first 48 (and court tv and true crime shows)

[deathroe]

Do any of you watch First 48 on A&E? I've gotten kind of in to that, and some of the real detectives really are characters in their own right. It's fascinating how like the fictional detectives they are. And it's a great show, really.

That said, for reasons sometimes I wonder about the ethics of watching true crime shows or being interested in true crime--if it's good for oneself, it if desensitizes one, if the shows themself are exploitative. I also know that some people watch shows like LOCI for the escapism value--I know I do--and some people wouldn't want to watch a true crime show because it's not escapist. One thing that I find questionable in myself, though, perhaps, is the tendency to use real crimes AS escapism. I do have a tendency to find myself glued to that type of show ...

Thoughts? I'm curious what the rest of you think about true crime and its "morality."

[deathroe]

Right now, I'm watching a female detective on *First 48* who has seven detectives working under her. It's really interesting to see a real-life counterpart to Van Buren or Eames.

I cannot recommend this show enough if you are suffering CI withdrawal. I find it gripping.

[DonnaJo]

I'm surprised at myself for NOT enjoying real life crime shows, since my Bachelor's Degree is in Criminal Justice, although I wound up becoming a paralegal, not a cop, after college. I did work summers at the 109th Precinct in Queens, NY. My first summer was the "Summer of Sam" and our precinct housed the Task Force in charge of the case, and the eventual capture of David Berkowitz.

I'll never forget what that room was like, with all the Detectives scrambling around, on the phone, talking with people etc.. It was far from glamorous - none of those Detectives in any way looked or acted like any Detective on television, especially the handsome & clever Robert Goren. Mind, you, they were great guys. But it's like thinking that ER is like a real hospital & the doctors & nurse's are accurately portrayed.

So, I prefer to stick with fantasy. Even shows like 20/20, when they capture the sex predators sort of bother me. In a weird way, I feel sorry for some of them, especially the ones who are so lonely & sad & confused it hurts to even hear what they have to say.

[deathroe]

Makes sense to me. It seems that the people who watch the cop shows and reality shows might be two separate groups of people ... and of course they are ALL exploitative. I can understand why sometimes the victims' families might want exposure for a given case, but that's abou it!

First 48 is the only one that I can really stand, possibly because it seems to be so based on the technique of the case as opposed to the sensationalism. Still, it's a guilty pleasure. I like seeing the individual detectives; I find that part very interesting.