Comics are/were blamed for societal failure because they are the easy targets. Rather than blaming the real and more serious/detrimental reasons for our failures we tend to focus on issues that are areas of enjoyment but that can make an impression. Comic books can make an impression on their readers but it is likely that the material that is being transcribed through the comics has already been communicated in other forms; it is unlikely that a comic book reader is first introduced to violence or sex through Batman or Superman. Reasons to blame comic books for societal failure are: violence, sex, portrayals or marriage, horror, crime, etc. However, comics are one branch that extends the tree of these issues. By saying that comic books are the reason for societal failure, we are funneling the inherent issues; we take a broad description of our failure and narrow it down to why we are the way we are. In my opinion, comic books are the least of our worries; out of all of our media outlets I would think that comic books are one of the least likely, at least in today’s society, which would expose natural experiences and lessons at an exaggerated level. We blame comic books because we look to place blame anywhere but the appropriate arena: ourselves, we are the reasons for societal failure because we can’t accept progression.
Why blame comics for societal failure? Society blamed comics for the societal failures because it was a fairly new industry, and as things seemed to go “wrong” they figured it must be comic books. When a child grew up during the war, his father was probably killing people and the military and his mother was probably making things in factories to help kill the opposition. The only things kids had to “babysit” them was comic books, and they read many different kinds. So when kids starting acting differently in this new generation the figured it must be the comic books. Society didn’t want to believe it may have been the internal and external scars war causes on the soldiers and their families. Also the fact that young unattended children are reading these comics may not be able to differentiate between fantasy and reality. When society fails it always needs a scapegoat then it was comic books next it was rock and roll. Society naturally resist change.
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