"Seeing a murder on television can help work off one's antagonisms. And if you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some"

Alfred Hitchcock’s observation suggests a commentary on both media content and its psychological effects on viewers. Watching a murder on television, according to Hitchcock, can serve as a means for individuals to "work off" or process their own negative emotions or aggressive impulses. The act of witnessing fictional violence may offer a cathartic experience, allowing people to channel and release feelings of anger or frustration safely and indirectly. This concept resonates with the age-old theory of catharsis, where engaging with dramatic or violent imagery allows individuals to purge pent-up emotions without resorting to real-world violence.

The second part of the statement shifts focus to commercials, humorously warning that even if someone lacks pre-existing antagonisms, advertisements can instill new ones. Commercials, designed to evoke desire or dissatisfaction, often create feelings of inadequacy, envy, or restlessness in viewers. By showcasing idealized lifestyles or products, advertisements highlight what one supposedly lacks, manufacturing needs and breeding discontent. While the fictional violence in television programs can serve as a release for pre-existing tensions, commercials may, paradoxically, cultivate entirely new forms of tension or antagonism.

Hitchcock’s wit lies in juxtaposing these ideas: the drama meant to entertain and relieve tension, and the ads meant to sell but also stir up new anxieties. Behind the humor, he raises a subtle critique of the manipulative power of mass media, suggesting that television is not just a passive reflection of society’s emotions but an active force in shaping them. The experience of watching television is therefore not neutral; it is a complex interplay of psychological influence and social conditioning. Whether through catharsis or agitation, television content, from crime dramas to commercials, exerts a tangible, often underappreciated, effect on the moods and attitudes of its audience. Hitchcock’s remark distills this interplay with characteristic irony and insight.