My reaction to most of the violence in Videodrome is of disgust. I literally had to turn away. However, you can't help but look either. Violence is something in our society that has a negative connotation. Videodrome literally shows violence but it also uses it to transcend and work on people. The violence controls Max and Max uses it to control others. In our mainstream media, it is the norm not to show extreme violence, especially if it is real. I think that Cronenberg uses violence because it is something that usually isn't shown, its different, but also because its different it evokes a sense of shock and disgust from its viewers. I think his message to the audience is to parallel this disgust for violence with this disgust for technology.
When we think of a world of chaos, we think of a world of violence. People against each other causing death, disease and turmoil, is what I picture when I think of a world torn down by violence. In Videodrome, this is what technology gives us. It is infectious. Violence is powerful and people react powerfully to it. It makes people vigilant. In a world of violence, or in a world of technology, people have to constantly be on guard, watching their backs and anticipating what could happen. I think the violence in the film also evokes this from the viewers. The gruesomeness seems to get worse and worse, so the viewer anticipates it, making them more and more disgusted.
I think the use of violence in Videodrome focuses the argument of body and technology. It is showing the violence to the body that technology can cause. Whether its death, distortion, or even mentally effecting the body so that you cause violence to others. It is effective in supporting his argument about technology and effective in evoking response from the viewers.
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I think Megan sees things a lot differently than I do. I think she also thought of things that did not cross my mind. I never considered the direct relation between technology and violence like this. I can see the relation but I've never considered the use of violence to be symbolic to technology. In other words it didn't occur to me that the showing of violence could be used to show the faults of technology. I think Megan feels that violence on people shows the same thing that technology does on the body. I also wish I would have thought about including the idea of viewing violence on film that is actually real violence. I considered Croenberg's use of violence and sex but failed to discuss it within the movie itself as being real to the characters watching videodrome. I think this only enhances the effectiveness of the infecting ability of videodrome.
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