Fiction Representation of crime
Fiction Representation of crime:
The specific images of authorities and crime effects attempt to offer security and protect the entire society from evil saturating the dramatic programming on the television, have a specific and potential influence on the same society. They create a public perception of the way crime is handled and the specific crime solving tools that are used in a real situation world. The criminal minds are one of the most popular and highly rated series that is broadcasted among others ("Criminal Minds Season 1 Episode-by-Episode Commentary & Summary - Quick let on Criminal Minds Season 1 (TV Show)," n.d.). Episode 5 of Season 1 tries to distinguish itself from other programs of its genre through the application of criminal profiling. The episode introduces criminal profiling as a prime crime solving mechanisms by creating a scenario that relates the BAU kidnapping and murder investigation of a young man and his girlfriend. Additionally, there is a linking between the kidnapping of an influential DA’s daughter and the presumed money or political motives of the kidnapper. Therefore, this episode introduces the effects of fictional representation of crime in societies by being suggestive of the procedures to follow in case of such investigations.
The society is keen on all the presentations that are made on TV shows. They have the greatest impacts, and they can change the way an individual or an entire society thinks or perceives a certain aspect of life (Jeffres, Atkin, Lee, & Neuendorf, 2011). Therefore, the security agencies of the State have fallen prey of the TV shows that have big implications of the services they offer to their citizens.
MOs, signatures, Unsubs, and special agents are some of the terms that are frequently used in the drama of Criminal minds. Many entertainment industries have incorporated the use of crime into their programming for a period of over a decade. In the Criminal Minds, a crew of FBI profilers who are referred to as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), operate by fleeing from their point of operation in Quantico to the centre point of the related criminal activities that involve several serial killers in order to investigate the related evidence on the crime scenes ("Criminal Minds Season 1 Episode-by-Episode Commentary & Summary - Quick let on Criminal Minds Season 1 (TV Show)," n.d.). They operate on the basis of composing a profile of the related crime at the scene and making efforts to prevent a crime from propagating the entire community. Several serial killers are featured in the program changing the entire mindset of the people who watch the program. The entire society is perceived by the outside world as a place full of serial killers to begin with.
Media representation of criminal proceedings:
The CSI-Effect, where the media creates a representation of the criminal proceedings in a manipulative way and completely distorts the specific deliberations made by juries has been one of the dominant factors in industries that have majored in creating criminal related programs. It is factual that most of the programs are selling good in the industry across the TV shows but the kind of impression they leave on the general society about the federal agencies is what matters and disturbs even the government. In an effort to save the image of the security agencies, the government is forced to burn some of the programs (Jeffres, Atkin, Lee, & Neuendorf, 2011). An example of the program that was faced out due to the CSI-effect is the “Missing” TV series show.
The criminal minds have been one of the dominant programs that have dominated the TV shows impressing one of the viewers. However, some of the criminal actions that are aired disturb the general thought and society of the way criminal activities are conducted and the way the agencies respond to such matters.
The program has depicted the entire society in the image that portrays insecurity an inability of the agencies to take care of their society. People have depicted a society full of serial killers who must kill for several times before they are apprehended by the security agencies. On the other hand, the security agencies have been seen to take much longer when it comes to criminal profiling. In the end, many people have been killed before they are held captive by the agents of security.
Criminal Minds season 1 Episode 5 “Broken Mirror”:
A general synopsis of the episode, “broken mirror” kicks off when the BAU is tasked with investigating a case that involves the kidnapping of a US District Attorneys daughter. A clear follow up by the BAU later reveals that the kidnapper wasn’t interested in any form of money in order to let go of the girl ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.). It is later determined that the kidnapper is after her twin sister and eventually the case becomes complicated. The kidnapper is seen to always be one step ahead of the entire BAU unit.
Looking at the context of the episode, we realize that many activities are taking place implicating many arms of the federal system. A series of people are involved in the case of a girl who was kidnapped. The entire BAU office is involved in investigating the kidnapping. They are supposed to ensure that they rescue the girl. In addition to that, they have to ensure that they get to the bottom of what could be an issue with the kidnapping. The kidnapper had initially shown no interest in money in order to let the girl go ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.).
In normal situations, kidnappers perform their acts on the basis of gaining quick money. They would ensure that the victims are kept in contact with their family to prove that they are safe. They will do this to assure the family members that the victim is safe to secure the money.
A different case is witnessed in episode five of season one of the criminal minds, where The BAU has to investigate the kidnapping of an attorney's daughter. Many questions can be raised on the main theme that is being presented on the table. First, what could have led the kidnapper to carry out the awful act? Normal circumstances would tell us that the kidnapper was in pursuit of self interests of money and did not care about the trauma he or she was imposing on the victim together with their family ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.). We witness a different scenario where the kidnapper was not interested in any forms of money. Therefore, the US district attorney’s office is our first suspect in unleashing what could exist behind the scenes. The entire attorneys system in such a case is put into the picture for an individual who is watching a normal case scene of a TV show.
We could have different ways in which we perceive the entire show on TV, but the main fact that comes to our mind is that there must be something fishy between the attorney’s relationship and the kidnapper. There mere thought of a fishy relationship between the attorney and the kidnapper already raises bad eyebrows towards one of the arms of the federal system. A normal mind would begin picturing the entire system of the attorneys in a way that deprives them of a standard integrity ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.). Many people retaliate to situations in different ways and by someone getting to the point of carrying out a kidnap to the daughter of an attorney; it means that it was personal to a very bad extend.
The most possible reason that could trigger such an act of a random citizen to an attorney of such a status could be a wrong judgment in the course of executing their normal duties. It can be seen that another factor is brought up of the court. The entire system of the court is implicated in the way of incompetency if biases. People who watch such TV shows are very creative, and they will make the most possible judgment out of what they see. The CSI effects are so adverse that they display the government to its citizen in a way that they end up losing hope and trust. A normal individual looking at such a scene would easily conclude that most of the judgments that are made at the jury are not fair enough and may be oppressing specific individuals who might not have enough power to defend themselves. The entire judicial system is put in a compromising situation by a small interpretation of the society on the kind of impression that is perceived as they watch the specific TV shows ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.).
In addition, we witness a description of the episode where the kidnapper of the girl seems to be always a step ahead of the BAU office. The kind of training that a normal security agency should have is expected to be of a top class and investigative nature that is quick enough to come up with all the relevant clues on such a matter. Instead, we witness a security agency that takes too much time trying to figure out the moves taken by the kidnapper ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.). The general message and fear that is taken in by the society that is watching such a TV show for entertainment is that there is a general loss of trust in their security agencies. They can no longer be trusted if they are not in a position to act fast in order to curb such a situation. They seem to follow up all the leads, but the kidnapper, on the other hand, proves to be smarter than all of them. The end point of it is that no one can trust the entire security agency on matters of kidnapping.
The obvious reasoning that is behind all the TV shows is that they are developed for entertainment, but they are based on the happenings that take place within the State. With an effort to reduce the CSI-effects, the TV shows have been made illegal to circulate in other countries who watch them as part of entertainment. Basing their actions of Crime Scene Investigation on the plays that the industries display for people is a perfect show of what the government is all about together with the system of the court. The society is keen on all the presentations that are made on TV shows. They have the greatest impacts and they can change the way an individual or the entire society thinks or perceives a certain aspect of life ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.). Therefore, the security agencies of the State have fallen prey of the TV shows that have big implications of the services they offer to their citizens A general notion of oppression was created by the episode of Criminal minds where the person involved could have retaliated to make the attorney feel the same pain they felt of a loved one.
At the end of the episode, we witness the Elle making an arrest of the kidnapper. When the kidnapper attempts to make a second kidnapping of Cheryl, he is arrested and by Elle and knocks him down. The dramatic climax is witnessed by a security agent having specific feelings that are strong towards the females. She has a general hatred for the male criminal’s especially for those who offend the female victims. The kind of hatred that is displayed by the female security agent in this case is so strong ("Criminal Minds - Season 1, Episode 5: Broken Mirror - TV.com," n.d.). The imbalance of emotions displayed shows that the security agents are normal people who could be taken over by emotions at certain times. We are not in a position to tell how they could react towards criminals when they are overtaken by emotions. The normal thinking of the mind can be left wondering on the type of security agents they could be having. What then could they do in the event that they are overpowered by their personal feelings and emotions in the absence of other security agents and citizens? There are many questions that the entire state and the society ask as they watch the given TV shows. Considering the normal states of security agents who in most cases are armed because of the nature of their jobs, it could be argued that being overrun by emotions could lead them to carry out many killings that are not in agreement with the law. The general situation, therefore, creates some tension or lack of trust within the society to the existing security agents.
There are normal procedures that must be followed when an individual is arrested. The simple show of being overrun by emotions by Elle when making the arrest to the extent of knocking down the kidnapper speaks volume on the kind of pressures the security agencies face. A general panic is created among the people who are watching the given TV show knowing that it is based on the happenings that take place in the real security offices.
In summary, a general CSI-effect is presented by the Criminal Minds TV show in season one of episode five entitled, “broken mirror” ("Criminal Minds Season 1 Episode-by-Episode Commentary & Summary - Quickly on Criminal Minds Season 1 (TV Show)," n.d.). Most of the TV shows involving Crime Scene Investigations have been created as an entertainment tool for the normal states people who find them interesting but in the real sense, most of the shows change the perception of most of the individuals who watch on the State and the operation of its security agencies towards criminal activities. Additionally, the episode presents issue of passion and hate in criminal activities and prime crime mechanisms, which is unrealistic in real life. The arrest of the kidnapper by agent Elle shows her passion for protecting female victims and her indifference towards male perpetrators of crime. As such, the portrayal of such crime aspects may foster stereotyping.
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