Without wanting to take away from what is definitely a form of development in modern media, I'd like to point out that every age needs some sort of horror with which to scare the pants off the populace. I reckon the Book of Revelation was a pretty good example, and various scary versions of hellfire ever since. Apocalyptic visions are not new; nor are views of humanity that treat individuals more like ants. Revelation was, I believe, just one example of a very popular kind of literature of its era - apocalyptic literature. I wonder if there was a debate in those times about escalation. Let's not forget the period of terror during the French Revolution when the populace packed a picnic to go watch the multiple beheadings; or the Roman games when the Christians provided the picnic for the lions in fromt of a gleeful crowd of thousands; or the way citizens used to flock to a good public burning. For all that our modern media may be representing things to us with a starknes that is more than before, we may still be a more civilized society than those that went before us. For my money, Paths of Glory is still one the goriest representations of how humanity can recklessly destroy itself. I found it impossible in that film to console myself with any thoughts that it was a fiction. Just a few thoughts. Chimo from Canada Chris Worsnop Chris M. Worsnop Consultant, speaker, workshop leader Assessment, writing, media education 2400 Dundas Street West Unit 6, Suite 107 Mississauga Ontario, Canada L5K 2R8 Email: <[log in to unmask]> Phone: (905) 823-0975 ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]