or sometimes comical in these individuals depending on the type of violent content that they have been exposed to (American Psychological Association). There is an opposite effect in this study where seeing violence on TV can lead to an individual becoming more fearful of the world around them due to the fear of violence occurring near them (American Psychological Association). It is crucial to teach children the difference between reality and fiction in these scenarios 

 

There is a belief that violence being portrayed and viewed through media has a direct link to behavioral issues in youth. This disregards other possible underlying issues; but it is a belief that does have evidence backing it. Due to the studies of violence and the effect it has on children, it is a fair point to keep in mind that there are negative consequences in some individuals when they are exposed to violent content. This is caused by overexposure, and it can lead to desensitization and a lack of fear surrounding violence. Stunt franchises like Jackass and the various spin-offs that came as a result of it have led to countless young people getting hurt in similar ways when trying to recreate stunts from the series and movies; but there is a difference when it becomes something more sinister. 

 

An exposure to violent content can be linked to negative side effects both mentally and behaviorally, but when it becomes something more serious, there is something underlying in the individual lashing out. When violence becomes real instead of something contained within works of fiction, it becomes a problem that can lead to a loss of lives. Countless bands and media franchises have been met with criticism due to their supposed influence on young people who lash out and commit acts of violence. Artists who create media with themes of violence should never be blamed for the deaths and acts of people that they do not know, and the responsibility falls of the individuals themselves if they are choosing to act out a crime.  

 

SOURCES:  

(First and final sections are entirely in my own words. Citations are used when information is from a third-party source/article.) 

“Blame Jodi Killer’s Upbringing: Manson.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 Feb. 2005, www.smh.com.au/world/blame-jodi-killers-upbringing-manson-20050214-gdkowy.html. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025. 

nadiakhomami. “Marilyn Manson: “I Won’t Take Responsibility for My Fans” Actions’ - Watch.” NME, 20 Jan. 2015, www.nme.com/news/music/marilyn-manson-23-1217287. 

Alaa Elassar. “How a European Industrial Rock Band Opposed to Violence Got Tied to School Shootings in America.” CNN, 21 Dec. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/12/21/us/kmfdm-band-wisconsin-school-shooting/index.html. 

Kretkowski, Paul D. “Blaming the Shock Rockers.” Mother Jones, 11 Nov. 1997, www.motherjones.com/politics/1997/11/blaming-shock-rockers/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025. 

Carlsson, Martin. “Cold Fusion” Metal Hammer, April 2003 

 

“Stuff.” Stuff.co.nz, 2025, www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7662276/Teen-found-guilty-over-setting-friend-on-fire. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025. 

American Psychological Association. “Violence in the Media: Psychologists Study Potential Harmful Effects.” American Psychological Association, 2013, www.apa.org/topics/video-games/violence-harmful-effects.