I think I have become completely desensitized to violence. I saw "Saw III" on opening night this weekend and it didn't scare me or gross me out one bit. I've seen the first two Saw movies, and in my opinion each one is gorier or more violent then the previous one. But, seeing someones face blown off, limbs torn off someone's body or someone's skull being smashed with a sledgehammer doesn't have an effect on me. Nothing shocks me anymore, it's all entertaining. Nowadays when someone is decapitated in a movie or a game I'll say "cool," "sweet" or "nice." For example, in video games, I enjoy executing thugs in Manhunt. I love hearing the sound the crowbar makes when you jam in it a thug's skull. I'm amused by using the chainsaw to tear out the insides of my oppenents by sticking it down their throats. Does anyone else think they are desensitized to violence? Is this a bad thing or a good thing? I know it's different in other countries. Some movies and games get banned if there is too much violence.

How have I become desensitized? I never watched scary movies when I was a kid. My parents wouldn't let me. But I've always played video games and my parents didn't care what I played. It's weird because I know my mom didn't want me to watch Masters of the Universe because she thought Skeletor was demonized and my dad didn't want me watching GI Joe because it was about war. But I could watch Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Both of which probably had as much violence as MOTU and GIJoe. I dunno though, but I remember in 5th grade my summer school teacher had everyone watch the movie Pet Cemetary. There is a scene in the movie where a very old woman is locked up in her room and you see that she is just skin and bones. There is a shot of her back and you see all of her ribs as if you're looking at a skeleton. I remember I got so scared that I left the room. I also felt guilty because I knew my parents wouldn't let me watch that movie. Surely back then I would have been scared seeing someone's head getting blown off, right?

I never got into horror movies until I was 21 or so. Sure I had seen most of the Friday the 13th flicks and all the Nightmare on Elm Streets but those never scared or shocked me. I checked out all the Romero movies and none of those scared me or grossed me out too much. Maybe something other then movies desesitzed me? Maybe it started for me, with the game Robocop vs Terminator. I remember if you got a certain weapon (grenade launcher or something similar) you could make a guy explode and his legs, arms and head would fly off. I thought that was cool. Gradually over the years the violence would get more realistic with the advancing technology. I've always enjoyed shooting up demons in Doom or blowing the heads off zombies in Resident Evil 2, executing thugs in many creative ways in Manhunt and most recently (althought I haven't gotten a 360 yet but I know I'll love it) plowing through hordes of zombies in Dead Rising. My quesiton now is: do video games have the ability to desensitize someone to violence? I think they do.