Harold Schechter makes cogent arguments as to why our seemingly violence-riddled, violence-loving society is a tame kitten compared to the society of fifty years ago and further into the past. As our culture becomes more peaceful with falling rates of violent crime, the entertainment media of movies, video games, etc. correspondingly portray more (and more realistically gruesome) acts of violence, puritanical social critics blame these media for most of the evil in the world, and worry that the next generation is growing up desensitized to all that is sweetness and light, loving nothing but depravity and gore.

But those critics (who appear in every age rendering the same dire warnings regarding the media of their times) have always been wrong. Mr. Schechter explains why in this engagingly written essay on why 'Savage Pastimes' may be vital for us as human beings, so that the 'Pastimes' don't become 'Savage Acts'. ( )

Schecter's premise is simple; while most people believe that America is becoming more and more depraved a and violent the truth is actually the opposite. He then sets out to prove it through a history lesson on violent entertainment.

He makes a pretty good case by showing that violent entertainment has actually turned from real violence (public executions, etc) to the pretend violence of movies and video games. And that there is no proof that violent images make us more violent; they actually provide and outlet for our inate savage instincts without allowing us to partake in real evil.

Still, I have a slight problem with his premise in that he seems to excuse our taste for violence as "that's just the way we are," when I think human beings are capable of rising above such prurient interests. ( )