ABSTRACT
From Ancient Rome to present day, society has overwhelmingly shown an interest in violence-and specifically homicidal violence. News media, TV shows, and box office successes all attest to the fact that Western civilization has a love of the macabre, making murder an intriguing and marketable subject. This enduring preoccupation highlights the existence of a sort of symbiotic relationship between murder and the media: murder inspires Hollywood and the news media and, in some cases, media has been the catalyst for certain murders (e.g., copycat killings). For example, if you think back to Chapter 2, John Hinckley, Jr.’ s assassination attempt on former President Reagan was motivated in part by his obsession with the movie Taxi Driver .
