In class we talked about violence, and how though we have become very desensitized to it on the whole, real life violence still has a large effect on us. Part of this effect is due to the way violence is portrayed in movies and TV. More movies than ever before are adopting the PG-13 rating, as it is the perfect way to boost sales by widening the target market. This rating allows for what is in theory realistic violence, but it doesn't allow the violence to be shown realistically. When somebody gets shot, they don't start bleeding profusely. When someone jumps through glass, they don't emerge with dozens of cuts. When someone is near an explosion, they aren't torn to pieces or filled with shrapnel. Movies in general, but particularly movies with the PG-13 rating are cleaning up violence to the point that it isn't even comparable to the real thing. As a result of showing violence without consequence, many of these movies are very light in tone. In the recent Avengers movie, the heroes are allowed to make jokes during fights because the hundreds of civilian deaths, some no doubt caused by the heroes themselves, are completely ignored. When we see real violence, we are surprised not just by how violent it really is (an example of this is how people just fall, instead of flailing around in The Things They Carried), but also by its effect. When violence occurs, innocent people can die, and it's scary to think that we aren't used to that idea. 

Allow me to play you out... 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_gKRw0P86M

(A song where violence has consequences)