Merchants of Death: Media Violence and American Empire

Abstract

In this article, David Trend illuminates the centrality of violent narratives in U.S. popular culture. He describes the ubiquity of violent imagery and the popular discourse it has generated. Trend argues that research on media violence has created a large academic subculture that has done little to advance our understanding of who is watching violent media and why. He draws on multidisciplinary sources and calls for scholars to collaborate across fields to reframe the discussion. He concludes that the mass production of violent media may be wasting an enormous resource that might otherwise be used for tremendous public good.