When he first emerged as a recording artist Elvis presley shocked the world. Never before had anyone seen a performer dance and perform the way he did. Immediate critisism and censorship was leveled at his performances. In 1952 during a performance on live television, broadcasters would only allow Elvis to be shown from the waist up. People throughout the country were afraid of the impact Elvis would have on their youth. He was a constant target as an example of music eroding the moral foundation of society. Today Elvis is viewed as one of the most improtant figures in the music industry. He is arguably the highest selling artist worldwide. His only rival in popularity being the Beatles.

Now viewed as a great literature classic and essential reading, “The Catcher in the Rye” has been and remains one of the most banned books in the United States. It has been accused of, among other things, inspiring violence and erosion of morality. Between the years of 1966 and 1975 “The Catcher in the Rye” was the single most banned book in U.S. high schools.

Directed by renowned director Stanley Kubrick “A Clockwork Orange” has been at the center of many controversies since its release in 1971. Upon it’s release the film was given an "X" rating. Some praised the film as a landmark in cinema and others were immediately outraged. Never before had a film taken such an unflinching look at violence and criminal activity. The film has been called “morally offensive” and criticized for its depiction of violence. Some people have even gone as far as to accuse the film of inspiring actual violence and murder. So many accusations were leveled at the film that in 1972 Kubrick was forced to remove the film from distribution in the United Kingdom. The film remained off the UK market until it was re-released the year 2000. The controversy surrounding the film was unprecedented in the world of cinema.

During the time violence rates were increasing in the UK. People were becoming more aware that there was a serious problem in the country. Upon the release of the film people were afraid of anything that might inspire any kind of violence. The film became an easy target for fearful people and censors. Serious problems arose when the press began reporting on supposed copy-cat crimes. The controversy escalated from there until the film was removed from distribution.

Currently the film ranks high on many lists of most influential and most important movies. The film also remains one of cinema’s most controversial films.

With the rise in popularity of video games people have found a new scapegoat for their problems. The gaming industry has suffered many accusations including causing school shootings. Despite these claims there is no evidence to support a link between violence and video games. In fact between 1993 the video game industry experienced incredible growth, going from a roughly 3 billion dollar a year industry to almost an 8 billion dollar a year industry. In those same years youth violence rates declined from roughly 3,200 reported cases to less than 900 reported cases per year. This data suggest the worst impact videogames have on violence is none at all and in fact they may even decrease violence.

resources

• science daily
• pbs.org
• parental advisory
• borderlands
• banned books
• usa today
• youth violence project
• history of rock and dance
• history of rock
• essays
• the kubirck site
• elvis presley
• first coast
• independent uk

contact

• site created by: daniel barnier
• phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
• email: dbarnierdesign@gmail.com