War!

               The bright light of a muzzle flash on a T.V. screen. The scream of jets flying overheard through loud speakers. The rumble of a controller in your hands as a grenade goes off near your character in a video game. These impressions have become a mainstay throughout all facets of media, long ago integrated into much of our popular culture. But what causes our fascination with war, violence, and death? Why do we glorify massacre? So willingly display devastation? I'm not writing to debate whether this is good or bad, as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. These games do not simply exist for no reason though There is obviously something in us or something we see that makes them so appealing to us.
               War and violence is present in every culture, more prominent in some, but nearly always there in some fashion. Specifically though, since their growth, video games and movies have become the most prominent forms of distribution for this fashion of entertainment. They also gain the largest amount of attention from critics, good and bad. Movies have been an incredibly influential part of our culture since their birth and growth in the 19th and 20th century. Today we see movies as a part of a billion dollar industry that attracts over 100 million people. With action movies being an ever popular staple of Hollywood films, and some of the most profitable in the industry, they don't appear to be going away anytime soon. Games mirror this, as first-person military shooters are also some of the biggest most popular games in the industry, some making upwards of a billion dollars in their first day.
               To preface this, I am not against media that showcases war. I own a number of war themed games, and movies, and love them for the beautiful stories they can tell, the artful way they can portray those who have experienced the worst of battle, and how mindlessly entertaining they can be. I have to admit though that it seems more and more, our society has become desensitized to the killing and violence that comes with some of the big budget games and movies we see today. But why do we so eagerly welcome this?
               Today I watched the Steven Spielberg movie “Saving Private Ryan”, one of my favorite military films, and realized how the story of this movie connected me so emotionally with the characters, and the deep amount of respect it instilled in me for the men who have valiantly fought and died for their country. When one of the characters died, it wasn’t just another average scene in the movie. It felt like a hero, someone I could believe in, was losing everything they had lived for, and yet valiantly gave their life for something so much bigger than them. This seems to be a great example of how and why war has become so appealing to us. Showing these men in such a glorified way has in a way become an art form for this genre. We often look at these soldiers, and what they have done, as a source of inspiration and see how they have achieved the unimaginable.
               It goes without saying that I will most likely never experience the thrill of blowing up a tank during heavy combat, parachute behind enemy lines, or courageously storm a beach head and fight against a seemingly overwhelming enemy. These experiences I can, however, take part in safely from behind a controller. It is an escape to a world in which I can be a hero, a world in which I can obtain a sense of valor and dignity for the unimaginable feats I have accomplished through dedication and sacrifice. Reality will remind one of the seeming meaninglessness of such efforts, when the realization sets in that it is nothing more than a simulation on a screen. In the moment, however, if accepted by the player, it can mean so much more. While here in this world I may be nothing more than a measly, unimportant writer that couldn't even decide what to eat for breakfast, that will in all likelihood never save the world from utter destruction and tyranny. In a game though, I can be the savior this world so desperately needs. The interactivity of games, and the personal feeling they give one is exactly what sets them apart from most other mediums.
               While not as overtly obvious as it was during past times, specifically those of world war, propaganda coming straight from our military will often go out of the way to portray a vision of grandeur and prestige that is bestowed upon those who sacrifice everything and fight for their country. While in many instances the portrayal of the soldier may be in ways misleading, this doesn't necessarily mean it is wrong. In the opening act of the movie “Captain America”, an unassuming Steve Rogers is seen hoping to pursue the illustrious and venerable path that war can bring to someone. In one scene in particular, Rogers is seen looking at a recruitment poster, seeing his reflection where the face of a soldier's would be, standing honorably and saluting. This pretty perfectly portrays the image that is sold to us by the majority of media sources, whether in a macho over-powered super soldier, or a likeable hero in a movie, and it is this image that many believe in. However much we often disagree with the act of pursuing seemingly senseless wars, the image of the soldier is nearly always perceived as an individual of endless dedication and valor. They are someone that will continuously pursue, and fight, to secure the idea of a better world that the enemy would seek to destroy.
               While there are numerous people that believe that such displays are unnecessary and unwarranted, the presentation of a glorified war hurtful to the minds of the masses, the majority of our society welcomes this genre with open arms. These sentiments seem prevail in nearly all scenarios, and personally I love getting behind a controller and blasting away at some baddies. What do you guys think? Why do you enjoy the genres that you do?