There are key elements to analyzing an essay. When attempting to prove a point, an author tries to use several arguments. Premises, or reasons that support the conclusion, aid in these arguments. The premises can be weak, strong, fallacious, or unnecessary. Accuracy of the premises is another critical factor as well. In the article, "TV Violence: Does It Cause Real-Life Mayhem?" written by Susan R. Lamson, her writing appears to be lacking in certain information and sprinkled with fallacies to be more convincing.
             Lamson begins the second paragraph of her article with a premise stating that, "Televised mayhem is seen as a leading cause of America's epidemic of violent crime" (255). This is an example of a weak premise because there is no statistical proof identifying who sees televised mayhem as America's leading epidemic of violent crime. It is strictly Lawson's opinion. Also, depending on the audience "televised mayhem" and "epidemic of violent crime" may be defined in completely different terms stemming from issues such as culture, religion, education, and social standing. Mayhem, as well as "violent crimes," could be exemplified by watching Charlie's Angels, which includes lots of street fighting as well as massive explosions. Or, "televised mayhem" and violence could be described as in a patriotic war movie such as "Black Hawk Down," where several soldiers are brutally shot down and killed by machine guns. Who is to say one is worse than the other? "Televised mayhem" is and "violent crimes" are terms that will inevitably cause controversy due to varying opinions.
             Another premise located within the article is when Lamson reported, "the National Institute of Mental Health found 80 percent of all television programs contain violent acts. But the violence is like a drug: Viewers develop a t...