In the midst of the writer's strike, CBS had the novel idea of releasing a show that was already written. They are running the first season of "Dexter," a Showtime series about a blood spatter expert in a police department who is also a vigilante serial killer. It airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m., which is ostensibly the most "kid safe" night. But this show...I don't know if it can ever be made family safe.
It is a GREAT show. It brings out such conflicting emotions in the viewer! Dexter is a believable character, a "nice" guy. Any traits that may have given Dexter away, like an inability to feel emotion, or a reckless compulsion to escalate his behavior, have been trained out of him by his father, a homocide detective who recognized Dexter's proclivities at a young age. His cop father taught him that if he must kill, and he must, he should kill those who deserve it. He also taught him how to get away with it. This makes Dexter a perverse hero. Dexter's murders are incredibly violent, in the sick, ritualized way of a serial killer. CBS routinely shows people bound naked to a table with plastic wrap while Dex carresses them with a knife blade. Some of the gore has been edited for television, but the psychological effect of the scenes remains. The fact that I sit there on tenterhooks, hoping Dexter doesn't get caught in his heinous act makes me feel physiclly ill. He never gets caught, and the world is down one child molester, one black widow, one rival serial killer every week.
This is a major departure from cop shows as we know them. CSI, another CBS show, is the most violent show on television, if body count is the measure. They show corpses and gorey gun shots in slow motion, and all manner of sadistic killing. The difference is, the cops always get the bad guy. In Dexter, the bad guy is a cop, and the other cops never get him. It is a very unsettling conceit.
The show is based on a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay. The first in the series is called Darkly Dreaming Dexter. I have not read the books because I generally find the experience of reading to be more intense than television, and the show is intense enough. This intensity makes if tough to hide the show from children, even if the parents don't watch the show. I remember a movie in second grade called "The Day After," about the day after a major nuclear attack. I was not allowed to watch it, but many of my second grade friends were. It was all they talked about for a week at school! This began my terrible fear of a nuclear holocaust, which I still have today. Parents today are even MORE lax about what their children watch. There are children watching Dexter, you can be sure. And because it is such a quality show, kids are going to talk about it.
What does a show like Dexter do to the mind of a child? A study released by the American Psychological Association in 2003 found that exposure to media violence predicts violent behavior in young adulthood. The researchers discovered that this was most true when the child could relate to the perpetrator and when there was a pay off for the violence. Dr. L. Rowell Huesmann said, "Violent scenes that children are most likely to model their behavior
after are ones in which they identify with the perpetrator of the
violence, the perpetrator is rewarded for the violence and in which
children perceive the scene as telling about life like it really is." This perfectly describes Dexter, and makes him the most dangerous character on television. He is likeable in his faking of genuine human emotion. His pursuit of despicable victims lends "nobility" to his efforts. He never gets caught, and he goes home to his girlfriend and her family after he cleans up his crime scenes (in fact, he takes a call from his girlfriend in the middle of a murder, which is pretty comical).
I don't think anyone will become a serial killer as a result of watching Dexter. That seems too big a leap to make. The reasearchers who did the 2003 study offered up Dirty Harry as their emblematic violent hero. I don't think they could have imagined a series like Dexter. But I do wonder what the effect will be on the young people who watch the show, and those who hear about it second hand from their friends. It would have terrified me to hear about serial killers in second grade. Watching it, though, has the most potential for long term effects, even with the blood cut out. It's not the murder that is the problem...it's the getting away with it.
Fanaille Essence wrote about the Showtime version a while back. You can read her blog about Dexter here.
Wow, thanks for the link!
I love the show Dexter - I own the books and the first season on DVD...and am eagerly awaiting the second season's release on DVD. Dexter is the main reason I subscribe to Showtime (along with "The Tudors").
I'm not sure about releasing it on CBS - even on Sunday nights. When I was small, I wasn't allowed to stay up past 8 on Sunday because it was a "school night" - so I wouldn't have been able to see it back then.
But, I can say that my youngest Godson (I have 4 Godsons and one Goddaughter) loves the show. He's just odd, anyway, but the show's theme song puts him to sleep. When he was staying with me, if he had a nightmare I would put on a DVR recording of Dexter and he would be asleep before the opening credits were over. But I am very careful with all the children as far as teaching them what's real and what's make-believe. Before their dad took off and brought them to Georgia, I was extremely active in their lives.
All in all, I don't think the show in and of itself will have effects like we fear. I think if the parents take an active role and talk about these things - that's what will determine the lingering effects on children.
But then again...how many parents do that anymore?
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"yeah well, fwonk"
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Fanaile Essence
"But then again...how many parents do that anymore?"
I don't know very many who do. I think most parents are too busy, so they either let kids watch whatever they want with no critical thinking applied, or they take a "you're too young" approach, and assume that because their kid isn't allowed to watch it, they don't have to talk through the issues with kids. I might have been a less fearful person if my mom had been less avoidant about things. I was allowed to watch very little television and movie-wise, but I still knew what was on tv, because I had friends whose parents didn't restrict their watching.
Maybe I'm more sensitive than most. I am really enjoying Dexter, but it makes me incredibly anxious! I am so conflicted throughout the show, and for a couple of hours afterward!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Ofcourse there will be an effect on the subconscious mind of ALL of its viewers(not just kids).. But does that mean we'll become killers. Probably not. Rather, a conglomerate of shows and video games will slowly demoralize us.
My blog titled, The Depreciation of Morals also tackles this subject in depth.
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http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/weezyf
I agree. But why don't parents see that as a problem?
And thanks for the link to your take on it. I'll go read it now. I think I missed it on its first go 'round.
edit: scratch that...I did read that one! I commented on it.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I love the show dexter, but when they put it on network t.v. it is gonna ruin it. How will Deb curse? and what about Dexter and Rita, will they show all of their relationship troubles? When its on network t.v. they'll cut out a lot of the murders and that is the best part. They are killing it
Alexa
This is where I'm torn. I don't get Showtime so I am glad I could see it if I'm around Sunday night. On the other hand I hate that it will be edited and will not mean near as much as it is in the original state.
To the original blogger:
Honestly, my thoughts are they will not put anything too horrid on TV since I've heard/seen some of the crappy editing they do to good programming and movies to get by the censors. I wouldn't worry.
Oh, and definately read the books. Totally worth it and it goes into so much more depth with his normal life and memories and reasoning for what he does. Not scarring or over-dramatic/nerve wrecking as the show is. Very psychological.
The Heathen's Guide
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ENVY
GLUTTONY
I've been watching, though, and while it is not as bloody as the showtime version, it is just as psychologically disturbing, They do show enough of the Ice Truck Killer's victims to see that the parts are all cut into roast-size pieces, drained of blood, and wrapped in paper. And they show Dex's victims strapped to the table. Not as long a shot, and not the whole naked body, but enough that the message is clear. It creeps me out just as much on network television as it does on Showtime or Netflix. Scary stuff, man!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I grew up empathizing with (almost ) every villain Disney ever created. The nice guys were just too...well, nice. They always won in the most predictable ways, and even at five, that bored me. When Scar sang his little song about how he planned to overthrow the monarchy I was enthralled, even if I only understood about half of the words (That was not a child's song - typical lyrics include, "Yes our teeth and ambitions are bared," and what kids knows what that means?).
What were the results? In the second grade I instigated a gigantic war that split the playground in half and eventually got me sent to the principal's office, but other than that, my record is flawless. I have never murdered or attempted murder, or anything even close, nor do I have any intention to. I appreciate violence in films and books as a part of the story. Sure, I'm a freak in other ways, but not a terriby dangerous one.
Dexter is certainly not for everyone, and its ideas may be frightening, but this former child loves it because it's what he always thought should be in entertainment.
T.k.
But Dexter as a villain is a bit different than Scar. It pains me to know that there are kids taking this in. I just hope they have grown ups who will work through it with them, if they are watching it.
I just watched another episode on Netflix (too impatient to wait for Sunday's episode). Damn, it's a good show. Twisty.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
...But Disney certainly had its share of sickos. Ever seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame? That's what happens when the writers go for simple good/evil characters, and it's easily the most disturbing animated movie I have ever seen. Most of the plot is fueled by lust; people are burned alive and almost hanged; there are several frightening images intended to replicated Hell; torture is heavily implied; and, finally, one of the gargoyles seems overly fond of goats. Even with the "happy" ending it's still brutal. Yet, it was marketed to kids. Original fairy tales were just as gross. Little Red Riding Hood...ew.
Of course that's not on the same level as the murders in Dexter, which at least has the grace to recognize its moral ambiguities. Dissection via a serial killer's scalpal is more graphic than anything I would show to children, but it's not the only scary thing out there.
T.k.
i don't know how...I've been a nanny for 15 years. But I freaking hate Disney and avoid them as much as possible.
And you're right that it isn't the only scary thing out there. There's also the possibility of surviving a nuclear blast and having to live through the aftermath! That and serial killers are pretty much my only fears. And bugs. And heights. But that's it, except for deep, natural bodies of water. And asphyxiating.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
But...bugs are cool! They've got those cute little antennae, and those itsy-bitsy legs, and some awesome social behavior... Well, except for nightcrawlers. Those are just gross. :-SS
T.k.
I saw The Hunchback in theaters when it first came out. I hated it, and my younger cousins all came out crying. A traumatic experience all around.
WTF? I'm glad I missed that one, then. If I remember correctly, that one came out after Pocahontas, and I was so pissed about Pocahontas being portrayed as a Barbie doll who sacrificed everything for love that I swore off Disney for a couple of years. B@st@rds.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
They definitely Disney-fied Pocahantas. The real Pocahontas was a bald young teen who was forced into marrying John Smith (that was his name, wasn't it?). When I learned that in a history class I was shocked.
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Actually she married John Rolfe. I think its generally accepted that her relationship with John Smith was plutonic and for the sake of helping the settlers.
Like what you've read? Well, then here's more:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711
I was pissed about Pocahontas also, but more or less because it wasn't historically correct. Pocahontas went to England! Pocahontas is not the same as Cinderella or Beauty or Ariel. She was a real person. She was a recognizable historical figure. You can't just change the way things happened!
Dexter sounded interesting when the teaser trailers came out, but I never started watching it because I have enough TV shows to follow!
Parents need to be smarter about what their kids are watching. That is usually the source of the problem. There are age limits to these things, and parents need to be aware of what their kids are up to. Dexter is obviously too intense for a seven year old.
Just a note: Edible Woman is hereby banned from writing any more quality blog entries until Bridget can keep up. That is all.
...Okay, just kidding! :)
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Visit my blog! I'll even provide a link for ya:
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This show is so awesome! It's weird how as the seasons progress Dexter is appearing more "human."
This is a very old post, but I found it in a google search, and I'm sure others might as well.
I have a different take on what my children can or can't watch in movies and television.
To others (if they are aware), it might seem like I let my kids watch "whatever." But that's not true. Mine is very much on a case by case basis.
First, there's a lot of talk about how violent books and film are today, as opposed to in the past. But is that really true? In the Bible we have men killing their own children to please God, men being murdered by priests for refusing circumcision and God himself killing off an entire town's worth of innocent infants, just to name a few. .... in Greek Mythology books for children, one God puts another out on a rock to have his liver eaten out by birds every day, only to grow back again at night and be eaten out again the next day. Over an egotistical rivalry. And that's just ONE story. They're all violent. And read in grade school literature. In a book of Grimm's Fairy Tales a King beheads every noble knight who simply fails to figure out where the princesses go when they sneak out. No crime. Just failure at one task, punishable by gruesome death. (And we wonder why kids have nightmares). In nearly every Disney movie, mommy gets knocked off. In The Little Drummer Boy, bandits burn his parents alive in their home. In Hansel and Gretel, a witch in the woods murders and eats children. In many cartoons, one character chases another with visions of catching, killing, roasting and eating it with lip-smacking joy. A Rated G cartoon about a bird eating inchworms (who were given full personalities, etc.) gave me the worst nightmare I've ever had in my whole life--about some fat, glutenous slobs eating my own mother bone by bone. Pretty sick :(
Then there are the violent movies, with non-stop kicking, head butting, shooting, blowing up with dynamite, pushing over cliffs and so on. Hell, even cartoons have this, at least the older ones, like Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner, etc. There are two problems with these shows/films. One is that they make it look like any person can leap off buildings, run through fire and crash their cars without getting more than a little scratch. Gives kids a very unrealistic view of both safety and how serious violence is.
My kids are hyper and impulsive. When they watch these loud, non-stop shoot-em-up things, they get out of hand. Grouchy, pushing each other, yelling. I don't think these shows are good for kids. IF a child is vulnerable to acting out (even if it's just pushing or yelling), TV shows--from cartoons to Dirty Harry--can incite that behavior. For those who are quiet and docile, I still think it can cause over-stimulation and general nervous-system stress. My kids are Star Wars and Indiana Jones fans, which is OK. But I make sure that we only watch the few best in this genre and otherwise steer clear of it.
Also, speaking of killing bad guys and not getting in trouble for it--how many films do that? Most of them, actually! Often times they make it an accident, like Scar backing up until he fell off the cliff. But still, the constant message is, the bad guy is gone, the wicked witch is dead-yay! These movies that have perpetual, spontaneous killing or even just violence without death, send a message that one can just eliminate anyone in their way if they have to.
One thing I think for sure is that every child is different and parents need to make choices based on their own children's strong and weak points, sensibilities, emotional makeup, etc. So I'm ONLY talking about my own kids here, but I think my comparisons to certain cartoons, G and PG movies, and children's books are relevant to every parent.
My kids, 5 and 8, have watched a lot of grown-up things, including violent Biblical films, meandering foreign films with subtitles, and yes, Dexter. Nuts, right? I understand that reaction. I wouldn't let them watch it at first, but when I got more into it, I decided it wouldn't be disturbing or a bad influence on them. Way before he had ever seen really any TV and very few movies, when my now-8-year-old son was only 3, he said to me "I think bad guys are bad because they must have grown up without a mommy." Purely his own notion. I was amazed. And I didn't think this meant he was identifying with being a bad guy or even thinking it was OK for them to be bad, or that he wanted to be bad. He was feeling empathy for what must have made them so bad. This is what most of us feel for Dexter, right? Well, because of the stories and films from all genres and age levels that my kids have already experienced, and the talks we've had about those and real life stories, they have the emotional maturity to understand that Dexter can't go around killing (even) bad guys, and to pity him. They are hoping that he can "get better and have a happy life." They have absolutely no reason to want to emulate him. First, he may not get caught, but he has the stress of almost getting caught. And he may not feel remorse, but he feels very alone, and is clearly not entirely happy that this is his lot in life. More like the curse he can't ever escape, as per Harry.
Now.... my kids aren't allowed to watch Basic Instinct, or Apocalypto, or Sopranos. Seeing innocent people get killed, seeing people smile and hug someone then strangle them..... seeing impulsive, angry violence, that would really disturb my kids. But as much as we adults cringe at the cool, methodical "kill scenes" Dexter creates, they are actually much less scary than chases and violent attacks, and really, they don't show that much.... not compared to, say, Indiana Jones, or other things that we know many kids watch.
The questions they ask are about what happened to Dexter to make him that way, and other such things. They are not afraid of him, because they understand that he's killing bad guys and they aren't bad. But they also understand that's not allowed, and that he would be hated and in big trouble, that he is not a happy person, etc.
My kids run from the site of blood. They won't let us kill ants, spiders, flies or even tics and mosquitoes that are sucking the blood out of us! They are constantly talking about respecting life and not killing anything. My 5-year-old has declared herself a vegetarian, and although my son has not, he asks that we buy Morning Star meatless and try not to buy much meat, because he feels sorry for the animals. No, I'm not worried that Dexter will corrupt my children into serial killers.
In fact.... my kids are probably too nice and trusting and too unafraid of the world. We work hard to explain stranger danger to them, and we felt we HAD to tell them how bad the things that happen to kidnapped children often are. They NEED to be too afraid to play alone or get in a strange car. We thought we had done a good job of this, but a couple of weeks ago, my daughter came inside and confessed she had left her friend's fenced-in yard and "walked around the corner" which she isn't allowed to do. Then she said "But I was with a grownup friend." .... Long story short, she walked with a guy from a few blocks away who has a dog, and who we see and chat with now and then. But we don't KNOW him. She insisted "I know him very well." .... I don't want my kids to be afraid of every person they meet, but I'm also thinking it's not the worst thing for them to learn that people can be very deceptive, and very much not what they seem. That was one of the thoughts I had when I decided they could watch Dexter with us.
I heard one theory that people who become murderers or criminals watch or read violent materials because they are already into that, it isn't what turns them on to crime and that is the stance that I prefer to take. I have watched one episode of Dexter and that was enough for me. I found it disturbing even though the gore didn't get to me that much. And no, if I had kids I would not let them watch it. To me the worst part is that Dexter is a vigilante. I understand the lack of faith in the justice department, but it shows the hero taking the law into his own hands. As for Network television, Law and Order in its various series can be seen at almost any time of the day and its not much better. So I see no problem with Dexter.
Like what you've read? Well, then here's more:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711