Signs of the New Rome

One of the things that struck me about ancient Rome as I read Terry Jones' Barbarians (see previous post) was how sadistic and violent Roman society was. Perhaps nowhere was this sadism so well displayed as in the gladiatorial contests and public executions that passed for entertainment in both the Republic and the Empire. We certainly wouldn't let that sort of savagery pass for entertainment these days.

Or would we?

Last night I watched CSI: New York, as is my usual Wednesday night habit. The episode began with a young woman being literally sawed in half by a madman magician. As if this mere act of torture was not enough, the producers made sure that there were several shots of the severed corpse visible for all but the truly squeamish to see. They then followed things up with (a) a man being burned to death, (b) a witness recounting a mass murder at a diner, and (c) an attempt to kill a mother by suspending her upside down and in chains in a large container of water.

I know it is sweeps month, but what is going on here? People wonder why there are so many sick and twisted people in the world these days. They ask how it is that someone like Robert Picton could (allegedly) kill almost 50 women and desecrate their remains. They wonder how people like the Beltway snipers could assassinate random strangers with a complete lack of emotion. They wonder how monsters like Karla Homolka could help even bigger monsters like Paul Bernardo commit acts of gross atrocity.

I don't have all the answers, but I suspect that violence on television plays a role. Not only does it desensitize people to violence; it reinforces the idea that victims are objects, not people. In last night's episode we learned the killer's back story, but his two murder victims were little more than mannequins. One was his assistant and sometime lover; the other was an employee. Neither had individual personalities. Neither had individual hopes and aspirations. Neither was anything other than an object for sadism and violence.

I don't expect to see the abolition of violence from television screens. It is, and has been, a staple of television for years. If anything, the violence is getting more graphic and the murderers are getting more imaginatively diabolical. I worry, though, that we are creating a society of cruel, heartless voyeurs who don't consider the impact that their chosen "entertainment" has on the way they see the world. As for me, it looks like I will have to give up my favourite shows, because I do not intend to become a Roman.