Many Americans are appalled by the depictions of violence in the mass media and the entertainment industry. They believe that continual portrayals of murder, assaults, and other acts of violence in the media contribute to violence in real life. Critics point to several instances where actual crimes mimic the violence portrayed in movies, television shows, and other forms of entertainment. For example, two teenage brothers in Hollywood, Florida, who were charged in December 1998 with raping and sexually abusing their eight-year-old half sister, admitted to police detectives that they learned about incest and anal, oral, and vaginal sex by watching the controversial Jerry Springer Show on television.

Critics of the Jerry Springer Show and of similar forms of pop culture contend that portrayals of violence on television, in movies, in music, and in video games have a negative influence on society and especially on children...