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Recently, FX aired the second season of American Crime Story, a series focusing on murders well-known within American history, such as OJ Simpson’s trial for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and the assassination of Gianni Versace by the late spree killer Andrew Cunanan. As these stories grasped the attention of millions of viewers, Scott Bonn, psychologist and criminology professor, studied the motive for the audience’s intrigue to this category of shows. Although Simpson and Versace were icons of their time, already appealing to the public, the concept of serial murder was what drew the vast audience, and the center for Bonn’s research. Bonn discusses how the impact of true crime television is harmless, as it merely just caters to the craving for thrills by the audience. However, true crime entertainment humanizes the inhumanity of these crimes, thus desensitizing the severity for those directly impacted. The persistent advertising of serial killers enables an unhealthy obsession within the American people, causing their fascination to not only be motivated by …show more content…
The environments when these crimes took place were not controlled, nor was the fear endured enjoyable. The pain of the victims are easily forgotten, as well as the struggle which they faced the moment of their death and the times preceding it. Bonn’s argument that the horror felt is “not real” is significantly contradictory to the entire basis for true crime television; these murders really happened, and their television scenes emulate that of the actual occurrence. True crimes are continuously embellished as though they are tales that are to be passed down through generations, disregarding the genuine suffering experienced by the victims, both directly murdered and affected by the
A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it. Unfortunately, such acts of rampage have become a prevalent factor in the Canadian culture. As a result of endless media coverage, Canadians now are constantly bombarded with numerous images of violence. Many of which often portray a victim avenging their opponent by means of force. Thus, indoctrinating a nation of individuals to believe that it is only through aggression that problems can be resolved. Rather than being punished for acts of violence, those who commit such offenses are often praised for their “heroism”. In addition, the success of films like The Godfather, Gladiator, and Troy further aid in reinstating the fact that we live in a society that praises violence. Furthermore, this ideology allows for individuals to partake in violent acts with little or no backlash from ones community. However, when an individual strays away from the “norm”, they are likely to then be viewed as a deviant. Such cases of rejection within a society, are often seen in the portrayal of serial killers. Although our society tends to condone violence when it is directed towards a specific individual(s), it does not allow the killing of innocent bystanders. Instead, crimes that are targeted against a number of people over a long period of time, entail the harshest forms punishments under the law. Sadly, in executing the law for said crimes, those in charge often face much public scrutiny. Such occurrences were apparent in the faulty murder investigations of Canada's most notorious serial killer Robert Pickton. This is due to the ...
The definition of forensic science is any scientific research, method, or theory used to analyze evidence in an attempt to solve legal cases (Cho). In recent years, there has been growing public interest in forensic science, arguably because of the numerous television programs that glamorize its practices. This phenomenon is part of what is known as the CSI effect, or the process through which devoted fans of popular crime dramas develop unrealistic notions of forensic science methods, practices, and their applications in real life cases (Mancini 544; Stevens 37; Ley, Jankowski, and Brewer 52). The CSI effect has had more negative impacts on forensic science and society than positive impacts, especially in regards to what goes on in the minds of jurors who frequently watch television programs about crime. Studying the CSI effect also leads to tough questions about the ethics of portraying real stories to entertain the audience. The use of these true stories is justified in certain contexts, such as instances when societal issues arise, and as long as there is respect toward the privacy of family members and friends involved in such tragedies. The solution to the negative consequences of the CSI effect could be to produce television programs that are somehow informative and entertaining, but this would make it difficult to hold the interest of a viewing audience that craves drama and action.
In Richards Willing’s “CSI effect” the author tells the reader how, as a result of crime scene shows’ popularity, the misconceptions they create, and the combining of real life events with TV fantasy, crime scene shows have affected jurors and the oucomes of court cases. The shows’ popularity has increased peoples’ interest in forensic science and has caused workers and students to transfer into the field. The second effect crime scenes created is the misconception concerning when to use forensic tests, as well as misconceptions about the speed and accuracy of forensic workers and machines in tracking and identifying the culprit. Willing tells of a murder trial in Arizona in which the defendant’s bloody coat was listed as evidence, but was not tested. Although the defendant had already told investigators that he was at the scene of the crime, with the jacket, jurors asked for forensic DNA evidence linking the defendant to the bloody coat and to the crime scene. The juror’s exposure to crime scene shows had given them knowledge of forensic tests, but not knowledge of the proper use of the tests. Crime scene shows mix real life with TV fantasy. According to willing’s studies, highly attractive forensic workers and stunning suspects, along with very neat crime scenes on crime scene shows deemphasize the real life violence and brutality of crime. Similarly, tv reality shows have influenced people’s ideas about real life and real relationships through the effects of image, misleading information, and popularity.
Mark Seltzer has clearly presented his concepts to reveal how the media has played part in exposing the existence of serial killers. Mark argues that some common videos that are shown on televisions have in one way or the other contributed to the increase of serial killers. Below are some of his arguments that reveal the media as part of the abnormality.
America’s Most Wanted has also changed the public’s perception of both, victims and criminals. I believe that the show transformed America to be more sensitive to victims and what they have been through especially when the family has no closure. It gives the victim the...
Grisham tells us that two youngsters killed 2 unrelated people after they watched the film, Natural Born Killers, and learned the violent behavior showed in the film and commit crimes afterwards. And he comes to conclusion that this kind of violent movies that will cause bad effects among young people should be not allowed to made. The detail he provides is that nothing in the two perpetrator’s past indicated violent propensities. Stone’s essay is the response to Grisham’s indict. His central idea is that the movies should not be blamed as reasons people commit crime. The details he provides are that: There are many related factor involved if people are guilty, such as their upbringing, parents, schools, and peers, but not films; Teenagers spend more time on watching TV, which also include violent depictions and have effects on teenagers, so TV should have more responsibility on the crime than Natural Born Killers does.
Whether appearing on breaking news headlines, or vividly depicted in mainstream contemporary entertainment, murder and the act of murdering are no foreign concept to the public. But, one thought still perplexes our mind: “How can someone ever think of committing such a heinous act?”. In The Murderer Next Door: Why the Mind is Designed to Kill by David M. Buss, he explains the mind’s inner workings that can compel us to find murder as actually, a rational thing to do. He breaks the preconceived idea and definition of what it takes to be a murderer, such as only the mentally insane can be murders (brought on by only shocking/”news-worthy” depictions of serial killers/ psychopaths in today’s movies, games , or news) or that today’s mainstream media
Death and violence is not something experienced everyday, but is seen on a daily basis. Not always witnessed by someone near the accident, but it is usually watched on their computer or on their television. Violence seems to be one of the most common issues in many of today’s society. Acts of murder are feared and are avoided by anyone in their right mind. With this in mind, how can people watch murders on the TV screen, but will do anything at their power to avoid death. No one wants to die, but they find entertainment in other people’s deaths. Don Delillo’s Videotape reveals how humans have a tendency to watch terror and death due to a desire to numb one’s own fear of death and for personal entertainment.
In today’s society, there are innumerable opinions about whether or not violent media content encourages, or even causes, violent and criminal behavior in audience members. Theories about the relationship between violent media and violent persons has been studied and experimented on for decades, yet, the answer still eludes us. These theories prompt the question: How has the commercialization of the criminal justice system, through the news and television, affected violent crime in America? In order to investigate this inquiry, I have chosen three sources with varying viewpoints that will help analyze the situation at hand.
Knowing a victim of an unforgettable and unforgivable crime will cause a person to lose a type on innocence. However, witnessing the heinous violation of the victim is much stronger. After the witness sees and hears the exact event, it is nearly impossible to disregard his or her memory. This is true in the short story “In the Shadow of War.” The protagonist of the literary work, a young boy named Omovo, witnesses the killing of a woman.
Why I am not a killer?”. Violent media exposure does not automatically makes a person a killer but it is proven that it increases aggressive thoughts, angry feelings and aggressive behavior. To avoid this there are several actions the government could take in order to reduce the amount of violence that is occurring. Primarily, censoring violence in the media would be helpful because it would not allow for those members of society, especially children, to be badly influenced. The problem itself also lies in the fact that as society progresses with technology the special effects one see 's on television and movies become more and more realistic. Today, the average person is exposed to more gruesome violence than ever before. If the main motivation in criminals, mentally ill or sane, evolves from the negative influence provided by the media, such as the cases of Lanza and Holmes, then it is clearly evident that changes need to be made in order to limit what the average consumer is exposed
Over the years and with various mediums crime has illustrated in many different ways, ranging from the facts driven newspapers to the films that make the audience feel sympathy for the criminal. Although there is a significant amount of research conducted on the role the media plays in instigating people into the world of crime, there is a distinct lack of research and information on why the media is saturated with real life criminals-turned-celebrities and why the public continues to be fascinated by them. The information collected from a wide variety of sources indicate that criminal’s stories provide a source of entertainment and fascinate the general public and there will always been a strong desire to read or watch the next story. The majority of my literature agrees with my hypothesis and gives detailed examples and research into the subject matter.
Turnbull, S. (2010) “Crime as Entertainment: The Case of TV Crime Drama” Journal of Media and Cultural Studies Vol. 24. (December) p. 819-827.
America’s attraction to crime and drama can be credited to the viewers desire to see good defeating evil: “In popular media, law enforcement is oftentimes presented being insufficient in upholding justice, calling for the intervention of a hero; a figure capable of recognizing and punishing evil without the restrictions of the law”(Dexter). “Dexter” is an hour-long American physiological thriller on Showtime TV. Created by Jeff Lindsay and James Manos, “Dexter” first aired in 2009 and has been the spotlight of Showtime since then. The show depicts Michael C Hall as Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for the local Miami Metro Police Department. If Dexter isn’t at a crime scene, he is cleaning his own one up. In his spare time he is a cautious serial killer who kills other murderers who have escaped the judicial system. Dexter’s layers of personality, ability to problem solve and his ability to balance both sides of himself are what makes him an enthralling character. Although most people aren’t serial killers the general viewing audience can relate to Dexter: Everyone has different layers of personality and everyone to a certain degree has a dark side.
The media sure has its hands full! First off, it’s changing the physiology of grown men, transforming their brains into those of sixteen-year-olds with its cathode tubes, according to Steven Stark in his essay, “Where The Boys Are.” Next on the list is the task of convincing our youth that “murder is cool and fun,” a statement courtesy of John Grisham’s essay, “Unnatural Killers.” The media is making today’s youth somehow disregard everything they’ve ever heard about it being wrong to kill someone and consult their television for guidance instead! That job can’t be easy! Never having a moment’s rest, the media has also been sighted by Marie Winn. It was in the act of changing our entire families into groups of distant acquaintances, which we read in, “Television: The Plug-in Drug.” Finally, add to this list “screaming.” Deborah Tannen states that the media is making us scream at each other, an enlightening fact one may find in her essay, “The Triumph of the Yell.”