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An interesting point in American fiction in particular, is that, generally it always has the lesson: "violence works" or "violence is the solution". Applying vi

An interesting point in American fiction in particular, is that, generally it always has the lesson: "violence works" or "violence is the solution". Applying violence to a problem is a pretty common way of solving it. And, of course, a big enough nuclear bomb will fix any problem... A line like Doctor Who's "everyone lives!" is very difficult to find in an american show. (It's not that I have a problem with american fiction, I just find it curious)

MartinCron 13y ago
Maybe Doctor Who's explosive popularity in the States will have a moderating effect? I mean, my 11-year-old son is part of a generation whose favorite fictional character uses a screwdriver and has two hearts.
- cesarbs 13y ago
  SONIC screwdriver! ;)
cgore 13y ago
America's vices of choice are greed and violence. England's are sex and drugs.
- squozzer 13y ago
  You may be a little off. Americans like porn and weed as much as anyone. And who regularly vies with Germany for having the most violent football (soccer) brawlers seemingly as a matter of national pride?
dragonwriter 13y ago
> An interesting point in American fiction in particular, is that, generally it always has the lesson: "violence works" or "violence is the solution". I think that taking that as a "lesson" is a mistake. Its true that American fiction is pretty prone to relying on physical violence as the central form of conflict, but I don't think that's so much a lesson as a lack of creativity.
- jaimebuelta 13y ago
  I'm using "lesson" as "underlaying value of the story", not necessarily that I agree with that or it is used in a conscious way, but it's the way it is presented... "someone has problem, someone uses violence, the problem is fixed and everyone is happy!" (Again, I don't think is a huge deal and I am not implying that people can't distinguish fiction of real life or something)
- JonnieCache 13y ago
  Every story is a lesson.
humanrebar 13y ago
Are you saying American fiction overplays how effective violence is compared to other options? Because it's clear (and you may be acknowledging) that violence is the best option in at least some circumstances. Otherwise, prisons, soldiers, and police officers wouldn't be necessary.
- jaimebuelta 13y ago
  Yes, my perception is that, in general, in American fiction, the way to go is with a violent solution! (Again, that's makes great spectacular movies, don't get me wrong, and it's a general thing compared with movies from elsewhere, not something that happens all the time) For example, if you want to stop a meteorite hitting Earth, do not use rockets attached to its surface, explode a huge nuclear bomb! If you have to start the nucleus rotation, do not make any chemical reaction or engineering project, just explode a huge nuclear bomb! If you are a multibillionaire that wants to solve crime, just personally punch criminals in the face! And we're talking about fiction, not real life. I'm ok with spectacular, but I can't help noticing it :-P
  - zeidrich 13y ago
    Violence is harming a person or living thing. Blowing inanimate things up is just physics.
    - andrewflnr 13y ago
      Eh, true. But on a basic level, with empathy turned down (and it is, after all it's just a show and no one is really getting hurt), it's basically the same thing. "Other people" can just be meat that's in the way.
- supersystem 13y ago
  There are significantly less prisons, soldiers and police officers in countries which to a lesser degree favor violence as a solution.
- alan_cx 13y ago
maxerickson 13y ago
There is an awful lot of programming/etc that doesn't ever really even touch on violence (while still being fictional). A good portion of adolescent dramas do 'violence is bad' episodes (where some character feels bad for punching someone or something). Action/adventure stuff definitely reaches for the gun pretty quickly.
neves 13y ago
And the other site is that sex is evil. Even little breast used to be more difficult to display in a movie than a decapitation. Oral in a woman? Better torture someone.
indrax 13y ago
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/cpt/article_060823wink.shtml http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/cpt/article_060823wink.sht...
manachar 13y ago
Relevant quote from the current Doctor Who show-runner, Steven Moffat: “Heroes are important. Heroes tell us who we want to be but when they made this particular hero they didn’t give him a gun, they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an X-Wing, they gave him a call box from which you can call for help and they didn’t give him a superpower or a heat-ray, they gave him an extra heart. And that’s extraordinary. There will never come a time when we don’t need a hero like The Doctor.” The Doctor is a wonderful call back to a science fiction time when humans could be rational. Sometimes violence was needed, but always when all other options have been exhausted. Since then, science fiction tends to dwell in the darker and dystopian aspects of humanity.
grecy 13y ago
Have you ever lived in America? This idea that violence can be used to solve stuff is not limited to fiction, people use it in their everyday lives in America. I'm always fascinated by how quickly situations in America will degrade to physical violence, or the threat thereof.

MartinCron 13y ago

Maybe Doctor Who's explosive popularity in the States will have a moderating effect? I mean, my 11-year-old son is part of a generation whose favorite fictional character uses a screwdriver and has two hearts.

cesarbs 13y ago
SONIC screwdriver! ;)

cgore 13y ago

America's vices of choice are greed and violence. England's are sex and drugs.

squozzer 13y ago
You may be a little off. Americans like porn and weed as much as anyone. And who regularly vies with Germany for having the most violent football (soccer) brawlers seemingly as a matter of national pride?

dragonwriter 13y ago

> An interesting point in American fiction in particular, is that, generally it always has the lesson: "violence works" or "violence is the solution". I think that taking that as a "lesson" is a mistake. Its true that American fiction is pretty prone to relying on physical violence as the central form of conflict, but I don't think that's so much a lesson as a lack of creativity.

jaimebuelta 13y ago
I'm using "lesson" as "underlaying value of the story", not necessarily that I agree with that or it is used in a conscious way, but it's the way it is presented... "someone has problem, someone uses violence, the problem is fixed and everyone is happy!" (Again, I don't think is a huge deal and I am not implying that people can't distinguish fiction of real life or something)
JonnieCache 13y ago
Every story is a lesson.

humanrebar 13y ago

Are you saying American fiction overplays how effective violence is compared to other options? Because it's clear (and you may be acknowledging) that violence is the best option in at least some circumstances. Otherwise, prisons, soldiers, and police officers wouldn't be necessary.

jaimebuelta 13y ago
Yes, my perception is that, in general, in American fiction, the way to go is with a violent solution! (Again, that's makes great spectacular movies, don't get me wrong, and it's a general thing compared with movies from elsewhere, not something that happens all the time) For example, if you want to stop a meteorite hitting Earth, do not use rockets attached to its surface, explode a huge nuclear bomb! If you have to start the nucleus rotation, do not make any chemical reaction or engineering project, just explode a huge nuclear bomb! If you are a multibillionaire that wants to solve crime, just personally punch criminals in the face! And we're talking about fiction, not real life. I'm ok with spectacular, but I can't help noticing it :-P
- zeidrich 13y ago
  Violence is harming a person or living thing. Blowing inanimate things up is just physics.
  - andrewflnr 13y ago
    Eh, true. But on a basic level, with empathy turned down (and it is, after all it's just a show and no one is really getting hurt), it's basically the same thing. "Other people" can just be meat that's in the way.
supersystem 13y ago
There are significantly less prisons, soldiers and police officers in countries which to a lesser degree favor violence as a solution.
alan_cx 13y ago

maxerickson 13y ago

There is an awful lot of programming/etc that doesn't ever really even touch on violence (while still being fictional). A good portion of adolescent dramas do 'violence is bad' episodes (where some character feels bad for punching someone or something). Action/adventure stuff definitely reaches for the gun pretty quickly.

neves 13y ago

And the other site is that sex is evil. Even little breast used to be more difficult to display in a movie than a decapitation. Oral in a woman? Better torture someone.

indrax 13y ago

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/cpt/article_060823wink.shtml http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/cpt/article_060823wink.sht...

manachar 13y ago

Relevant quote from the current Doctor Who show-runner, Steven Moffat: “Heroes are important. Heroes tell us who we want to be but when they made this particular hero they didn’t give him a gun, they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an X-Wing, they gave him a call box from which you can call for help and they didn’t give him a superpower or a heat-ray, they gave him an extra heart. And that’s extraordinary. There will never come a time when we don’t need a hero like The Doctor.” The Doctor is a wonderful call back to a science fiction time when humans could be rational. Sometimes violence was needed, but always when all other options have been exhausted. Since then, science fiction tends to dwell in the darker and dystopian aspects of humanity.

grecy 13y ago

Have you ever lived in America? This idea that violence can be used to solve stuff is not limited to fiction, people use it in their everyday lives in America. I'm always fascinated by how quickly situations in America will degrade to physical violence, or the threat thereof.