I finally subscribed to Paste Magazine, and from this issue’s editorial alone, I subscribed way too late. Chief editor, Josh Jackson pens a concise, thoughtful, and engaging editorial on the violence in the media (the whole issue is devoted to this topic). Jackson struggles with the glorification of violence in our media, from games to films, while also confessing his tolerance for it in other areas. Where do we draw the line? To jettison death and violence from our art and conversation all together would be naive (often mistake for purity). This Sunday I addressed the nature of good stories, stories that acknowledge conflict and attempt solution. Jackson says something similar:
At Paste we talk a lot about signs of life in the world of entertainment, bet we’re also drawn to signs of death. From the Bible to the work of Cormac McCarthy, the best stories are filled with conflict, and often that takes the form of violent antagonists and heroes who fight for justice.
The whole editorial is worth the read, the magazine for that matter, and they have a super cool online viewing feature here.