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17 year old Anthony Conley murdered his 10 year old brother by strangulation, then put his head "in a plastic bag so that blood wouldn't 'get everywhere.'" He claimed 'he identified with Dexter Morgan, the main character in Showtime's "Dexter," which chronicles the life of an undercover Miami blood spatter expert who doubles as a serial killer."
I have seen one episode of this show (which was terrible), and I am assuming that the protagonist kills "bad people," preumably mostly males(?)... people like drug dealers, criminals, etc. I cannot think of another example of a TV show that is so likely to inspire real life murder. I am basing this theory on the following thoughts:
1) The protagonist is a serial killer, who is a somewhat likeable male.
2) The show tends to be a sort of "black comedy" - the humor aspect probably tending to further trivialize the real world effects of murder.
3) Dexter kills "bad people", or people he determines "deserve to die." The same rationale is often apparently used by serial killers (Sutcliffe being the obvious example) who kill people that they deem worthless, or who deserve to die. Perhaps this is an oversimplification, but the shows premise is highly questionable in my opinion.
4) Such a show essentially provides a blueprint of how to kill, and get away with it.
5) The show is essentially a "serial killer fantasy" played out on TV... this is the type of thing Ted Bundy talked about the night before he was executed: "I hope that those who I have caused so much grief, even if they don't believe my expression of sorrow, will believe what I'm saying now; there are those loose in their towns and communities, like me, whose dangerous impulses are being fueled, day in and day out, by violence in the media in its various forms - particularly sexualized violence. What scares me is when I see what's on cable T.V. Some of the violence in the movies that come into homes today is stuff they wouldn't show in X-rated adult theatres 30 years ago. "
6) Two murders so far have been supposedly "inspired" by this show. Both were males killing other males.
I am curious what others think about this issue.
Rob H
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