Taking the provocative standpoint that television violence has been misinterpreted, rather than undermining the social order, television supports it by providing a safe outlet for aggressive impulses, Fowles: demonstrates that the scientific literature does not say what many believe; asks readers to question their viewing habits; explains that the anti-violence critique is best understood as the key issue in the conflict between high and popular culture; situates the arrival of televised violence within the historical context of the disallowance of traditionally sanctioned targets of aggression.