ABSTRACT
This chapter examines direct effects or “Bullet Theory” and assumptions about a mass society. It includes the cases of “War of the Worlds” Broadcast and Fredric Wertham’s campaign against the comic industry. It also examines why ideas about direct effects resurfaced in the popular thinking about the power of the internet in the “Pizzagate” conspiracy and “Slender Man” stabbing. Students should be able to discuss the power of the direct effects narrative as well as its flaws and assumptions. Sequential Art: “The School Fight,” in which a woman blames martial arts movies for her son’s constant fighting. The narrative is discussed in subsequent chapters in relation to hyper-masculinity and ritualistic and representational violence. Key Concepts: direct effects, War Propaganda, War of the Worlds, The Great Comic Book Scare, Pizzagate, Slender Man.
