Thursday, April 06, 2006

Law and Order My Ass

I am thoroughly convinced that the American obsession with the police procedural television show has it's roots in:

1) our desire for empowered gratification, watching uppity perps take their much deserved fall, hell watching ANYBODY take the fall... so long as it isn't us.

2) our need to feel that there is some black and white justice in the world, even if it is only on television.

3) a deep seated requirement for ORDER and psuedoscientific deliverance from crime and dis-order.

Unfortunately this is entirely too convenient when this obsession is running wild during a period when America is running wild: absurdly violent crime, white collar perfidy, a hillbilly crack epidemic, a hilariously corrupt government, tabloid pop culture, and concerted campaign between religious fanatics and pro business interests to create perpetual skepticism about science.

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