Comics

Though I don’t usually read comic books, I used to indulge in some Archie J When I think of comics I think of the nice little Garfield, Snoopy, Blondie comic strips. I certainly didn’t think of violent gory stories that needed to be censored from children. I partly think I was never exposed to these kinds of comics because I am a girl and blood and guts and superpowers just don’t appeal to me very much. But had I been a boy, I probably would have read these kinds of comics growing up, except I don’t think they would have made me turn into a delinquent. Wertham seemed a bit overboard to me to think that comics were what made little kids into child abusers. I think Richard pointed out that Wertham’s logos was bogus, The case studies he did were slanted if I remember correctly. Wertham’s use of pathos would seem to work on parents who were concerned about censoring what their kids read. He leads us to believe that comic books will mess with kids’ minds and they will be, if they aren’t already, screwed up and become bad. Parents who hear this, of course, will become concerned and probably feel that they are bad parents if they let their kids read comics. The rating system, which seems like most aren’t taking it seriously, sounds like a good idea to me in order for parents who are worried to censor what their kids are reading. Wertham I drawing some very exaggerated conclusions I think. I think in order for the comic book to be able to influence a child to do something morally wrong and horrible, the child has to be very young and not emotionally developed yet to understand the consequences of their actions. Otherwise, I think the majority of comic book readers are probably mature enough to know right from wrong and they would most likely take the violence as entertainment. How many little boys do we know that grew up playing with toy guns, playing violent video games, and other things of this nature. Now how many of them grew up to be killers, rapists, deviants? Not many, I’m sure. Violence is just a form of entertainment to young boys, and most would never follow up on what they are reading or playing. They know better than that. Although I didn’t quite follow the last comment that made Richard say that Wertham was wishy washy about his view on comic books, the fact that he was supposedly somewhat fickle about the subject at one time would eliminate any ethos he had. If I am going to believe somebody’s argument, I am more likely to believe the person who stands their ground, doesn’t back down, and sticks to one side. It would be very hard for me to believe someone as credible if they are changing their own mind about the topic. As for my opinion about comic books, again, I’m a girl, the violence doesn’t turn me on….Give me Archie and Betty and Veronica and I’m set.