Everything presented in the media-whether it be through television, film, or other means-hinges upon some aspect of reality. Many believe that their television screen is a locked window that separates and protects them from the disturbing aspect of reality that is portrayed in the media. However, crime dramas, like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Criminal Minds, allow the underlying aspects of reality to break through the locked windows of the television and unfold within the audience’s mind by showing the viewer that anyone can be victimized and that the people that one would least expect are more often than not the perpetrator of vicious crimes. Many naive viewers allow themselves to believe that they could never fall victim to
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Once, in Criminal Minds, a serial rapist and murderer targets, rich affluent women. These women are shown in the episode to have state of the art security systems …show more content…
A famous basketball player, Shakir Wilkins, is portrayed in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as being a rapist of three different women on his staff. In the episode, Wilkins is described as being “a great role model” and “America’s hero” (ADD CITATION). By using these deeply praiseful terms to describe Wilkins, the writers set up the contrast between the side of Wilkins that the public admires and the side that brutally raped three women. In doing so, the idea that public figures are never the perpetrators of heinous crimes; thus causing the viewers to create a sense of distrust towards public figures, including their favorite celebrities and most admired role models. In an episode of Criminal Minds, a quiet, reserved student terrorizes her college campus through a string of arsons. After discovering that she was responsible, her peers express great shock and surprise (ADD CITATION). Through this episode, the writers destroy the idea that one is safe from their colleagues and peers. Therefore, creating suspicion among society of even their most trusted peers and colleagues. Furthermore, in another episode of Criminal Minds, a youth outreach leader molests and murders teenage boys who come to him for coaching and mentoring
Once, in Criminal Minds, a serial rapist and murderer targets, rich affluent women. These women are shown in the episode to have state of the art security systems …show more content…
A famous basketball player, Shakir Wilkins, is portrayed in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as being a rapist of three different women on his staff. In the episode, Wilkins is described as being “a great role model” and “America’s hero” (ADD CITATION). By using these deeply praiseful terms to describe Wilkins, the writers set up the contrast between the side of Wilkins that the public admires and the side that brutally raped three women. In doing so, the idea that public figures are never the perpetrators of heinous crimes; thus causing the viewers to create a sense of distrust towards public figures, including their favorite celebrities and most admired role models. In an episode of Criminal Minds, a quiet, reserved student terrorizes her college campus through a string of arsons. After discovering that she was responsible, her peers express great shock and surprise (ADD CITATION). Through this episode, the writers destroy the idea that one is safe from their colleagues and peers. Therefore, creating suspicion among society of even their most trusted peers and colleagues. Furthermore, in another episode of Criminal Minds, a youth outreach leader molests and murders teenage boys who come to him for coaching and mentoring