Violence

[Netzach]

Yes, I definitely had more of a fascination with violence and gore as a kid. I remember this old book I found about big disasters and the middle was full of black and white photos. All quite grizzly. There were a few of the Hindenburg but the one that stays with me to this day was from a factory fire. It was a textiles factory and the employees were all women. They locked them inside except for lunch breaks so that the women couldn't sneak out for cigarette breaks. A big fire broke out and the women were trapped. Several jumped from the upper story windows, only to impale themselves on the wrought iron fence below. It was horrific...and they had photos of this.

I was horrified but I looked at those photos again and again. I can still see them. These days, if I found such a book, I wouldn't want to see, I'd put it away but as a child I could not look away.

Strange.

That's the triangle shirtwaist fire, I'm fairly certain. If more people saw those photos they might not shrug off the usefulness of unions.

 

[Lizzie_Borden]

Hm, see, now I'm starting to worry a bit, lol.

Seriously, as I sat discussing this topic with my girlfriends, I was amazed at the vast difference in our tolerance levels for fictional violence. I said, "Wow, I must really be desensitized." I guess I am.

One girl couldn't even watch Lord of the Rings because she found the battle scenes too violent. Another was shocked that I had been able to watch Silence of the Lambs, not once but several times, as she couldn't even finish one viewing.

But then, I can remember working on a show where we had lots of down time and were really bored and so started a game of soccer with some of the crew...using a severed head as the ball. (No, not a real one but a damn realistic one). So maybe my lack of "ick" when it comes to portrayals of violence is really just from constant exposure? Hm.

My first experience with that was film studies in highschool. A classmate boycotted Braveheart, because of what she called 'gratuitous violence.'

I think a lot of it doesn't affect me for 2 reasons. It's either fictionalised, nonrealistic violence.. and is therefore non realistic and not bothersome, or it *is* realistic, yet is outside of my realm of experience.

I'm sure my opinion will change if my life experience does.

 

[chy_girl]

Personally, I don't watch horror/thriller/violent action films. My fight or flight button is way too sensitive and there's simply nothing pleasurable about having it pushed for two straight hours.

As to violence, I don't mind non-explicit violence on t.v. or in the movies but why do I need to see the blood and brain matter spattering out the back of someone's head? Person A pointed the gun at person B, the gun discharged... I know what happened. I do not require seeing person A flicking bits of bloody bone off their face to get the picture.

The really sucky thing is that there are good movies that push the amount of explicit violence I can handle - the Lethal Weapon series, Payback, Die Hard... Hell, even Nobel Son pushed it a little.

The worst part, though, is when it's a really good movie in plot and actors but the director (or whoever) amps up the violence so much that turns the whole thing into a molded over pile of shit. And I wish I could remember the name of the movie(s) that that happened with...

 

[WriterDom]

That's the triangle shirtwaist fire, I'm fairly certain. If more people saw those photos they might not shrug off the usefulness of unions.

Lots of useful things outlive their purpose. Horse and buggies, 8 track, Wooden golf woods, dial up internet, the list is endless.

 

[FurryFury]

Dude, I said I was a sucker for a soap opera! We all have our guilty pleasures. Actually, it's also that I like puzzles to a certain degree. But fuck Lost. That is just fucking annoying.

As for Butterfly Effect - um, we are talking about the one with Ashton Kutcher? I really can't get past Ashton Kutcher.

Yep, that's the one.

 

[FurryFury]

Lots of useful things outlive their purpose. Horse and buggies, 8 track, Wooden golf woods, dial up internet, the list is endless.

Except that the unions haven't been in all the workforces that need to be afforded safety and dignity for workers yet.

 

[00Syd]

Except that the unions haven't been in all the workforces that need to be afforded safety and dignity for workers yet.

And in the industries where the power of the union is fading, the workers' benefits and rights are backsliding.

 

[WriterDom]

Except that the unions haven't been in all the workforces that need to be afforded safety and dignity for workers yet.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/22/new-york-teachers-paid-to_n_219336.html

The dignity of 700 New York City school teachers being paid a full salary to fingerfuck their assholes for eight hours a day because even though they are worthless as dogshit they can't be fired because of union rules?

 

[rosco rathbone]

Lots of useful things outlive their purpose. Horse and buggies, 8 track, Wooden golf woods, dial up internet, the list is endless.

I dunno if I'd go with the ol' "outlived their usefulness" a week after the Massey Coal disaster.

 

[rosco rathbone]

I only believe in violence towards females' bottoms.

 

[Keroin]

Lots of useful things outlive their purpose. Horse and buggies, 8 track, Wooden golf woods, dial up internet, the list is endless.

I will only touch briefly on this topic – it probably deserves a thread of its own. There are as many problems with unions as there are with corporate entities. I grew up in a union household and was a union member for several years. L is still a union member.

Several years ago, we had a problem with corruption in our union. We worked very hard to root out the culprits, even spending thousands of our own dollars to hire a lawyer but in the end our work was for nothing. Unions are protected to a ridiculous degree, as are union members. So we all bent over and took a good, hard, dry ass fucking.

However, I can’t say that our union wasn’t/isn’t useful. They have stepped up on my behalf in more than one dispute with a production company. If it weren’t for the union, neither L nor I would have been illegible for any kind of life insurance or disability insurance – something you want to have when getting hit by cars on a regular basis. The union tracks down productions that try to sneak out of paying us royalties we are legally entitled to. On set, they protected performers from being exploited…and believe me, without that protection we would have been exploited.

So, yes, unions have problems and changes need to be made but we still need them. I’m no psychic but I think I can predict, fairly accurately, what would happen if unions disappeared and workers were left at the mercy of corporations.

 

[Netzach]

Lots of useful things outlive their purpose. Horse and buggies, 8 track, Wooden golf woods, dial up internet, the list is endless.

Yeah and evidently mine safety too.

 

[WriterDom]

Yeah and evidently mine safety too.

53 explosions that killed at least 5 miners have happened since 1951. Are you trying to say that every single one of these were non-union mines? Or do coal mines deep in the earth with all the gaseous planet farts occasionally go boom regardless of the safety measures?

Now maybe if there are 700 unsafe miners who shoot off bottle rockets and AK-47s underground who are in a building somewhere on full salary like the incompetent NYC school teachers then you might be on to something.

Why don't we just ban deep mining? It's too dangerous and too labor intensive. You cry like a baby if we stick a little pipe in mother earth and pump out oil, but you'll support this ungreen shit as long as they wear the union label? Build nukes. France has the cleanest air in the industrialized world.

 

[JMohegan]

53 explosions that killed at least 5 miners have happened since 1951. Are you trying to say that every single one of these were non-union mines? Or do coal mines deep in the earth with all the gaseous planet farts occasionally go boom regardless of the safety measures?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10108/1051388-455.stm

 

[WriterDom]

I do however believe in card check. If 51% of American voters sign a card saying Obama needs to go, then he can pack up and move back to Chicago. I think we were probably there last October.

 

[Keroin]

Wait...um...weren't we talking about violence?

 

[graceanne]

Wait...um...weren't we talking about violence?

Is it coming up on voting season? Cause, normally, there's only this much political hijacking when it's getting near voting season.

 

[Keroin]

Personally, I don't watch horror/thriller/violent action films. My fight or flight button is way too sensitive and there's simply nothing pleasurable about having it pushed for two straight hours.

As to violence, I don't mind non-explicit violence on t.v. or in the movies but why do I need to see the blood and brain matter spattering out the back of someone's head? Person A pointed the gun at person B, the gun discharged... I know what happened. I do not require seeing person A flicking bits of bloody bone off their face to get the picture.

The really sucky thing is that there are good movies that push the amount of explicit violence I can handle - the Lethal Weapon series, Payback, Die Hard... Hell, even Nobel Son pushed it a little.

The worst part, though, is when it's a really good movie in plot and actors but the director (or whoever) amps up the violence so much that turns the whole thing into a molded over pile of shit. And I wish I could remember the name of the movie(s) that that happened with...

Interesting reaction. Mine is almost the exact opposite. If I see, for example, someone get stabbed but the knife comes out clean and there is either no blood or very little on the victim, then I think, 'Come on, that is not what a real stabbing would look like!' After that, I find it hard to suspend disbelief, unless I'm watching Star Trek in which case my disbelieve is already on a bus bound for Okotoks.

But yes, some do go overboard, complete with blood sprays to rival the Bellagio fountain show in Vegas. I can see how that would put people off.

If it makes you feel any better Chy, the "bits of brain" is probably blueberry muffin that's been crumbled up.

8 track

Wasn't there something wildly, naively, hopelessly...hopeless about the 8 track?

"I love the night life, I love to boo - KA-KLUNK - gee, on the disco, ah ha, oh yeah..."

Is it coming up on voting season? Cause, normally, there's only this much political hijacking when it's getting near voting season.

Well, hijacking is a form of violence, I suppose.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Wait...um...weren't we talking about violence?

Violence and coal-country union struggles go together like a kiss and a squeeze.

 

[Netzach]

Violence and coal-country union struggles go together like a kiss and a squeeze.

Indeed. Check the real meaning of the term "redneck."

 

[Netzach]

yadda yadda - oh wait, I agree.

Build nukes

 

[ImOnIt]

Visitor Q. wikipedia link

This is a movie to make you uncomfortable. Its japanese and fucked up.

 

[Homburg]

Interesting. I was curious because boxing is the one form of combat I don't like. Compared to MMA I find it kind of boring and also the competitors take so many blows to the head that it just isn't healthy.

I love boxing, but tend to prefer middleweights and under. The big guys are impressive beasts, sure, but the lighter weights are the technicians. Watching a really good puncher chase his opponents defense around all over the place until he gets that right opening is good stuff. Unfortunately, it is tough to find that kind of skill these days in boxing. (Though we get to see it in different form in the MMA rings.)

Oh man, I was 17 when the original Lethal Weapon came out and I can't remember how many times I went to see it. That fight scene at the end was just so beautifully, brutally real!

I have a thing about fight scenes. Either make it really, really realistic or go WAY over the top, (a la Jackie Chan), I hate that middle ground stuff. Too cheesy.

This.

One of my favourite fights was in "Grosse Point Blank" with John Cusack going up against Benny Urquidez. It was highly plausible, dirty, and solid. It probably helps that Benny was Cusack's friend and trainer.

I stay away from internet violence. I can't know if it's real, so I just don't go there.

I think this is part of my line in the sand. Is it real? Do not want. And is it over-sensationalised? Again, do not want. When the violence becomes pornagraphic, I get disgusted.

Now, the first time I watched Kill Bill, (1&2), I was kind of, 'bleh, shock violence'. The second time I watched them, I found them infinitely more enjoyable. Not sure why. Maybe I was expecting the level of violence so I was able to focus more on the interesting and quirky details. And I do really enjoy that over-the-top Hong Kong style.

I think this is why I liked Kill Bill too. The very Hong Kong/Japanese film style really got me. I've got a pile of older HK films on VHS upstairs. Love em. Chow Yun Fat did some really fantastic stuff, and John Woo's style is unmistakable.

There are only two TV shows that I will watch the opening to for every episode: Dexter and Firefly - I love the song for the latter.

I Firefly, even though I got into it waaaay too late.

--

And I'm not gonna touch the mine/union debate. It ain't worth it. Talk to a coal miner about mining, unions, and mining before unions.

 

[FurryFury]

Wait...um...weren't we talking about violence?

I'm also against the whole violence is okay for my kids to watch in media but sex is BAD, thing.

 

[YourCaptor]

Novel violence is entertaining. Be it, wow, or, eww, or, ha ha.

I don't think its so much the violence that disturbs me, but the suffering.


So, how about the scene in inglorious bastards where they shoot each others balls off. That was glorious.