A iluminación

I've convinced myself that television shows like CSI and all of its varying offspring and Law & Order (offspring as well) contribute to the insanity of America. In this post, America's insanity shall be defined as the continuing lust for homicide in all forms.

The television show producers' primary ambition is to entertain us with the mystery of a twisted but protoypical heinous crime. This is not just a modern concept, mysteries have been long popular in dramatic literature. Middle English has mysteries -- suspense is an incredibly powerful grab. The problem is that television is beautiful. Producers can make death look great, and they can do this episode after episode.

Their secondary ambition is to warn us to not to try and break the law, because we'll be caught by the meddling detectives, no matter what we do -- even if we burn all of the evidence and move to Romania. I am waiting for the day that Congress sanctions these television shows for providing knowledge to criminals because it threatens national security. Hell, they did it to my best friend The New York Times, why not Dick Wolf?

Their third ambition is to attract professionals to the field, which I shake my head and fist at. There should be regular television shows that attract people to the field for actual corrective purposes. Instead of teaching students how to catch the criminals and becoming forensic scientists, they should really be taught to how to do everything they can to rid the local neighborhood of poverty and it's multitude of side effects.

The only good crime drama is the kind that we glean from real life, from something like CourtTV, where they serve to educate ordinary citizens about the legal process and the rights afforded to all participants in the judicial system. There's still a bit of sensationalism there, but due process is something everyone should understand.