RIP, Dixie Carter

This weekend, Dixie Carter lost her life to endometrial cancer at the age of 70. It just so happens that she portrayed one of my favorite TV characters of all time: feisty, fiercely intelligent Julia Sugarbaker from Designing Women.

The show was ahead of its time, thoughtfully addressing social issues like AIDS when it was decidedly unpopular for a sitcom to do so. In particular, Julia's stinging diatribes against people whose actions she found objectionable often served as the social conscience of the show. Behold one such rant, a delicious dismantling of political pandering that is just as (if not more) relevant today as it was twenty years ago when it originally aired.

Like Julia, I think many of us pray "that people with power will get good sense, and people with good sense will get power." RIP, Dixie Carter.

Video games that promote sexual violence against women

Recent press coverage has been focused on "hentai" video games being produced in Japan and distributed all across the world in an underground manner. Hentai generally refers to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, and video games of this ilk have been available for years overseas. Recently, though, they have been "ripped" from DVD-ROMs and made available in digital format online - for anyone to download regardless of their location and their age.

The major problem with these games is that they seem to promote sexual violence against women, and present it in a way that makes the "player" believe it is a game, or part of a conquest, or a way to flirt, or that girls ask for it by how they dress and behave. In one scene depicted in the CNN story from a game entitled "RapeLay," the player pursues a girl, her sister, and her mom in a subway scene and is able to stalk her, back her into corners, lift her dress, fondle her, and rape her. While genitalia are obscured in the depicted graphics, the scene and action leaves little to the imagination.

Some argue that players "kill" other players in so many video games (Call of Duty, Resident Evil, Grand Theft Auto, Halo 3), and that it is commonplace and even banal. Playing such games has not affected the national murder rate (in any country), and so it is illogical to believe that sexually assaulting a girl in a subway might induce someone to do the same in real life. As such, the argument goes, hentai games should be available as their main purpose and outcome is entertainment for the gamer.

I completely disagree. To be sure, Japan has very high availability rate of violent games/movies/manga/hentai but also has a very low incidence of real-world crime and violence. As a criminologist, this is intriguing and so one wonders if the video games allow for escapism to engage in deviant acts, thereby alleviating a felt need to act out in deviant ways in the real world. Research, though, has not proven a link here and I believe it is due to cultural constraints in Japan where shame and dishonor is used to keep youth and adults in line. The availability of these games to teenagers in America (regardless of whether they are available on store shelves or downloadable from BitTorrent or other P2P sites) is what is concerning to me. This is particularly because youth in our country already seem hypersexualized, and where the phenomenon of dating violence and domestic violence occurs with some regularity.

I was chatting with Dr. Hnk, and she mentioned to me that this is what feminist and anti-violence activists mean when they talk about a "rape culture." It doesn't mean that someone playing RapeLay would automatically go out and rape someone, but games like that make light of rape, normalize, it, legitimize it, commodify it, etc., so that it is not seen as WRONG as it should be. "It's just a joke, haha." "It's just a game, haha." You get the picture.

Yes, we blast others to oblivion in first-person shooter games and have become desensitized to doing so in those environments. In fact, we've watched movies for decades which depict mass casualties and think nothing of it. However, games that encourage sexual aggression and violence against women crosses the line. I had friends in middle school who used to play "Leisure Suit Larry" on their Commodore 64 computers, and while Larry was all about sexual conquests, it was presented in a very cartoonish and far-fetched fashion - and nothing resembling "sexual intercourse" (consensual or otherwise) was ever depicted. Hentai games not only depict actual rape occurring, but do so in a way that celebrates it.

This cannot be tolerated. Women's Rights Groups are requesting that the Japanese government intervene because the gaming industry does not seem to be policing themselves and considering how this is affecting today's young males. If the current generation reluctantly accepts these games, the next generation will view them as normal - and will view the actions therein as endorsed and part of the current cultural milieu.

Friday CJ Funnies: Heroes in a Half-Shell Edition

In the mood to fight crime, early-90s hip-hop style? Have a mean crazing for pizza? Bear the moniker of a famed Renaissance philosopher or artist?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, I have just the video for you. Happy Friday, everybody. Turtle Power! (Choice lyric below.)

Partnerz in Kryme: "Turtle Power" (1990)



Lyrics:

T-U-R-T-L-E power
T-U-R-T-L-E power
T-U-R-T-L-E power
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

On a half shell, they're the heroes four,
In this day and age who can ask for more?
The crime wave is high with muggings mysterious,
All police and detectives are furious.
'Cause they can't find the source
Of this lethally evil force...

P.S. See also this, obviously.

Does SNL's Seth Myers Read the GBOC?

Surely he does, considering that last week's Weekend Update Thursday segment featured bits on the Roman Polanski arrest, AND the new Arizona law I blogged about. He even used my "shot" joke! Thanks for reading, Seth! We love you, too!

Vick is Back

Catching up on the news on ESPN.com and SportsCenter has been stressing me out. I have been forced to chose between my long love Favre and Rogers. I feel like Dylan from 90210.*



Then I finish watching the Tour, and I find out this guy is going to partner with RadioShack. I was just thinking that I needed new aero bars for my bike - off to the shack. What?!

On to the main reason for the post - Michael Vick. He is out of prison and it looks like back at work. For an excellent discussion of the original case, look here. Similar to NY Kid, I think that Vick received an appropriate sentence, and he served his time quietly. I strongly support the commissioner's decision to reinstate him in the NFL. It is important to note that Vick will likely not be reinstated fully until October - this is essentially equal to a 4 or 5 game suspension. Bryant has a nice discussion on the nature of the reinstatement.

Will he perform? Who will sign him? Who knows - the point is that he was given the chance.




*For the record, I have chosen the younger man (of course), and I will have a new fantasy football name to match. We should have openings for one or two players this year.

Totally Unshocking Crime Headlines, Vol. 17

"Chris Brown asks for forgiveness for assault"

a.k.a.: "Please forgive me for decimating my public image as a wholesome, clean-cut, O.C.-starring, guy-you-can-bring-home-to-mom anti-thug by choking my beloved pop-star ex-girlfriend to the point of unconsciousness and threatening to kill her as she sat in the passenger seat of my rented Lamborghini. Oh, and please, please, PLEASE still buy my records."

Fun Viral Videos for Your Wednesday

When time allows, I've got a few crime-related stories I'm looking forward to posting about. In the meantime, I wanted to quickly share two great viral videos I recently came across (neither of which, by the way, is the Susan Boyle video, though I watched that one a trillion times like everyone else on the planet).

First up, an economics less in a minute-and-a-half, courtesy of one funny guy and lots of pennies:



That's something else, isn't it?

(via the Daily Dish)

Depressed by the sight of all those pennies representing our national debt? Then I suggest watching this feel-good video, which features several hundred dancers surprising the passengers in an Antwerp, Belgium train station with a (seemingly) impromptu dance to "Do-Re-Me" from The Sound of Music. Seriously, just try not to smile:

You can find some commentary on why this video is so much fun to watch here and here.

(via...my dad!)

Happy Wednesday, all!

Friday CJ Funnies: Go Meat!

Having a new baby at home means that I've been spending far more time than usual watching TV. On the upside, I've watched so much HGTV over the last few weeks that I've got our next home completely designed and decorated in my mind. On the downside, I've been exposed to lots and lots of commercials. Some of these ads catch my attention because they are so weird and random. For example, take this CJ-themed Hillshire Farm "Go Meat!" commercial, which provides us with today's Friday CJ Funny:



LOL! I told you -- weird and random!

I've written before about the use of crime and justice images in advertising, and this commercial fits the mold of the other examples I wrote about. Note, for instance, its use of the following criminal justice tropes:

• the police radio dispatch ("Go Meat in progress. All units respond.")
• the "packing heat" pun ("That's some serious meat you're stackin'!")
• the badge-flashing FBI agents who pop out of hiding ("Listen up! Freeze! Call the press! Hearty Slices must confess!")

This plus the spyglass-wielding detective, the deputy boasting of meat "sliced so thick that it's a crime," the prisoner in shackles, etc. They sure do cram a lot of CJ images into this one brief spot!

This commercial had me both bewildered and bemused when I first saw it, so I thought it would make a great Friday CJ Funny. (It also lead me to check out other "Go Meat!" ads, my favorite of which is here. Seeing how much fun the folks in these ads are having almost makes me wish I ate meat. Almost.)

Happy Friday, everyone! Go Meat!

Keira Knightley in UK Domestic Violence PSA

The UK anti-violence organization Women's Aid has launched a national domestic violence awareness campaign, the cornerstone of which is a short film called "Cut" starring Keira Knightley:

Trigger warning.



I always enjoy it when celebrities become involved with women's and/or anti-violence organizations, especially high-profile celebs like Keira Knightley (see also Ashley Judd).

For information about the new campaign, click here.

P.S. Both EW and Feministing posted about this story this morning, too!

Friday CJ Funnies: This is NOT "Making It Work"

Some of you may have heard that Kenley Collins, Project Runway Season 5 retro-villain whom fans loved to hate, has been charged with assaulting her ex-fiancé. This, of course, is not funny. What is funny, however, is the nature of the alleged assault. According to EW:

Collins, who was arrested March 17 following the incident, admits to "gently" tossing her cat on the bed during an argument; ex Zak Penley, an artist and musician, told authorities that it was done with considerably more force. He also alleged that the initial toss was followed by a laptop, three apples, and some water. No word on the current state of the flying feline.

What?! A cat, a laptop, three apples, and some water? How weird and random is that?! As Tim Gunn would say, "I'm worried"...but mostly for the cat! Alas, Kenley's pic has not make it to The Smoking Gun's mugshot gallery, but if it does you can be that hers will be the best-styled one of the bunch. (With the possible exception of Paris Hilton, who looks remarkably put together in both of her mugshots.)

Random Gender Rant

Please pardon the interruption and, if you will be so kind, humor my brief indulgence in a small gender rant.

I'm sure by now many of you have seen this Chevy Silverado commercial, in which Chevy spokesman (and all-around man's man) Howie Long mocks the "man step" on another guy's Ford F-150:





I get it. It's supposed to be funny and make me laugh. Ford "man steps" are girly, but Chevys are manly! Ha ha!

But you'll excuse me if it doesn't make me laugh. Instead, it strikes me as one of the best (or worst) advertising examples of hegemonic masculinity I've ever seen. As a refresher, hegemonic masculinity refers to the idea that there is one "ideal" or culturally vaunted type of masculinity by which men who deviate from this standard (and women, of course) are subordinated. So, for example, in the U.S. the hegemonic masculine ideal is a man who is white, straight, Christian, tall, strong, physically able, handsome, adventurous, etc. Men who fit this ideal have the most social power, while men who do not (men of color, gay men, etc.) are relegated to less dominant social positions.

Watching this commercial, I was struck by the manner in which the Ford "man step" is derided. The not-so-subtle subtext is, "What kind of [wimp/girly-man/even worse epithet] would actually need a step on his tailgate? Not a manly Ford man, that's for sure!" And yet, when you think about people who might actually benefit from having a tailgate step, the list reads like a who's-who of people who deviate from the hegemonic masculine ideal:

• women
  
• short-statured men
  
• older men
• men with physical disabilities, injuries, or other limitations

Notice especially the exaggerated manner in which the Ford owner in the commercial methodically dismounts his truck bed using the "man step"... as opposed to a Chevy man who, given his superior physical prowess, would have just hopped right down. This segment of the ad serves to underscore how not manly the Ford owner is -- and, by contrast, how very manly Chevy owners (who do not require ridiculous "man steps") therefore must be.

As you can tell, I do not find this commercial funny at all. I also understand that my not laughing hysterically at it only supports the stereotype of the humorless feminist who can't just relax a little bit and laugh at a harmless commercial. But I just can't find the humor when, in 30 seconds flat, this commercial degrades the many people who would find a tailgate step useful in, or perhaps necessary for, owning/driving a pick-up truck.

OK, I'm done ranting now. To bring this back 'round to crime issues, check out Jana Bufkin's fabulous Social Justice article on hate crimes and hegemonic masculinity.

P.S. Scoob: I borrowed your "studs" and "men in chaps" tags. See, I'm not humorless, I swear!

Good Commentary on Domestic Violence

Currently CNN.com is running a commentary by author Leslie Morgan Steiner in which she draws parallels between Chris Brown's alleged assault of girlfriend Rihanna and her own abusive marriage. As someone who researches and works closely with battered women, I appreciated this passage from Steiner's essay the most:

What's hardest for outsiders to fathom is how lethal a cocktail love, hope and sympathy can be. I first fell for my husband the night he confided how he, like Chris Brown, had been traumatized as a young boy by domestic violence in his home...

Our culture encourages women to nurture men, making it predictable that many experience a seductive empathy for abusive men, as well as the misguided hope that love can obliterate an ugly past. (emphasis mine)

As any IPV researcher can attest, the "Why does she stay?" question often is the most pressing and persistent one asked of battered women. (Accompanying it, of course, is its silent but more sinister corollary: "If she stays, she must like it, or else she's too stupid to leave.") Among other topics, Steiner's brief commentary touches on some of the many reasons -- genuine love for their partners, sympathy for their abusive upbringing, hope that they will change -- why women stay.

As I said before, I am watching the Chris Brown/Rihanna case very closely, in large part to see what (if any) national dialogue about domestic violence is prompted as a result. Though there have been a few other domestic violence cases involving celebrities over the last few years (e.g., see Mindy McCready, Josh Brolin/Diane Lane, etc.), the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident arguably is the most high-profile, and involves celebrities who are extremely popular with young people in particular. Given this, the opportunity is ripe for a national conversation -- especially among teens and twenty-somethings -- about domestic violence. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

P.S. Leslie Morgan Steiner has a forthcoming memoir about her experiences with domestic violence.

News Media Loyalties

Random question: assuming you get to watch the Inauguration festivities on TV today, which channel will you be watching? Do you have one particular network that is your "go-to" network for big news events? Prior to Peter Jennings' passing I was staunchly pro-ABC -- I had more respect for him than any other network news anchor. I also used to be a big fan of Aaron Brown on CNN, but don't tune in quite as much anymore since his departure. (Though I do heart Anderson Cooper and enjoy Campbell Brown's editorials.) That leaves my viewing fealty to the NBC crew. I've been a Today Show loyalist since my teens, and I appreciate Brian Williams' slightly sardonic take on current events. (Plus, he's genuinely funny, as his SNL and Daily Show appearances attest.) So, our TiVo is set to NBC.

How about you? Whose coverage will you be watching? Or will you be tuning in via radio or Internet broadcast (or avoiding the whole thing all together)?

New True Crime TV Show

Those of you who are, like me, obsessed with true crime TV shows (The First 48, Locked Up Abroad, et al.) may be interested in a new A&E show premiering tomorrow at 10:00 p.m.: Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force. ("They are the best of the best, hunting down the worst of the worst....") You can check out the show's website here. Let us know what you think if you tune in!

Friday CJ Funnies: A Muppetized Munch!

I can only imagine how much all of you have longed to see a muppetized version of Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch. Good news, folks -- your wait is over. Please enjoy this great Sesame Street spoof, "Law & Order: Special Letters Unit":

Domestic Violence in the Spotlight

The October of a presidential election year is all about political news, and understandably so. But October also is noteworthy for another reason, one that I've regrettably neglected to share before now: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (read more here).

Sadly, recent events have catapulted domestic violence to above-the-fold headlines, even as the presidential campaigns are in overdrive heading into next week's election. The mother, brother, and 7-year old nephew of Oscar-winning actress, recording artist, and American Idol fan-favorite Jennifer Hudson were murdered over the weekend. Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in their south side Chicago home last Friday; her nephew's body was discovered in an abandoned vehicle a few days later.

Police have a suspect in custody: the boy's stepfather (and estranged husband of Hudson's sister, Julia), William Balfour. Balfour previously served time on an attempted murder charge; he's now locked up for violating the parole stemming from that conviction.

Until recently officials were mum about a possible motive for the crime, though they classified the slayings as "domestic-related". Today, though, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that "family disputes" are being investigated as a likely motive:

As Chicago police today continue their investigation into the slayings of three family members of actress-singer Jennifer Hudson, their primary suspect remains the estranged husband of Hudson's sister.

And a police source said the motive in the killings of Hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew could be related to ongoing disputes between the suspect and his estranged wife, Julia Hudson, and her family. One of those disputes was over unpaid car payments, sources said....

A source said Balfour told Julia Hudson he would kill her if he found out she had a boyfriend, despite the fact that he had other girlfriends....

Police believe that Balfour went to the Hudson family home Friday and shot through the front door, striking Hudson's brother, Jason. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, came into the living room, screaming, and Balfour shot her as well, sources said. (Emphasis mine.)

Until all of the facts of this case are unearthed, we have to be cautious about reaching conclusions. However, given what we know about the nature of male-to-female domestic homicides, this case certainly seems to fit the pattern.

While intimate partner homicides occur every day, intimate partner homicides involving relatives of a very famous and much-loved Hollywood celebrity do not. The Hudson murders offer a tragic and sobering reminder of why all of the work that is done on behalf of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is still very much needed.

Friday CJ Funnies: Get Back!

Just because I love to get catchy songs stuck in other people's heads, I offer you today's Friday CJ Funny: the classic "chain gang" scene from Cadence.  The look Private Bean (Charlie Sheen) gives at the very end makes me laugh every time.  

Enjoy, and remember: you've got me to thank when you're still humming this song throughout the weekend.  Get back!

 

The Passing of Paul Newman

By now Paul Newman's passing yesterday at the age of 83 is front page news. This is sad news indeed for the millions of fans who admire his performances in iconic roles -- including those in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Color of Money, and a host of other films -- during his sixty-year career in Hollywood.

Aside from being, in this blogger's humble estimation, the sexiest human being to have ever walked the face of the Earth, Newman starred in one of the best prison films of all time: Cool Hand Luke. I had watched this movie several times growing up, but found renewed appreciation for it once I began studying the criminal justice system in college.

"Cool Hand" Luke, the title character played by Newman, is sentenced to a rural Florida prison camp for cutting the heads off of parking meters. During his incarceration Luke refuses to bend to the system, earning him the respect of his fellow inmates and fostering an esprit de corps among the men. (Cool Hand Luke was Shawshank thirty years before Shawhank even existed.) Of course, the movie contains some famous dialog ("What we've got here is failure to communicate.") and some even more famous scenes: the original sexy woman washes a car scene*, the "nobody can eat 50 eggs" scene, and the "sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand" scene. Then there is the prison boxing scene (my personal favorite), in which Luke's refusal to stay down even though he is badly beaten by his opponent is a metaphor for his refusal to be beaten by the system:



For anyone looking for a great film to show in a corrections class, you can't go wrong with Cool Hand Luke. I know I'll be watching it again soon, if only to remember the brilliance of the late Paul Newman.

*Clip is semi-NSFW and is replete with sexual innuendo. (Duh.)

Friday CJ Funnies: Yes, She Won an Oscar

For your viewing pleasure today, here is a clip from one of my all-time favorite courtroom scenes: a moment from My Cousin Vinny in which Marissa Tomei, as Mona Lisa Vito, shows off her mad automotive knowledge skills. I had been debating which courtroom scene from this terrific movie to post, and ultimately this one edged out the "two yoots/what is a yoot?" bit.

Enjoy, and happy Friday!

Maintaining Focus Amid the O.J. Spectacle

So, OJ's back on trial. For crimes that don't involve the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman:

O.J. Simpson's robbery and kidnapping trial begins today with the attorneys outlining in opening statements what they expect to prove. Simpson, perhaps the most notorious criminal defendant in modern history, smiled and gave a thumb's up as he entered the Clark County Regional Justice Center.

You know, in a recent race and crime course I taught, I had my students watch a documentary about O.J. Simpson. Most of them were too young to remember his trial with any clarity, so just after the tenth anniversary of his acquittal (and shortly after the announcement of his quickly-aborted "If I Did It" book), we discussed in class the fundamental tension between (a) the cultural and societal significance of his acquittal (e.g., the symbolic victory of a Black man "beating" a white man's justice system that has long been regarded as a tool of oppression against Black men) and (b) the uncomfortable reality that he almost certainly got away with murder. We also discussed the extent to which the murders were recognized as lethal intimate partner violence, and the role the news media played in characterizing both the murders and Simpson's alleged involvement in them. It was an engaging, thought-provoking discussion I believe my students enjoyed very much, but when it was over I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit guilty that I had focused any attention at all on Simpson, even if only in my classroom. After all, how can there be justice for the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman when Simpson is the one receiving all of the attention?

Fast-forward a few years and Simpson is again dominating headlines. I sit here today wondering, can he please, please just go away? Not just figuratively, but literally?

Instead of wasting another second reading about O.J. Simpson, I encourage you to check out the Nicole Brown Simpson Foundation, whose mission it is to:

...pledge our time, our energy and our voices in an effort to educate the national and international communities to the dangers of domestic violence. We help organizations that shelter and protect families in crisis, support long term solutions and work with educational programs specializing in rehabilitation and job training. We will continue our work until domestic violence is eradicated.

Here's what I would love to see happen: every time Simpson's name is mentioned by the mainstream news media, a donation is made to the Nicole Brown Simpson Foundation. That way our collective attention stays focused firmly where it should: on the two victims who lost their lives and whose memories are honored by ongoing efforts to reduce domestic violence and empower its survivors.