MuchTalks: Violence
Program Length: 1 hour
Produced: 2004 This program examines issues of youth violence in Canada. Several panelists and audience members present a variety of points of view. There are also several mini-documentaries and rap performances within the show that can be examined on their own. The following discussion activities appear chronologically as they occur in the video. Discussion leaders may use them all, or select those that best suit the group and the time frame. A challenge for viewers will be to keep up with and consider the opinions in order to assess and reflect on their relevance and meanings. This study guide provides several quotes that might be repeated or handed out to students. Ample time must be taken to discuss and process the statements. Pause the program frequently. There are also several opportunities to research artists and issues. Answers to some of the questions are given in [brackets].
1. This one-hour audience-participation panel, hosted by Jennifer Hollett and Hannah Sung, is intended to contextualize issues related to youth violence. Predict who might be appearing on the show. Predict the points of view that you think might be expressed. The show opens with several short clips of different people. What issues do they raise? What kinds of video experiences do they introduce?
2. Kempton Howard was shot and killed for reasons unknown. Kehinde Bah, his friend and a fellow youth activist, wears Kempton’s picture on his T-shirt to honour his memory. How might news of a murdered activist as the first topic affect the discussion? If YOU had produced this show, would you have put this discussion first? Why?
3. David Mitchell represents the Association of Black Law Enforcers (ABLE). He explains that 15% of youth are at risk, and 7% are high risk. What kind of risk do you think he is describing? How might you verify his statements? Do his statements apply to Canadian youth, American youth, urban youth, rural youth?
Mr. Mitchell tells the audience that everybody knows somebody just four times removed from a gun seller. Is that true for you and your friends? How does the availability of handguns relate to issues of youth violence?
4. George Stroumboulopoulos hosts a short segment examining the glamourizing of gun culture, which includes images from movies and games. We see a clip from a 50 Cent video and are told “the media talked way more about 50 Cent’s past than they did about his actual music.” Might this mean that it is the media and not 50 Cent who promoted his violent past?
George explains that, “You can buy bullet-hole stickers to put on your car to make it look like you were just shot at.” Does that mean that people who use these stickers are violent? Are they promoting violence? What might be the reasons they use these stickers? What might be their relationship to violence?
5. Josh Somer, president of the U of T Young Conservative society, suggests several reasons throughout the program why some youth are violent. Note his reasons. See if they change or remain the same as the show proceeds. Do you agree with his ideas? Why?
[“There’s a fundamental lack of values in our society when 50 Cent can market his entire CD based on his violent story.”
“Most people are law-abiding. You have to get at the root cause. Why do people use a gun to kill someone?” “Music is an art form where you can express whatever you choose to talk about. I don’t think it’s coming out of the music; I think it’s coming out of social situations.” “I think it’s the fact that these kids have problems to begin with that attracts them to this music. We have to focus on the real problems, which has been the breakdown of the family and the decline of moral values in society.” “Kids from single-parent families are 15 times more likely to get into trouble with the law.”]
6. At the break, we hear a rap. What is the rapper saying? [that rap violence is not real violence]. Do you agree? Why?
7. Trish Williams, a York University doctoral student, explains that “media violence is a glorification of violence. It sells. Violence equals power and everyone wants to get a piece of power. What does it mean to be a masculine person? Strong. What does it mean to be weak? Wimpy.”
Might violence be a male-only problem? Is violence always associated with masculinity? Are violent males more masculine? Explain.
8. Video games and Youth Violence
Why is simulated violence entertainment good when real violence is bad news? At the beginning of this section, we are provided with several statements regarding video games. Among them are: - The US Army uses first-person shooter games to recruit.
- Most gamers know games are only pretend.
- The American Pediatrics’ Association says gaming influences violence.
- People need to use the game rating system to prevent violent influences on children.
- A minority of kids play violent games.
We also see a pie graph indicating the proportion of Teen, Mature and Kids’ games. What proportions of each are indicated in the graph? How could you learn the current proportion of Everyone, Teen, Mature, and Other games currently being played? Research the ratings described by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (http://www.esrb.org/index.asp). Do you think the ratings are useful for parents? How much influence do you think ratings have on parents when they buy or rent games for their children? Why? What are children’s violent game-playing habits as reported in the Canadian Teacher’s Federation report Kids’ Take on Media (http://www.ctf-fce.ca/)? How do these results compare to statement #5? Why might there be a difference in the statements?
9. Mr. Mitchell states, “Games desensitize people to the issues of violence. It’s that much easier for me to be violent.”
Do games desensitize people to the issues of violence on the street, or violence in video games? Discuss. How could you find out?
10. The role of race in violence:
Chris Nelson reports from the Charles Tupper School in Vancouver, where Jomar Lanot, a 17-year-old Philipino, was murdered by a group of Indo-Canadian boys. What new ideas to help us understand youth violence does Mr. Nelson’s report provide? Could a murder such as this one happen at any Canadian school, or are there specific conditions that make it more likely? Explain.
11. An audience member states: “Men from a very young age are being taught that the way to command respect is through physical prowess and the threat of violence. And right now, that is coming in the form of hip hop artists, which happen to be African-Americans. So now, all these white boys from the suburbs are being marketed this image and they’re trying to emulate it but at the same time all we see in the media is tough, black men, so people assume that all black men are like that.”
Do you agree with this assessment of reasons why some suburban teens behave violently? Might this also be true of some inner-city youth? Why? Does this statement apply more to American than Canadian youth? Why?
12. YOUCAN
In a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for YOUCAN, we see students suffering from anorexia, stress, and one who displays a handgun. The announcer states, “When bad things are happening to people you know, you CAN make a difference. Find out how at youcan.ca” How effectively do you think this PSA addresses issues of youth violence? How effective is the PSA in encouraging YOU to learn more about YOUCAN? Why? Visit the www.youcan.ca website. How effectively do you think the website addresses issues of youth violence? Do you feel encouraged to join YOUCAN? Why?
13. Chris Nelson expresses his concerns about youth violence.
What are his points? Are they true? Do you agree with them? What ELSE is important about this issue? How effectively does Mr. Nelson present his speech? How might he improve his public speaking? Using the ideas and issues presented in MuchTalks: Violence, prepare your own Speaker’s Corner speech on youth violence. Present your speech to a group of students, the whole class, or videotape it. If your speech were adapted into a supported-opinion, how might it change?
14. Jen Hollett presents a short documentary examining self-expression as an alternative to violence. In it, we see beatbox dancers, a graffiti artist, a rapper, and a mixer. Each of these people is expressing him or herself non-violently. They are creating non-violent identities so that they don’t need to create violent identities.
How effective do you think this strategy is for people who might have urges to express themselves through violence? Why? If you were to produce a PSA encouraging youth with violent feelings to express themselves in other ways, what would it look and sound like?
15. At the end of the show, each panelist is invited to present their final word on youth violence. What do each of them tell us? How well have the panelists and the audience helped you to contextualize the issues of youth violence? What issues were not presented?
[Music is an outlet for troubled youth. We need more cops on the street, and a stronger Young Offenders Act. We need to listen to each other. We need to respect each other. There is no single cause, but many causes.]
16. If you were to produce your own TV show examining issues of youth violence, what format would you choose, who would you invite to participate, and which issues would you examine?
Written by: Neil Andersen
Neil Andersen is a Curriculum Consultant with the Toronto District School Board. He is also a speaker and consultant in media and communications technology. His most recent work includes the Media Launchpad website, the teachers' study guide for the award-winning Scanning Television, and study guides for Space, Bravo! and MuchMusic's Cable in the Classroom broadcasts of original media literacy programming.
For more information about MuchMusic’s educational programming – or to give us your feedback – please contact: Calla Dewdney
Public Affairs Coordinator
CHUM Television
416-591-7400 x5940
callad@chumtv.com
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