 |
| "War News from Mexico" (1848) by Richard Caton Woodville |
It may be tempting to look down on those who derived some perverse pleasure from reading about the suffering of the victims of the Osage killings, but one might argue that those who enjoyed reading about the murders in newspapers back in the 1920s are not far removed from those who enjoy Grann's book.
Some might say that much that counts as entertainment in our world--from violent sporting events to thrilling dramas or comedies--trafficks in the suffering of others. Do you think there is anything inappropriate about being entertained by stories about the suffering of other people? Does it matter if they are real? Does it matter if they are innocent? When do such forms of entertainment evoke empathy and when do they harden our sensitivities?
I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoy watching investigations that are on tv. I can sit there all day long and be amazed at what lengths people are willing to go to get their point across or “get revenge” on their victims. I think that when people were reading the newspaper articles there a difference in why they were being entertained by these murders. These murders where killing the Osage and that is what a lot of the people wanted. The Osage still believed in their old traditions and the white people tried to get them to accommodate to their way of life. I think that once they saw that they saw these old Osage traditions slowly fading out and they were becoming less incompetent because of this. When I sit down to watch these television shows I really get into how the murders happened and the events that led up to them. I want to know what possessed someone to kill another human being. I want to know why they thought like they did and why they thought that murder was the answer to their anger or their problems. I think when you are entertained that someone suffered and struggled that’s where it becomes inappropriate to enjoy it. I personally believe that it was most of the people enjoyed reading the articles because the Osage were suffering, and I believe that was an inappropriate act.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I think that the motivation for watching or reading about murders plays a major role in the appropriateness of the action. When someone is genuinely interested in the why and the how it is for educational reasons and to help you understand. When these people were reading about the suffering and the torture of the Osage people though, they were doing this for enjoyment and to make themselves happy. They were celebrating the suffering in a way which is disgusting and despicable.
DeleteI would have to agree with Taylor on this matter. I have always like mystery, and crime solving. When people started reading about the murders of the Osage, they became interested in the mystery of how, and why they were being murdered. Some people, who were planning on making it rich, became interested because they believed that with the Osage not ruling the oil fields, they could find oil and eventually rule all of the oil lands.
Delete-Russell McCreary II