Terrifying. Dramatic. Suspenseful. Eerie. These are all words used to describe the infamous television show American Horror Story. With the season six premier just a couple weeks ago, there has been an overwhelming amount of hype surrounding the show, from billboard advertisements to twitter posts. As I recently started watching AHS, it definitely lives up to all the hoopla. The acting is phenomenal and the storyline keeps you on the edge of your seat, as you attempt to guess the next twist or turn. After binge watching the first season, I was addicted. But, I just couldn't bring myself to view more gory content. I had to take a break and watch something actually...enjoyable.

Although AHS fulfills its entertainment purposes, it also enters the realm of violent tv shows and media that are heavily affecting society. American Horror Story depicts graphic murder scenes. The “guts and gore” are completely splayed out over the screen as a serial killer slaughters and annihilates his victims. Violent media lures in its audience with dynamic characters and interesting stories. However, most viewers, including myself, do not realize that violent media is directly desensitizing us to the cruel reality that killing has become commonplace.

Because we are watching more “fake violence,” the real cruelty in our world loses its effect. We read stories about the bombings in Boston or the recent mob violence in Charlotte and continue scrolling through our Facebook. We realize that many people lost their lives. We realize that these are emotional moments. However, people continue to think, “That will never happen to me.” It becomes so commonplace as long as it is not personally affecting us. We are so immersed in violent media that real violence becomes virtual as well. Shouldn’t we be working towards decreasing these headliners? Thankfully, there are ways to monitor our behavior towards violent shows.

One way to change our view on violence is to take a break from gory media. It is okay to watch these shows. Trust me, I love suspenseful shows like “a fat kid loves cheesecake.” However, we should watch them in small doses, while also invested in other genres. In addition, we must become aware of our surroundings. True or not true, the recent stories of clowns terrorizing children should strike fear in our hearts. I, and many others, walk through our everyday routines as if nothing happened. Violence is extreme in our world, and we need to treat it as such.

Violent media is creating a cruel culture. A culture that is insensitive to authentic suffering. American culture is becoming a real-life American Horror Story. Violent media is becoming a serial killer of its own, abducting our thoughts and killing the appeal to our better nature. The real horror is so much gross crime and atrocity all over the world. Television shouldn't be salacious headlines, or material for Emmy winning entertainment, but rather a wake up call to citizens of the world. These are real people, real sufferings, and real close to home.