Topic > Violence in American Pop Culture - 450

Entertainment should entertain, but movies, video games, and music often depict a life of bloodshed and carnage. Al Pacino is praised for his roles in the Scarface and The Godfather series, exploiting the life of an Italian mafia family well known and respected in the world of organized crime. Admiration is given to rap artists like Notorious B.I.G., who rapped about money, power and sexual impropriety. Another street legend is Tupac Shakur, whose life is a prime example of the "thug life." After surviving several gang-related shootings, he eventually fell prey to a life as a glamorous thug, killed in a drive-by shooting on the glitzy streets of Las Vegas, Nevada. In everyday scenarios kids can have fun and enjoy video games like Grand Theft Auto where the thief runs around the city killing citizens, having sex with prostitutes and robbing people.