ves from its necessity. The survival instinct, the intense desire for self-preservation, leads, ultimately to greed for power. After all, power is, in essence, a state of very comfortable survival. Also, power serves to ensure survival for the future. Violence is exercised as the most common mechanism for attaining power. Anytime one can cripple his competition, or even eliminate his competitor, he gains more power. Thus, stemming from the oldest and most central instinct of man, violence is fundamental. In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, a journey along the rivers of Africa, the birthplace of all life, leads to a journey of the soul as well. The main character comes to the realization that the intrinsic nature of man is, indeed, a heart of darkness. Whether we admit it to ourselves consciously or not, violence is entertaining. In football, it’s the elated cry, "Did you see that ‘bone-crushing’ hit?" In boxing, we enjoy watching two men fist-fight until one of them no longer stands. Many pay a premium to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championships, a no-holds barred competition, where the winner is determined by either knockout or submission. The participants engage in bloody, bone breaking, full contact combat, with no protective equipment. The fact that there have been nearly seven of these competitions speaks to its growing popularity and appeal to our deeper desires. Finally, the primary example of our pleasure in violence is professional wrestling. What other reason is there for its popularity? If not for violence, why would one watch a "sport" which is so obviously rehearsed and prearranged? Television is a business. They earn their paychecks on advertisement revenue. Advertisers want to reach as large an audience as possible. Therefore, they shell out the big bucks to the station that can achieve that goal for them. Thus, television stations are obligated to their shareholders to maximize their profits. They d...
