Why is American culture so obsessed with violence?

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I'm a Canadian, and as such, due to my close proximity to the United States, I am exposed to a fair amount of their culture. One thing that kind of baffles me about them, is why they seem so violent in comparison to us. I'm not saying Canada's a utopia where everyone is happy and peaceful, we've had serial killers and school shootings just like the US, but I just get this impression that Americans are obsessed with violence and death, at least more so than people from other countries. It's evident in everything from their politics, to their laws, and even their entertainment.

Now, I'm not trying to point the blame at any particular thing, I just want to know; what is the root of this obsession? I know humans are violent by nature, but violence just doesn't seem as fetishized in the culture of other countries as it does in the culture of the United States.

Tell me your honest thoughts and opinions. I know the statement I'm making seems kind of radical, and that it may not even be correct, but keep in mind, I'm a Canadian, and this is what I see from my perspective.

Not sure. Violence in entertainment could be a way to socialise the public into an empire which routinely commits acts of aggression, and has an increasingly violent domestic police force. 24 is probably the most blatant example of this.

Possible parallels between modern U.S and ancient Roman, imperialist propaganda?

Hollywood's biggest export to the rest of the World is: Sylvester Stallone as Rambo.

We Americans may have concocted Rambo. But the movie goers of the world cant get enough of him. Terrorist fighters in the Middle East take time off from firing real automatic weapons in real combat to stand in line at local cinemas to watch stallone wield replica weapons in fantasy combat. So the whole human race must be rather obsessed with violence. Go figure.

Christianity breeds violence. Shoving the culture of guilt and shame in our face 24/7 creates resentment and hostility. People grow wearly of that and seek ways to outlet the frustrationn

Why are people so obsessed with violence?

There you go. Right there.

The United States was built economically through slavery, and geopolitically through war. No other surviving Nation has become so successful through sheer brutality. Our preoccupation with all things violent is likely an inheritance of our bloody past.

I must disagree with you're negative view of gun ownership though. Private gun ownership is a necessary check on the power of government.

LOL

Reminds me of the cabby in Montreal who was angrily insistent Montreal had much more violent gangsters than the United States.

And I don't think it's violence you see but instead imagined terror. It's not real. Like zombies or the undead, it's something to get frightened about and NOT get hurt. It's JUST entertainment (gross but still entertainment). Same X-box games in the U.S. as Canada.

After all it's Bosnia (et al) where the bodies fill the trenches and not Indiana.

It's Mexico where they string heads like popcorn on a Xmas tree, NOT the U.S.

Remember?

It might have to do with either the settling of the American West. Or the Civil War. Maybe a little of both.

Well when you watch the news they mostly talk about violent things that have happened, or bad things in general as a rule, and if its something like a mass shooting the media will go on about it for weeks on end. Also not sure what the rate of violent crime is in the U.S is compared to Canada, I am thinking if its higher here that combined with the way the media drags it out could play a big role giving people more exposure to violence.

I don't really have an issue with violent entertainment/song lyrics, books, movies ect since violence does exist and therefore there will be music,, books and movies about it and much of the time its not really in support of it like if you watch interviews with death metal bands a lot of times they are pretty laid back not people that would go and kill anyone and then eat the corpse though death metal is not limited to the U.S of course....also it would be really hard to have the plot line of Game of Thrones without including violence and that is a damn good book turned into a show.

Though I admit I am pretty disappointed with a lot of newer movies, have probably watched more older ones I didn't see than new ones the past couple years. A lot do have way over the top violence and then replace acting with special effects and what not, but I certainly don't think there is any organized consipiracy to brainwash the citizens with violent movies, since I am pretty sure there would be a lot less people making and acting in movies since I imagine it would interfere with the creativity involved in thinking of an idea for a movie, putting it together and getting it out there.

The US isn't particularly more violent than anywhere else, we have an insane media that obsesses about it. The violence the US does have mostly stems from poverty and drug prohibition. The US has a very diverse population with a large underclass compare to homogeneous countries it gets compared to in the Western world. Believe it not, certain European countries have higher much violent crime and rape incidence than the US. Don't believe the hype.