I watched the Son of Sam doc on Netflix bc all of the RSF threading reminded me of him. It kind of seems like Taxi Driver inspired him. People tell themselves that violent media doesn’t inspire irl violence because it’s convenient, not because it’s true. Sega abd Scorcese both have a lot to answer for imo.
Also John Hinckley, the Reagan shooter, was inspired by the Film. Film is highly salient. I literally got Stone Cold Stunner’d by a Scumbag in 1999 because of N64 wrestling games iirc. Don’t sit there and tell me that life doesn’t imitate art.