Amusement vs. Entertainment vs. Sadism-ent

So, I'm back after an extended hiatus and man it feels good. Interestingly, I have always been very resistant to any type of journaling but honestly maybe those head shrink folks have something here. Very therapeutic.  Today, I would like to throw out for your consideration our gradual slide back in the evolutionary cycle to real roman times gladiator mentalities. Ok, not that I ever left - so not throwing any stones here - but I have seen the trend in all forms of media go from mildly to extremely violent. Which in certain situations can make sense - a civil war movie or someone fending off an attacker who means them grievous bodily injury, etc. What strikes me as a newer and not so sensible reaction is that this slipping into the dark side seems to amuse and entertain rather than abhor. This trend is especially alarming in children. Where we should be extra careful to ensure peaceful and joyous environments, we now have previously innocuous venues like cartoons jumping on this bandwagon. Cartoons really have undergone amazing transformations, spiraling down from somewhat meaningful violence into completely nonsensical violence. Violence just for the sake of violence. Back in the day we watch the eternal chase of the coyote and the roadrunner  - why, well he wanted to eat of course. Straight up food chain violence that happens in nature every day. Now violence in cartoons is there just to be there. And this is happening everywhere. There is no venue that is untouched with this downward slide into sadism-ent.