You Have the Right to Remain Silent
While contemplating on what this weeks post should encompass, I stumbled along an article from The Guardian, discussing the possible negative effects crime shows could create by forming a community that often ‘normalizes police misconduct.’ Although I would love to view the genre of crime within TV shows to be 100% amazing all the time, this post really got me thinking. Crime shows are series that should be enjoyed, maybe even viewed mindlessly, but let’s not forget that whatever we watch is being put into our bodies.
One of the main points within the original post by The Guardian, is that crime shows have a tendency to ‘erase racism,’ or forget to include that not all peoples are treated equally within the police force or justice system. This got me thinking…again. In one of my favorite shows, The Blacklist, the leading agent in the FBI group is an African American man. I feel as though in today’s society this is a strong position of power that anyone can hold based off their capabilities, despite race, gender, or ethnicity. The Guardian argues that minorities receive less respect within the Criminal Justice System and by placing them in positions of power within shows, the directors are therefore distorting the viewer’s sense of reality. So now the question is, how do we combat this issue? Similar to resolving any other issue, we must face it at the root. According to The Crime Report, the issues of misrepresentation starts from ‘behind the scenes,’ as there is a lack of African American, specifically female, writers in the crime show world. This means that the viewers within this genre are only seeing the criminal justice world from primarily white men…do you see the possible issue here? The Crime Report agrees with the claim that these unfortunate habits are contribution to the distortion of reality in terms of our current criminal justice system.
In a similar light, many articles touch on the presence of police misconduct exhibited in these types of crime shows. The writers over at IndieWire worry that these portrayals within films are leading to the increase of police brutality and miseducation within our criminal justice systems.
With further insight on common issues within TV’s crime dramas, it’s the responsibility of the viewers to ‘watch with caution’ or maybe just not as mindlessly as we have before. It is easy to be caught up in the on-screen action without understanding the ties it has to our everyday thinking and lifestyles.
To increase some variety in your crime-show-binging, think about checking out the movie ‘Widows’ by Steve McQueen, an African American director who uses his skill to portray emotional states and issues within society. In an interview with The Reuters, he explains how he incorporated this motive within the movie, ‘Widows.’
![Widows | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX - YouTube](https://i.ytimg.com/an/nN2yBBSRC78/c5f7a915-f8d9-4de2-b0d0-c77e046fa0ac_mq.jpg?v=5c522ae7)
This blog post was really educational! ALthough I’ve heard a lot of discussion about racism in Hollywood and such, hearing the specifics of how it’s apart of crime shows was really interesting.
I really enjoyed this post and it is very accurate. I have seen some shows that have African Americans in a bigger role in crime shows but it usually isn’t that way. There definitely is a bigger reason behind everything and it’s important to keep that in mind. When watching any show we have to remember it isn’t always the truth and is usually sugar coated.
I have thought about this topic a lot, and I think it affects all media, but crime shows particularly. You did a great job breaking down this question and taking an in-depth look at how crime shows perpetuate and normalize misconduct in the police. I think representation would help a lot, but also it is important to be a conscious viewer as you said.
This was a really thoughtful post. The introspection here is brilliant. I think you raised a really interesting point that despite us thinking we are mindlessly watching something, our subconscious is actually absorbing and analyzing the subtle cues posed to us by TV and movies. We need to be cognizant about not only what we absorb, but how it is affecting us and our perspectives.
I love your blog theme! As someone who mindlessly consume tons of crime dramas, I try to think about how watching shows like this should influence me. I had never thought about an influence in this way, so I will definitely keep you points in mind the next time I’m binging a crime show.
I just stumbled upon your blog, and I love the theme you chose! I wouldn’t say that I’m an avid crime show watcher, but criminology is super interesting to me and I do enjoy a good crime show from time to time. I like how you tackled some negatives that come with crime shows (misrepresentation, crime normalization, etc) and thought about the issue from both a production point of view and a viewer point of view.
Also, thank you for the recommendation at the end!