Cultural influences are playing a huge role. It's modern day culture that's making that stuff not as popular as it used to be. The default setting of humankind is to enjoy the stuff in the roman colosseum, and it's only modern enlightened thinking and rationality and ampathy with other human beings that has sort of blunted that natural enjoyment.
Pain is at the root of most drama and entertainment. When does it get too real? This very disturbing and graphic show looks into some case studies and asks some deep questions. WARNING Very intense subject matter.