Rome and the T.V.

As I was driving to Blockhouse Bay last night I was thinking about the media and violence.  How long has the T.V. been around for? 1961 I think it was created, and then it would have been a few years before it was common in everyones house.  Now it is a given part of the furniture, like it comes with the wall.  I can't help but think about the naivete and stupidness of 'tough people' in films set in the 70's, 60's or earlier.  I mean, how tough were those T-Birds from Grease!  Compared to the senseless gang activity today they haven't got much of a show.  While it was definetely present back then, it feels like violence is always round the corner now.  I remember getting told off by some Islander mates one night after work for walking home in the dark.  So what's the difference between then and now?  Is there a difference? I think the media has had a large part to play in the perpetuation of action and violence. The T.V. is like the modern day Colloseum. Back in the day of the Greeks they ran the Colloseum.  At first watching two men kill each other was fun, but then the crowd got bored so the organizers had to up the ante.  Next thing you know they are chucking in Lions, Tigers, big armoured men, Chariots and anything else they can throw into the mix.  Consider the T.V. today, there used to be stuff like Get Smart, Cheers, Dad's Army, Freddy Kruger, Jason X, and IT.  The last three were frightening horrors back in the day.  Many young people today would find the first three boring and laugh throughout the last three.  Now the T.V. peeps are having the same problem the Colloseum organizers did back in the day, the crowd is getting bored with the same old, so up the ante.  Hence the large reception of the Saw movies!  A movie of a sadistic twisted genius and his disciples who conjure up ingenius killing contraptions.  Once the crowd get bored of this, what next?

These are just a few thoughts.  I watch movies alot, but perhaps the media is having a bigger impact than I'd care to admit.

Philip