So recently, I noticed I've developed a thing for Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Although I can't trace the origins of my hunger for "law" with a side dish of "order", I'm guessing I got involved and started to enjoy it because - let's face it - some form of Law and Order is on all the time. You are basically GUARANTEED some L&O therapy probably 6 or more times a day (if you really want it). Well, one particular night, I'm pumped, I'm done with my work, and it's time for some CI. Now I honestly have to say that every now and then CI irks me. It's the lead guy. I'm not sure what it is - he just seems to always know a little too much about the most obscure things (really, THE MOST obscure). I'm thinking of asking him over to play some CLUE - I think he would know the murderer, the weapon, and the room just by looking at the box.
But anyway.
I'm watching this episode of CI and the plot is thickening - into an icky mess of terrorist plots involving Boy Meets World's Rider Strong as the newest suicide bomber. Apparently, Rider Strong had spent some time in prison and converted to Islam - a conversion that made him come out planning attacks on NYC civilians.
Um, okay?
Could there really be any more play on or confirmation to America's post-9/11 views on terrorism? Law and Order certainly did a perfect job fitting the stereotypes by dressing terrorism in the Islam religion. I felt perhaps that I should vomit. Not only did Rider Strong want to blow himself up for his cause "to be connected to something higher", he had to be reminded of the true teachings of Islam by none other than . . . . . the lead guy of the show! By this point I really was rushing to the bathroom in anticipation of losing my dinner.
I was not about to be thankful that the lead detective of Law and Order:CI was trying to give me the really-really-really-really-shorthand version of "What the Qu'ran is Really Saying: The 10 Second CI Television Version".
But ultimately, it did sadden me a little, knowing that perhaps people were watching this episode, seeing their lead hero detective stop a terrorist attack, believing that he was protecting against Muslim terrorists as he reminded them of the bases of their own religion.
I guess I had never really realized how easy it is to miss the religious and political tones present in our entertainment - the situations and rhetoric; the people who are the heroes and those that are the bad guys. Entertainment creates these good guys and bad guys. I watch CI pretty regularly; I'm familiar with the characters, and even if the lead guy irks me sometimes, I know in the end that he is the one who is right and that I can ultimately trust. But this strange attraction to such an artificial trust is crass, and at most, frightening. It is frightening to me that we can form these relationships to the main characters of the shows we like, perhaps even framing judgements in our own lives on the choices and actions of these characters. Dramas like CI take on a deep appearance of social challenges, getting inside these crazy twists of crimes and social issues, rapes and murder and theft - but essentially they are regurgitating and confirming everything that is most accepted in our society. These shows have analysts who study who watches the shows, what their interests are, what color their underwear is - well, maybe not the last one. But I have found that it is more and more important to monitor what I watch, to not just watch but analyze. It sounds like a lot of extra work, when all I really want is "entertainment" - but this entertainment influences the way we ultimately think and act; reinforcing the sterotypes and social views we hold. There needs to be more challenge and evaluation to what we let into our minds, and what we let control what it is that we want to do, what we want to be, who we want to be.
There's no way I am letting Law and Order tell teach me about terror, about Islam, and place in front of me any connections they want to attempt and pinpoint between the two.
I don't know what kind of law and order that is, but I'm definitely not hungry for it.
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The thing i enjoy about law and order is that it deals with real criminal types, such as murderers, terrorists, rapists, etc... CI is the best one, mostly, in my opinion, because of Donofrio, the lead guy. If he were interrogating be i would be shitting bricks right there in the room, to tell you the truth.
By the way, I hear that Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC on the basis that Law and Order are the trademarked names of his left and right legs.