They are conformist in the characters they project. For example, it is now necessary to have an African-American in a position of authority or responsibility whether it is the Fire Chief in Chicago fire, the crusty female precinct captain in the police shows, a judge in many courtroom scenes etc.
They are conformist in the taboos which they respect and do not respect. For example, the taboo of black and white sex has not only been done away with but it is almost an affirmative requirement that there be black and white romantic relationships. It is now a commonplace for a gay couple to appear somewhere in the cast.
The role of firearms is strictly conformist. In the increasing number of shows in the genre which could be described as female crime drama, the heroine is often attacked by a male (invariably white) in a situation in which she must use her ingenuity to save herself. No male, such as a boyfriend or a policeman, can be permitted to do it, she must do it herself but she must do it with quick thinking and without resort to a firearm that she coolly extracts from a drawer in her apartment.
She cannot be accosted in her apartment, on the street or in the parking garage and have resort to a firearm. Her salvation must come from some other source.
When a female does handle a firearm she does so ineptly, usually awkwardly but not by the lead but by a character who stands as a cautionary example. In other words someone in the beginning of the story who is accosted and murdered setting up dramatic tension, or some other female who does not have the requisite feminist qualities, the fortitude to properly manage a firearm. She is disarmed and woe betide her because her fate is sure.
The heroine, in contrast, has stalwart feminist qualities which permits her to find a solution other than resort to a firearm.
Whatever the scenario, it is extremely rare for a female to solve the dilemma by resort to the use of a gun. The fact that a Western drama is only satisfactorily resolved by the good guy shooting the bad guy is one reason why Hollywood despises Westerns.
