I have never understood why violence is more tolerated within our media culture than sex, and this opinion piece echoes many of my own thoughts and concerns.

I suspect I can guess the reaction of many members here (a gaming site after all) when the old spectre of violent media influencing behaviour is raised, but I do think it bears debate beyond the purely statistical.

Like the reviewer, I found "The Dark Knight" to be an intensely disturbing film - which is its intent - and thoroughly unsuitable for children. To me, violence of the nature portrayed in that film is deserving of censorship to preclude any but adults from viewing. As the article notes, it is but the latest in a long line of extremely violent films each attempting to outdo the last.

The writer notes the following in relation to the USA, but it is largely true of all the prudish Anglo-Saxon countries:

Britain appears to be gulping down entertainment values wholesale from a Hollywood intent upon mining the profit margin from barbarism. America, for all its manifold strengths, is still a country in which the population can be roused to a frenzy of condemnation by the sight of Janet Jackson's escaped nipple on the Super Bowl, but views the sight of a bound man being torched to death as all-round family entertainment.

There is clearly an increase in violence among young people (at least certain subsets) and it is also true that one can link much of this increase to a range of causes unconnected with the media - poverty, social alienation, lack of role models etc. But there has been some disquiet voiced in relation to certain music/singers and their influence on young people. If music, why not film or games? Maybe the explicit approval of viciousness to others promoted from the entertainment industry foments interest and/or activity that contribute - permit? - violence rooted in the other factors.

An individual film may not have an effect on an individual person, but does not constant exposure slowly brutalise our society? Why do we prefer our children to be exposed to the pornography of graphic sadism when a couple making love is cause for shudders across the mainstream?