Mor(t)ality: Animated Homicide as a Constituent of Moral Reasoning

Lammon, Marissa

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Mor(t)ality: Animated Homicide as a Constituent of Moral Reasoning Public Deposited

Analytics

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/q237ht63z

Abstract

Death remains not only a predominant part of human lives cross-culturally, but also a particularly prevalent element to Western media. Despite prevailing cultural discourses regarding the aversion toward death visibility and dialogue, death and violence permeate popular culture as one of the most consistent elements in American media. By the age of 18, children are believed to have witnessed thousands of violent acts and hundreds of on-screen deaths. These mediated death events are not without consequence, especially considering the function of media as teachers. Viewers actively learn from media content about their place in the world, relation to others, and how to exist in a socialized society. Concerningly, this process begins almost immediately after birth.

Debates over media effects and ethical responsibility have existed for decades, revealing literature that recognizes children’s media (particularly animation) as rife with problematic death presentations and messages that can influence thoughts and behaviors. Animation is more than mere entertainment for children, and its display of violent death events – namely, murder – occupy the potential to impart moral ideology. Specifically, the presentation of homicide and its accompanying moral judgments showcase in what circumstances murder is morally acceptable, with variation across categories such as identity, archetype, and role.

Connections can be made between these presentations and surrounding cultural discourses, raising questions about how media may contribute to the moral development of not just the viewer – but the society at large. In particular, the moral logic in these animated worlds relies on specific truths that present issues when translated outside of media contexts. The animated films analyzed in this project link justification with morality and morality with specific people, and the audience acceptance of such moral logic can be connected to distorted moral frames and moral reasoning. Therefore, this project urges a consideration of popular culture as moral teachers that explain important concepts to children.

Creator