One of my favorite shows growing up was Tom and Jerry. Every time Tom was hit by a frying pan, crushed by a bowling ball, or burned on a stove, I couldn't help but laugh, never thinking about the violence behind Jerry's actions. Shows like Tom and Jerry emphasize humor, one of America's most beloved virtues, but also expose children to aggression at a young age. This slapstick comedy has long been a part of children's entertainment and society in general. Popular culture exposes children to humorous violence that desensitizes them and increases bullying and aggression. Popular television shows and movies routinely contain violent humor that desensitizes children to violence. Tom and Jerry are a perfect example of this violent form of childish humor. In the cartoon, Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse constantly chase and attack each other while making the audience laugh. In one episode, after Tom attempts to murder Jerry with a stick of dynamite, Jerry retaliates by plugging Tom's tail into an electrical outlet and electrocuting him. By combining violence and humor, this show leads children to associate violence, destructive behavior, with humor. This connection “can desensitize [children] or lead them to believe that violence is more prevalent – ​​and acceptable – in real life than it actually is” (Associated Press). This violent humor is also found in films. In the movie Home Alone, a boy uses everything from paint cans to BB guns to defend his house against two burglars. In one scene, the boy drops bricks on the burglars from the roof of a building while the audience laughs (Home Alone). This film encourages children to laugh at the pain of others and even shows children that violence can be comical. In fact, immediately after viewing a violent m...... middle of paper ......ated Press. "Study: Children's television peppered with dark and violent acts." The United States Today. Np, March 2, 2006. Web. March 2, 2014. .Bushman, Brad J. and Craig A. Anderson. “Comfortably numb.” Psychological sciences. University of Michigan, nd Web. March 2, 2014. .Layton, Julia. “Do violent video games lead to real violence? Video game development. Iowa State University, nd Web. March 2, 2014. .Murphy, Alexa Gordon. Dealing with bullying. Np: Infobase, 2009. Print. Sommerfield, Julia. “Seattle Study of Children Links Bullying to TV.” The Seattle Times. Seattle Times Company, April 5, 2005. Web. March 2. 2014. .