In the 17th and 18th Centuries, cheap entertainment for the masses included bull-baiting, Punch and Judy shows, and the violent and gory illustrations of William Hogarth. In the 20th Century, American audiences found the equivalent type of thrills in comic books, violent movies and television programs, and video games. The author argues that the outrageous nature of the violence portrayed in these media and its ritualistic nature serve an important socialization function, particularly for adolescent males who are facing stress in the form of sexual confusion and anxiety. He contends that rather than generating anxieties, the mass media merely translate the anxieties that already exist within the audience.