The first season of HBO’s True Detective, written by Nic Pizzolatto, revolved around two contrasting Louisiana detectives that had to solve a string of satanic cult murders. This psychological thriller incorporates many dark symbols and philosophical questions to create an intriguing plot line. At the root of the show is the very frightening reality of corruption within the world. The corruption stems from various branches of social culture and also government. Specifically, the corruption comes from the media, the church, and also politicians which blankets almost every aspect of a person’s life. This theme becomes apparent late in the series and it is almost necessary to re-watch all of the episodes to realize the extent and effect of the theme. …show more content…
Out in the middle of a field stands a lone tree. Kneeling at the base of the tree is a naked woman in a praying position. Her hands are bound with rope and on her head rests a crown of woven sticks lashed together with deer antlers. The body was purposely staged to attract attention. By the time the detectives showed up on the scene, the media frenzy was already over. The unusual murder quickly made the national news and everyone in the town knew about it. This is exactly what the killer wanted; to use the media to psychologically attack the population. The scene was nothing like anything the two detectives had ever encountered before. Detective Hart stood at the scene in disgust and shock not really knowing what to do or where to begin. After circling the scene at the tree, detective Cohle pulled out his notepad and began to take extensive notes. On their ride home, Cohle states, “I get a bad taste in my mouth out here…aluminum…ash…like you can smell the psychosphere”. This is the first mention of the psychosphere and it plays an important role throughout the season. The psychosphere comes from Carl Jung’s “collective unconscious” concept which states that people basically live in an atmosphere of
With producing reality shows comes producing inaccuracies in portrayals in order to reach as many viewers and gain as high ratings as possible every week with each new episode. Every day life is boring, yet people tend to be attracted to the relatable shows that portray real life in eccentric ways – ways that they believe could be imitated by the average person. In many cases, these shows could remain harmless, as it is entertainment. No matter how crude or erroneous, it is just television. However, what happens when these sources of amusement actually start being damaging? Research has shown that crime shows like the ever popular CSI: Crime Scene Investigation have started becoming significantly detrimental to criminal
Tiller Russell’s enthralling film “The Seven Five” is shameful yet engaging that it gives a valuable lesson. The documentary focuses on the occurrences in the 75th precinct of East New York during the dark days of the 1980s and the true-crime deeds of Michael Dowd, a corrupt officer, through interviews with Dowd himself, investigators, Dowd’s partners, and drug dealers. Joined the New York Police Department in 1982 when he was 20 years old, Michael Dowd became a patrol officer for 10 years and 5 months, and within that decade, he confessed into using his authority to commit crimes and acts of corruption in violation of his sworn duty to uphold the law.
The subject of the book “The Midnight Assassin” by Skip Hollandsworth is focused on uncovering the truth behind who is truly at fault for the murders of Mollie Smith and, several other victims. The murders occurred in Austin, Texas during the 19th century. Based on the first three chapters, three prominent characters have been introduced. All three characters are currently prime suspects. At the time, Austin was a prestigious town, equipped with the finest law enforcement made first hand by god himself, the Texas Rangers. When the young yellow skinned slave Mollie Smith was murdered, terror truly struck Austin. News reporters from all over Texas came to cover the story, thus creating conspiracies about each suspect. Evaluation of each suspect and their motives to perpetrate such a gruesome murder-Walter Spencer, a hardworking slave, who had never done any harm; Tom Chalmers, the brother of the land owner where the murder took place; Lastly, Dr. Ralph Steiner, the esteemed doctor.
Frank Serpico was a police officer in the 1960s that was excited and nervous about it at the same time because of what the job entailed. Serpico soon realized that there was a significant amount of corruption in the field and no one said anything about it. He was placed in an “action” precinct in Brooklyn which means that area has a high crime rate which he was excited about. He soon became sick of the job and strove to be a detective which did not necessarily work out for him. He sought to fight against the corruption, the justice system, and the rumors started based on an idea of someone’s sexual orientation and no evidence to back it up.
We have countless examples of dishonesty in our daily lives, media, etc. For the Common Book Assignment Just Mercy – which focuses on the tale of a talented lawyer and wrongfully imprisoned inmates – there are many examples of people manipulating the truth for their own benefit. This novel was an incredibly moving piece and opened my eyes to the crucial problems happening in the criminal justice system. Bryan Stevenson focuses the main theme of his novel on the statement, “the opposite of poverty is not wealth, the opposite of poverty is justice.” In the novel, it brings up issues such as the death penalty, racial profiling, as well as inequality and poverty to emphasize the corruption not many are aware about. From Ralph Myers, who purposefully made a scapegoat out of an innocent man, we can cite instances of dishonesty in multiple resources.
The acts of legal corruption detailed in this novel vary widely in character and severity. On the ground level of the legal system, the police force is described as an immoral hoard that is often more concerned with taking
Someone who is abusing the power that is given to him or her defines corruption, however, the word in its self is more than a simple idea; it is an intricate network. Since people’s views about ethical and moral behavior affect the way corruption is examined, the word has a slightly different meaning to each person. Additionally, misconduct across various societies is viewed differently due to social and cultural borders. The criminal justice system has had many instances where corruption had affected the outcome of a case and has inserted itself into the legal process.
Modern America’s increased fascination with crime dramas can be attributed to the majority’s desire to see good triumph over evil. The hunting, processing, and eventual punishment of evil evokes feelings of satisfaction in viewers, as justice is one of the moral principles ingrained in our society. In popular media, law enforcement is oftentimes presented as being insufficient in upholding justice, calling for the intervention of a hero; a figure capable of recognizing and punishing evil without the restrictions of the law. The television show Dexter portrays the glorification of the anti-hero through the romanticizing of vigilante-style justice and the mind of a psychopath.
Television has become a vital aspect of daily life, within modern society; every aspect of television exhibits, to a certain extent, a reliance on genre (Mittell, 2001). Industries rely on genre to produce programs, and audiences use genres as a means of organizing fan practices (Mittell, 2001). According to a 2006 Nelson Media Research study, ratings confirm that aside from prime time shows such as American Idol and Survivor, part-time crime drama’s have been classified as one of the most favoured genre (DeTardo-Bora, pg. 154, 2009). The relationship between the media and criminal justice system is delicate, where more often than not, crimes are portrayed in a false light (Graveline, pg. 1, 2015). These misconceptions lead to
In 1951, the first television crime drama series, Dragnet significantly influenced our American culture. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, the term “dragnet” is a symbol, for, a system of coordinated measures used to apprehend criminals or suspects. Most crime drama series solve a different case each episode. Although, in current pop-culture crime dramas focus on one particular crime, throughout an entire season. Similar, to the show “Homeland,” the HBO crime drama True Detective adds a twist on the conventional series. The show depicts a subject matter that has affected modern society as a whole. Southern Louisiana police detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, in 2012, are asked to revisit their solving of a ritualistic murder case from 1995. The murder of a former student of the Light of the Way Christian Academy lays the foundation, for detective Cohle’s doubts about the true design of religion. The True Detective storyline portrays the utilization of religion, education, and politics, by men in power who manipulate and control young innocent children.
“It was during the troubled years of the 1860s that the Italian kingdom’s ruling class ruling class first heard talk of the mafia in Siciliy” (Dickie, s38, 2004). In this quote we find a potential reason to why the idea that the mafia was born during the making of the modern Italian state has become leading with scholars. Most likely this event shaped the mafia into what it has become because of the political influence that the Italian state bestowed upon Sicily. However, it is not unlikely that the mafia wasn’t already existing in Sicily during this time, and most definitely that criminal gangs of Sicily before this time had traits that were transferred into the mafia as it evolved under the new Italian kingdom. While the mafia is largely
For years police corruption has been a major problem in American society but where is the line between moral and unethical police corruption, many modern movies address this vary issue. Some films portray how types of police corruption can have a positive influence on society, while others show the dark side of police corruption. Many law enforcement agents join the criminal justice with the basic idea of "justice for all," however, most of them do not realize that the nice guy doesn't always win. Even though there are vast amounts of movies which specifically address police corruption we will use three main movies for our argument today, mostly LA Confidential, however, also Training Day.
Roman Polanski's neo-noir film Chinatown (1974) portrays authoritative figures indifferent to and complicit in rampant corruption. Notably, Chnatown is about the functions of evil in everyday life (Morrison 76). The movie title alludes to the overarching theme of crime and dishonesty fitting of Chinatown, a region where underground operations lurk and the law is disregarded. Far from unsettling society, widespread corruption is often overlooked. As the film progresses, the audience is rendered as disillusioned as the protagonist who discovers that his surrounding environment is not neutral, but is a force that needs to be interrogated (Orr and Ostrowska 108). Unfortunately, he would find expectations and attempts to correct the mistakes of his past bitterly thwarted.
Police corruption has been an issue that has left a lasting blemish on communities and society. Police corruption usually derives a lack of respect officer(s) feel that either the city does not care about them or they are not paid enough for their duties. Throughout this essay I will give you a better understanding on the issue that is police corruption by using terminology from the book such as the “rotten apple theory”, “blue wall of silence” and “deviant subculture”. With corruption this affects the view we have on police and it is up to us not fall into the trap of negativity and create a better society for the future.
The unlawful use of a person’s position while in power leads to multiple problems with today’s government. The corrupt methods politicians use are ideas that are strictly in place for personal gain. Present throughout history and still prevalent within today’s world, government corruption has consisted of a number of negative issues including bribery, economic and social impacts, and the misuse of power. Government’s role within daily life has been shown to have negative effects as seen in many aspects of life as well as in literature.