American Obsession with Violence

Violence is a reoccurring theme, specifically amongst American society, that by instinct is something to be feared. However, it is the main attraction to people when dealing with the headlines of the day or somebody witnessing a fatal car accident. In the 1996 film Crash violence has a different role within the underground community of scarred car crash victims who can only get sexually aroused by cars, the accidents that take place within them, and the story that is told by it all. This film is an indirect representation of the American culture that is obsessed with the thrill of sporadic violence due to the lack of readily experience in this nature. The imagery used in depicting the brutal environment in the dystopia Crash, the underground community guiding the protagonist within the cast, and the special effects throughout the gruesome scenes all develop the ideal that Americans have lost their innocence and sensitivity due to the media’s portrayal of violence. The environment within the film Crash is that of one with high tension and hostility that is depicted right from the start. James, a film director, and his wife are in an open relationship that is seen as one that is struggling due to their lack of sexual desire for each other. Once James gets into a serious car accident, he is automatically drawn into a lifestyle of thrill seeking experiences within this underground society. As James explores this way of life, it is of no surprise that what he is getting himself into is much larger than what he anticipates. A major portrayal of this lifestyle is a scene where the group of scarred individuals put together a private reenactment of James Dean’s famous car accident. With the knowledge that their lives are at risk, these stuntmen collide head on intentionally and arouse the crowd within moments of impact. This portrayal of a chaotic environment is the first time we are openly witnessing a group of people supporting this ideal of violent sexual arousal. Even though this is a stretch in modern day society as an extreme viewpoint of sexual fetishes and fantasies, American society strongly anticipates the violence as such depicted in Crash. The brutal environment is comparable to that of an accident scene where people flock to without hesitation in hopes of potentially witnessing something. “We are quick to point the finger of blame at killers, hate group members, even rap artists for promoting violence, yet we have a voracious appetite for both real and fictional stories about the very people we say are dangerous” (Roy, 1). The underground group of people possessed binders that were filled with gruesome images depicting those who died in their vehicles at the scene of the accident. This sick, twisted way of appreciating something so taboo in our society is what creates for a dystopia that is kept alive by the people who are obsessed with this way of living. Americans do not necessarily keep records of such disturbing images; however they do in fact become captivated by a headline story showing an image of a burning car. This could be perceived as one’s worry for the individuals present at the accident, but in reality is the American desire and urge to keep watching to see what worse can happen and gives a sense of entertainment to the mundane routine of most peoples’ lives. The effects used in Crash to intensify the car accidents and seriousness of this movie are a strong example of what draws Americans in. Following James’ car crash in the beginning of the film, both cars were absolutely totaled. This is one major factor in what draws our society into the violence of accidents. The American public pays more attention to a vehicle on the side of the road if it is crushed up like a tin can as opposed to only having its hazards blinking. "We silently judge all those seekers of sick thrills--for making us late, for exploiting the misfortune of others. Surely we won't look, we tell ourselves as we pull beside the crash. Then it comes: the need to stare, like a tickle in the throat before a cough or the awful urge to sneeze. We hold it back until the last minute, then gawk for all we're worth, enjoying the experience all the more because it's frowned upon" (Wilson, 1). A great deal of this dystopian society suffered from major car crashes. This resulted in serious mental, and especially, physical scarring that is visible to the public. Having these intense scars shown for all to see is what adds to the eerie, imperfect society that is the disturbed underground community. At the time of these brutal crashes, the gory sight of the destruction done upon them seems as real as it gets. The excess of blood, open wounds, and other self inflicted injuries gives this film a greater sense of chaos and disturbance; something not desired by any in American society. Yet the gorier the movie, television show, or news report is the success of it appealing to masses grows more and more. As long as it is not affecting them in any way, Americans love nothing more than the entertainment of violence. As more violent video games and television programs get released into American pop culture, the desire to want more heightens. As long as the media keeps producing violent and gruesome sources of entertainment, the American society will continue to view this aspect of life in a lighthearted and exciting manner. The underground group of disturbed individuals that turned James into the violent and thrill seeking sex fiend played a major role in his development as a main character. Coming from various backgrounds and personal horror stories, we never entirely get to know these persons as individuals. By keeping them at a distance to viewers, with the exception of a few significant people, this group is scary to even watch throughout the film. They seem psychologically unstable to us due to their horrific pasts and they have the physical scars to prove it. Their only purpose is to recreate and relive famous automobile accidents, making them into lifeless members of society with no meaning in life. A turning point within this group to make James one of them is when seven or eight of the members are crowded around a television, continuously watching the same tape over and over again. The disturbing part to this seemingly normal routine is that they are watching a foreign language tape of a crash test vehicle being wrecked and the attention of the room is nowhere but that television screen. As James comes to notice this, he takes a seat and essentially becomes one of them. At this point he assimilates, takes part in sexual activities with the group, and commits himself to a lifestyle in which he is constantly seeking out the ultimate arousal and climax from these accidents. These people are a great depiction of the coercion and peer pressure used in our American society. As easily as James was brought into this life of violence and chaos, people are lured into the curiosity and entertainment aspect of the same situation. If people did not give in to the violence surrounding our society, there would be no desire to be amused by it. The issue that this chaotic world in Crash was facing stemmed from the tragic accidents each one of these individuals embraced in which they were able to come together and have commonalities resulting in their obsession with accidents. The film depicts these people as heartless and without being able to show emotion to anything not regarding their fetish. There is a major lack of sensitivity in this dystopia and this is apparent when photographs were taken up close of the deceased without regard for anybody but themselves. By showing us that police were breaking up the crowd that were ever so eagerly watching the staged accident, it is apparent that this lifestyle was not deemed acceptable by all except for those who had their lifestyles revolving around it. American society does not go to such extremes as seen in Crash; however it is an indirect representation of the obsession with violence in our country. “Hatred and violence now infuse virtually every aspect of our culture. The movies we watch… the television programs we follow, and even the newscasts we rely on for information provide us with daily exposure to levels of graphic violence unthinkable only a few generations ago” (Roy, 145). The media portrays this as a form of entertainment as well as a great way to boost their ratings. If tragic events, such as car accidents, were seen in a more serious light there would be more concern rather than curiosity when dealing with situations to this severity. The issues presented by Crash depict a realization amongst American society that we are obsessed not with taboo ideologies but with the violence that the media portrays in a repetitive and insensitive manner.