TV's serial killer chic (article by Brent Bozell)

Townhall.com ^ | October 6, 2006 | Brent Bozell III

[EveningStar]

Are television critics a menace to society? What do we do when our media tastemakers, the men and women entrusted to evaluate the artistic merit of Tinseltown offerings, exult in Hollywood's lack of taste? When perverse novelty and "edge" and complete moral confusion is what these critics live to watch and love to promote, they appear to be seeking to establish the polar opposite of a moral tone in our culture.

Take as an example the critics' views on the new Showtime drama "Dexter." Its sickening premise makes a hero out of a sadistic serial killer, because he kills only bad guys and does so in the dark of night. During the day, he helps the cops assess blood spatter patterns in murder investigations. He's a sociopathic killer-slash-hero, with the emphasis on the slash -- he carves his victims up to fit into Hefty bags.

Author Jeff Lindsay, whose gruesome novels inspired the series, joked to the TV critics this summer that, "As I looked out across the room, the idea just popped into my head that serial murder isn't always a bad thing." They laughed...

[Julliardsux]

I liked it, and I think the guy who plays Dexter is a good actor, based on his work on Six Feet Under.

I'll keep watching, thank you DVR.

[ichabod1]

Those Charles Bronson movies, or at least the original Death Wish, were more about the grief, anger, and frustration that finally drove a thoroughly non-violent man to pick up a weapon and go out into the streets. And then his struggle with himself over whether to continue.

This one just sounds sick.

[EveningStar]

I know nothing about this but Bozell frequently writes provocative articles and they can make for fun threads.

[ichabod1]

It's not like football is that much better. The Gladiators didn't go out and fight with the intention of killing each other, but it was vicious, violent, and bloody and sometimes they DID die. They couldn't have them fighting to the death regularly, they took too long to train, they'd have run out of Gladiators.

(that doesn't say anything about the criminals and political prisoners and animals that were butchered in the Arena. THAT is where the REAL blood came in)

[sandbar]

I've often fantasized about becoming a sex offender serial killer.

[GOPJ]

Most of Hollywood's killers go after innocent women and children. This is a step up from that...

[Joe 6-pack]

"Those Charles Bronson movies, or at least the original Death Wish, were more about the grief, anger, and frustration that finally drove a thoroughly non-violent man to pick up a weapon and go out into the streets. And then his struggle with himself over whether to continue.

What little I know about this show is based exclusively on this article...my supposition is that the character is driven to his acts because of what he's seen at crime scenes as the result of his work. Admittedly an assumption, and probably a poor one to make. Having said all that, if the themes of the show are what I suspect, they are really nothing new:

Shakespeare & The Law: Obligation, Vengeance, and the Abuse of Power

[GOPJ]

I saw the series premier of Dexter over the weekend. Interesting show. The guy is hardly portrayed as a hero, and the point is made repeatedly that he's not a good guy.

Are the "bad guys" he goes after really Republicans? It's hard to believe Hollywood knows the difference between good and evil...

[BerniesFriend]

Not this Dexter..my kids will be devastated..

[Julliardsux]

Good guess, but I think wrong. There are flashbacks to his life as a kid. His father was a detective. Dexter started acting on urges as a child to kill and hurt animals. The father picked up on this, and, knowing there was no way to fix it, tried to channel it by teaching him how to find bad people and kill them without being caught. Kind of like a serial-killing superhero.

[CajunConservative]

I don't know I liked the show myself.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Good guess, but I think wrong....."

My assumptions and I stand corrected, and my decision to Elvis the TV stands reaffirmed!

[CajunConservative]

He's not a sex offender serial killer, just a serial killer of sex offender serial killers.

[najida]

That's an interesting sentence ;)

And I like dark humor as long as the good guys win....so this show is right up my alley.

[Cecily]

I love that Dexter (boy scientist).

[sandbar]

>>>He's not a sex offender serial killer, just a serial killer of sex offender serial killers.>>>

Yeah, that's what I meant. I wouldn't mind being him. Or at least being on a jury that is he on trial with. ;o)

[robertpaulsen]

"And then his struggle with himself over whether to continue."

Some struggle.

Death Wish was followed by Death Wish II, Death Wish 3, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, and Death Wish V: The Face of Death

[lesser_satan]

bump

[CajunConservative]

It was pretty interesting and well acted. It's not for everyone but it had a good hook the first episode. I have to find out who is the serial killer who is on to Dexter.

[CajunConservative]

He's keeping the taxpayers from having to support the really really bad guys.