What lies within the Criminal Mind...

"There are certain clues at a crime scene which by their very nature do not lend themselves to being collected or examined. How's one collect love, rage, hatred, fear...? These are things that we're trained to look for." (Season 1, episode 2)

I am a self-confessed Criminal Minds fanatic. I am particularly interested in blogging about Criminal Minds for its niche storylines, that is, fictional serial killers. It differs from other fictional crime shoes which focus on analysing evidence left behind after a crime. Such crime shows include CSI and SVU. Raney and Byrant (2002) indicate that the popularity of such crime shows can be derived from the emotionally centred response we have to violent stimuli. It is such that we will feel horror or disgust at the morally repugnant offender in Criminal Minds.

However, this cannot be the only thing that keeps us glued to the televison each week can it?

If it were so, then popularity of crime shows would be founded in a love of violence alone.

Raney and Bryant suggest that the enjoyment factor depends upon the sense of justice that is conveyed by the show and this argument has significant merit. A formulla, as such, can be determined to exist in the Criminal Minds saga. That is, they (The BAU) always catch the bad guy. Furthemore, most of the time a victim is saved. Ultimately we go to bed after an hour of Criminal Minds feeling as though justice has been served and that good will always prevail. Herein lies our enjoyment.

A complimentary argument is presented by Lee. Lee suggests that inaccurate depictions of crime in fictional programs may exist in response to “a public desire for authentic participation in a world that, though genuine, stands at a necessarily spectral remove...and with its even- tempered characters and violence contained, also provides...a sense of psychic protection”. This argument has merit insofar as it suggests that we get peace of mind from such shows. For the most part what is presented in fictional crime is black and white, good and evil. We are not forced to consider whether such dichotomies even exist.

Ultimately, the picture we get from criminal minds is a skewed one. There is a suggestion that the FBI has one criminal profiling team to solve all serious crimes. The show also seems to suggest that there is a ready profile for all serial killers, that can easily be referred to. Such representations within the series forego the acknowledgement of grey areas that are not always clear, which ultimately becomes one the show's weaknesses. While I love Criminal Minds, there is a lot to be desired in the way of truthful representations.

References:

“‘These are Our Stories’: Trauma, Form, and the Screen Phenomenon of Law and

Order.” Discourse 25.1-2 (2002)

Double standards of violence

We were all dutifully horrified by the death of the police officer, William Crews, in the line of duty. The strong media interest in this case has prompted me to think about police and violence in the media and how it is played out.

Interestingly, the death of Crews prompted discussions about introducing mandatory life penalties for those who kill police officers. Such a law reform proposal is interesting for several reasons. It suggests that there is something poignantly wrong about the killing of a police officer. While I in no way condone such offences, unlawfully killing is certainly an act that is morally wrong. However, a question that is prompted by all of this is; at what point do we value a police life over other lives?

Analysis of media articles surrounding such deaths sheds some light. Media articles about such officers killed in the line of duty hail them as a fallen hero, hardworking, and dedicated to law and order. Greer (2002) might suggest that this is a manifestation within the media of an 'ideal' victim and goes on to explain that this is perhaps why there is an over-representation of police victims within the media, as opposed to other victims of crime. It is at this point that the media appears to rationalise the notion that police are unsung heroes, whereby a death indicates a decline of society into disorder and chaos. Herein lies the newsworthiness of such deaths.Such a death is indicative of a schism within our society, and specifically a schism in our criminal justice system: 'reinforcing the perennially popular media themes of decline, disorder and lack of respect for authority' (Greer, 2002, p38).

A secondary issue surrounding media portrayal of police deaths in the line of fire, is that it seemingly defers the readers attention from underlying issues. Such as the nature of police raids and whether or not they should be reviewed. Other issues that might be heralded by such events is whether police should even have firearms at all (Sare, 1993)

In juxtaposition, is the underrepresentation of minority groups as victims or hero within the media. For example consider the seemingly absent media coverage about deaths that occur in police custody or at the hands of police themselves. Does this silence within the media constitute a consent to police violence against such groups?

Consider for example, the death of TJ Hickey which sparked what is now referred to as the Redfern riots.

Gargett suggests that the media creation of the policy as worthy victims in this instance strengthens the link between Aboriginality and crime. In this way Redfern riot was portrayed within the media as an act of criminality by Aboriginal people, rather than being viewed as a response to extreme injustice and poor policing in Redfern: "Indigeneity is demonised while the police are championed" (Gargett, 2005, p4). Such portrayals of the police as worthy victims seems to deny Aboriginal people the right to be portrayed as such and this is concerning.