A recent spate of articles seems to be hitting the media focusing on the increase in violence and gore in today’s pop entertainment, even as the sexual content seems to be diminishing. While it’s not surprising thaat the envelope is still being pushed further and further, I was somewhat surprised to read this article in which the writer basically makes the case that the current trend towards explicit violence is directly linked to the FCC’s increased crackdown on sexual content.

Why are TV producers suddenly so enamored of hard-core gore? They may be sublimating their frustrated sex drive.

“In the post-Janet Jackson media environment, the networks and TV producers and writers are wary of pushing the content envelope as aggressively as they have with regard to sexual content,” said Melissa Caldwell, director of research for the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group. “As the law stands now, the [Federal Communications Commission] has no authority over violent content.”

This theory actually makes sense when you think about it. American government agencies have a long history of being more accepting of violence than sex, and when they push harder for the suppression of one, the other’s liable to pop out of the box even further.

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