Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

by David Kushner

children who watched films of a person punching an inflatable clown doll later beat up such a clown toy more aggressively than kids who hadn’t watched the film. The conclusion: exposure to violent media caused real-life violence. In reality, of course, the kids were just punching inflatable clowns; they were not running to the local circus and pummeling Bozo. Rather than blame violent media, Jones argued, adults needed to understand the role make-believe violence plays in human development: “Exploring, in a safe and controlled context, what is impossible or too dangerous or forbidden . . . is a crucial tool in accepting the limits of reality. Playing with rage is a valuable way to reduce its power. Being evil and destructive in imagination is a vital compensation for the wildness we all have to surrender on our way to being good people.”