There is no doubt that violence in contemporary television shows has always been a prominent feature. In Tuesday's lecture, Professor Harris mentioned popular crime and investigation shows, such as
CSI and
Criminal Minds. These shows are
pervaded by explicit violent acts, including grisly murders, shootings, stabbings, and other wicked acts of violence. But in some way, there is a Christian undertone in these crime and investigation shows, where the protagonists' primary goal is to solve, and ultimately prevent, crimes from recurring, thus reinstating the good within society.
Another show that shares the same concept with said crime and investigation shows but contains more of a Christian-oriented theme is none other than
Dog the Bounty Hunter. Duane "Dog" Chapman and his family of bounty hunters capture fugitives for a living, where they would receive monetary awards after each successful capture. The incorporation of violence is mostly attributed to the use of force when a fugitive resisted arrest. Although the portrayal of violence is more seldom in
Dog the Bounty Hunter than in
CSI or
Criminal Minds, the idea is still the same: use violence to stop violence.
However, Christianity is more blatantly depicted in the show. Before they set out to capture a fugitive, Dog and his family would huddle together, hold hands, and pray for their safety and protection. Moreover, after a successful capture of a convicted felon, Dog would sit beside them and have a personal one-on-one talk, where oftentimes he would lecture them about their mistake of committing the crime and he would question them as to why they did it. However, he would always encourage the captured fugitive to become a better person and to change their ways for the better. This concept is quite similar to
Criminal Minds;
since the show focused more on the criminals rather than the crimes, the Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) would often go more into depth with the suspects' personality and personal history and how it may have instigated them to commit the crime. Ultimately, this signifies the important Christian characteristics of prudence, understanding, and compassion.
So if the utilization of violence is contradictory to Christian belief and practice, why is it often included and emphasized in contemporary television shows with Christian undertones? Thoughts?
