Entertainment Industry Violence

Entertainment Industry Violence

        I strongly believe that television violence has a negative effect on society and it promotes violence. The movie industry promotes narcotics, guns, assaults, and murder.                                                                                                                   

       In the movie the “Fast and Furious” the producer promoted illegal street racing and glamorized a life of crime that involved robbery, murder, and grand theft auto (GTA). The main actor Vin Diesel recruited skilled race car drivers. Every weekend, race car drivers from throughout the city would meet at a pre-designated location conducive for illegal street racing. Barricades were used to block off the streets and provide a race course. A crowd of followers, party goers, and cruisers would gather to watch the racers show off their customized vehicles and sound systems. They placed illegal wagers on the involved race car drivers.                                                                                                                       

          The starter stands directly in front of the race cars with both hands raised above her head. The race begins once the starter drops both of her hands to her sides. The cars accelerate to speeds over 100 mph and the car that crosses the finish line first is considered the winner. The bettor that placed a wager on the winner collects illegal money. However to get to this point, the race car drivers   as well as the bettors had to obtain their money illegally.                                        

          For this lifestyle, the race car drivers had to commit robbery by holding up 18 wheeler tanker trucks containing gasoline at gun point. They would high jack the tanker trucks and then find buyers for the merchandise. All of which are violent felonies and if caught by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) they could be arrested, taken to jail, appear in Superior Court, and if found guilty by a judge and jury, placed in prison.  

        In real life, the people who watch the “Fast and Furious” movies are inspired and try to emulate what they have seen on the big screen and incorporate it into their weekend lifestyle. For example, on any given Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night street racers, cruisers, car clubs, and motorcycle clubs congregate and cruise on Crenshaw Blvd between the Santa Monica Freeway (10 FWY) and Manchester Avenue in Inglewood. Approximately 500 to 1000 vehicles and or motorcycles gather and commit various felony crimes very similar to what they have seen at the movies.                                                                                           

          They street race and drive reckless, run red traffic lights, purchase and sell narcotics, commit grand theft auto by taking one another’s vehicles, and endanger regular citizens from the community.                                                                         

         Cruisers smoke their tires and drift by accelerating at a high rate of speed, and do doughnuts in the middle of the street continuing to drive in circles. Car club members block traffic allowing them to do this and the large crowds cheer them on just like in the “Fast and Furious” movie. Businesses such as Mc Donalds, Wingstop, Burger King, El Pollo Loco, and Subway have all been robbed at gun point by cruisers. The LAPD responds to those businesses and complete police reports of the robberies. The LAPD also deploys Cruiser Task Forces that target these groups of individuals and when they receive a radio call of illegal street racing on

Crenshaw Blvd

they respond in full force and chase the cruisers away. The unlucky ones who are caught are arrested and their vehicles are impounded just like in the movie.                                                                 

        In conclusion, the movie industry’s purpose is to sell movie tickets and obtain high ratings on television. So they glamorize violence, action, and crime. They make it very interesting to the general public. However, teenagers and young adults who watch these movies are negatively impacted. It creates a false lifestyle and some people believe that if they rob, steal, and murder that they can get away with it, some people in society actually believe they may not be punished or held accountable for a violent crime. This lifestyle of crime is not as glamorous as it appears in movies. In reality, anyone who commits a violent crime will eventually get caught and be placed in prison or worse lose their lives.