Self-mutilation and ghoulishness

Following yesterday's modest amount of coverage of this premiere, the discussion rumbles on. Predictably, the main theme seems to be anti-social copycat behaviour, hence rhetorical questions like this: 'Is Sanchez film totally irresponsible?' by Gerry Holt in the South Wales Echo (Sep 21 2006). Over in the Guardian, Mark Lawson frets about TV ghoulishness - are we tuning in on the off-chance a presenter will die? (Insert your own Mark Lawson joke here...)

Self-mutilation and ghoulishness on screen: these trends have some common bonds, but I've not quite worked out what they are yet.