What rating to give an important, but awful piece of media?

[MadMusketeer]

What if they went out and started shooting up the place. That's the sort of problem I'm taking about.

I think a better example, although slightly aside from the overall discussion, would be media that could be retraumatizing for some people, such as media which features (potentially graphic) sexual assault. While themes like this can absolutely be well-handled, or necessary for the work in question, this will still be a concern for some folks who might get their day ruined if a piece of media makes them relive incredibly traumatizing events. Even if this won't be a problem for most people, it's still better to include a warning about it just in case, like how foods which may contain traces of nuts need to include a warning about it on the packaging so no one gets hurt.

As people in this thread have pointed out, it is highly unlikely for any piece of media to turn someone into a mass shooter - even something like The Turner Diaries, which has directly inspired numerous hate crimes and acts of terror, is so outwardly repulsive that anyone inspired by it probably already agreed with its message. However, less extreme examples of media influencing the views and values, whether political or otherwise, are everywhere - as others have pointed out, moving people is half the point of art. While one work on its own is unlikely to change people's views, broader trends and themes present across a range of pieces of media can absolutely influence people's perceptions.

On the topic of the thread, I feel like your score (reductive and insufficient though it is on its own) should be reflective of how worthwhile you feel it is despite the ideological problems it has - is it worth sitting through the bad to get to the good? The more bad stuff there is, whether through the volume or the scale of the problems, the more good stuff there would have to be to make it worthwhile. While all factors should be discussed and weighed in the written portion of a review, a score should tell people at a glance whether you think it is worth experiencing.

Finally, I want to tie this altogether using the example of the anime Goblin Slayer, which features multiple graphic incidents of sexual assault (shown on camera), particularly early on in the series. However, for viewers who get past this point, the show is (from what I've heard) a fun TTRPG-style romp about getting fun, creative kills on goblins. While whether you see the sexual assault as gratuitous and unnecessary or important to setting the show's tone (a debate I will not be weighing in on) will effect your perception of how big of a problem it is, but the central question remains the same - is it worth sitting through to get to the good stuff? Wherever one lands, however, a review of the show need to make mention of this content to allow others to make up their own minds.

[Rynjin]

Finally, I want to tie this altogether using the example of the anime Goblin Slayer, which features multiple graphic incidents of sexual assault (shown on camera), particularly early on in the series. However, for viewers who get past this point, the show is (from what I've heard) a fun TTRPG-style romp about getting fun, creative kills on goblins. While whether you see the sexual assault as gratuitous and unnecessary or important to setting the show's tone (a debate I will not be weighing in on) will effect your perception of how big of a problem it is, but the central question remains the same - is it worth sitting through to get to the good stuff? Wherever one lands, however, a review of the show need to make mention of this content to allow others to make up their own minds.

I actually think it's only one. I read the manga, then saw the anime when it came out; it's still been years since I've looked at, so my memory may be fuzzy. While other characters in the series admit to having been sexually abused in the past, it is only ever graphically shown onscreen once to my recollection, at the beginning of the series, to establish (however crudely) the genuine threat of this at the hands of the monsters in the series.

Berserk is probably a better example of "absolute masterpiece potentially marred by the frequent, graphic depiction of sexual assault", as nearly every major female character is assaulted or threatened with assault multiple times on screen.

[Vahnavoi]

Works like Goblin Slayer and Berserk aren't hard to rate, though. The problem of their particular content has already been solved by existing systems of content warnings and age group ratings. A typical reader knows what they're in for when a comic book cover reads "for adults only, graphic sex and violence" (etc.) and can move past that on to other aspects of quality. The only people who would struggle to rate them are those who disagree with the existing system and take moral offense to such things being decipted at all.

[Rynjin]

Works like Goblin Slayer and Berserk aren't hard to rate, though. The problem of their particular content has already been solved by existing systems of content warnings and age group ratings. A typical reader knows what they're in for when a comic book cover reads "for adults only, graphic sex and violence" (etc.) and can move past that on to other aspects of quality. The only people who would struggle to rate them are those who disagree with the existing system and take moral offense to such things being depicted at all.

True, though I do think it is a potential value judgment to think about whether you feel as if their presentation is tasteful or not, and if a lack of taste impacts your enjoyment of the work.

"High impact sexual violence" is an almost utterly unique phrase to be applied to any non-XXX rated work, and it's part of the rating description for Berserk. Having earned an almost unique designator for something you find distasteful could be one of those genuine "I'm going to mark this one down a few points for this" metric in my eyes.

[halfeye]

{{scrubbed}}

[Vahnavoi]

I'm not sure what piece of media you are asking about. 4chan? The livestream? The manifesto of the streamer? Something else?

In general, I suspect your question is incorrectly constructed. Pieces of art aren't responsible. Authors of pieces of art are responsible, art is a causal mechanism. So determining if what radicalized this person was art is entirely unnecessary, as is asking if they meant to make art.

[Rynjin]

{{scrubbed}}

Again, are you trying to give this a star rating? What would you call the entertainment value of this media?

I'm not sure why you're so hellbent on derailing this thread into topics that are both irrelevant and we can't discuss due to forum rules.

[halfeye]

{{Scrubbed}}

[Rynjin]

{{Scrubbed}}

You are literally the only person in this thread that believes this. The OP literally mentions BOOKS AND FILMS.

If the discussion doesn't interest you, please remove yourself from it instead of trying to deliberately get the thread locked.