Whenever a tragedy like the Virginia Tech shootings takes place, the immediate search begins for the pop culture connection to the perpetrator.  Confronted with an inexplicable act, people look for explanations, and pop culture makes a convenient target.

Did Cho, like the Columbine killers reportedly did, play violent videogames?  Meet the Press's Tim Russert asked the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services on Sunday whether they were going to look at violent videogames as a possible reason for Cho's rampage, and they seemed agreeable. 

A visual connection with the Korean film Oldboy has also been found. The film, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, features an image of an angry man wielding a hammer, which is similar to an image of Cho holding a hammer that was among those sent to NBC.  Oldboy is based on a manga series published in the U.S. by Dark Horse (see 'Dark Horse to Focus on Horror Manga'), recently nominated for an Eisner Award (see 'Eisner Nominees Announced').