CHAPTER 1 The Allure of History Violence People have been communicating with each other for thousands of years What began as rock carvings has slowly changed into books newspapers magazines movies radio TV and the Internet Together they are called media The media is a powerful tool It can shape how people perceive the world around them Popular culture or pop culture is connected to the media It can influence people from how they dress to what movie they watch Violence has become a 4 21st century skills library
Some studies show that popular music lyrics have become more shocking over the years part of pop culture And with the rise of the Internet and social media we are exposed to violence on a daily basis We hear it in popular songs on the radio We watch it in movies and on television shows It’s in the video games we play People are fascinated by it As long as this attraction to violence remains the case there will be some form of media ready to broadcast or publish it Violence in Pop Culture 5
Ancient Rome used the Colosseum or amphitheater to present brutal events for over 500 years 6
Some historians estimate that there might have been close to 5,000 people killed every year during ancient Rome’s violent games Ancient Times It’s easy to blame modern media for putting violent content into our homes But people were drawn to violence long before social media the Internet and reality TV existed In ancient Rome 753 bce 476 ce people gathered in an amphitheater to watch fights Slaves prisoners and gladiators would fight before cheering crowds Body padding and mouth guards were not used It was a battle to the death Violence in Pop Culture 7
