Telescope — Death has a bad rep

In the first instance, television, led to a tragic accident; in the second, it exposed a tragic crime.

In other news, a boy is kidnapped in Delhi even as his parents watch on helplessly; Sanjoy Ghosh hangs in limbo as contradictory press releases claim he is dead and alive; the man accused of killing designer Gianni Versace and four other men, commits suicide with a bullet through his head… Random, unconnected acts of violence. From the streets of Delhi to the streets of Miami, man’s inhumanity to man levels all differences. And though human brutality is as old has the human race itself, we still constantly search for the ultimate answer: why did those boys imitate the TV commercials? Why do people resort to kidnapping children like Tarun Puri?

Why did Andrew Cunanan, smart, good-looking, spill so much blood on the steps of a Miami mansion for all of us to see on TV (is that why he did it?) Why do companies so carelessly, casually throw out chemicals which everyone knows are harmful?

The anatomy of human destructiveness, as Erich Fromm once called it, has been placed under a microscope and its DNA minutely examined. Hundreds of theories have subsequently emerged. But they’re not enough, or even satisfactory. The average individual, who hasn’t sought understanding in the tomes written on the subject, seeks solace in less philosophically demanding explanations. It’s a sort of rites of passage: we try for comfort in reasons for the tragedies which befall us, we search for extenuating circumstances, we look for scapegoats to blame.

Television is a favourite culprit. The brutish box has been tried and found guilty. It’s on death row (forgive the pun). Repeatedly, you will read how perpetrators of crimes say they were influenced by a movie or by TV (and more often than not, a movie on TV).

Can we prevent the unnecessary depiction of violence (or sex) without vitiating freedom of expression and the right of individuals to watch, read, etc., what they want?

Some steps might help but then again, they might not for the simple reason that it takes just one stray act of brutality on the box, to trigger off one violent reaction in one person. But here goes:

Such steps could diminish the responsibility of television in mindless violence and a child’s exposure to it. But, these are half measures. Best would be if we didn’t watch TV at all (how’s that for a reactionary idea?). If only…

Yet, as the two examples cited above indicate, TV caused death in one instance; in the other, American companies were guilty. Therefore, responsibility for violence is as random as the acts themselves. The media does play a role but it’s one of many factors. That’s important to remember as we march it towards the electric chair.