Lydia BoinestEnglish 1102Assignment 2 Full Draft Tuesday, March 18, 2014IntroductionFlipping through the television channels now days its relatively difficult to avoid viewing aggression, or violence of some sort. Over the past couple of years I have noticed the growing fad of crime scene, murder mystery shows. One show in particular that I had seen growing in popularity was Showtimes Dexter. The show exhibits a seemingly normal guy who behind the scenes is a serial killer. The twist in the show is that as a serial killer he only will target other serial killers or murderers. This character, Dexter, is ironically portrayed as heroic in the show. The show is explicitly graphic when it comes to violence and the crime scenes. One who does not handle blood and gore well may not want to view the show. I myself often felt nauseous, or found myself squirming away from the screen at some points. Oddly enough I continued to watch the demented series, and it continues to grow in popularity as well. I enjoy the show along with many other viewers. The question that continues to pop up in my head is why do we find these types of shows so intriguing? How does viewing aggression in the media effect behavior in the real world? This paper explores the American fascination with serial killers; specific attention will be given to the increase of television shows focusing on serial killers, how media can inform violent behavior, and the buying and selling of memorabilia.

Literature ReviewGathering my own ideas and theories about why murder is so entertaining via the media I have decided that it is in relation to violence in the real world. To investigate why America finds violence so compelling I will discuss the research that I have obtained in order to expand my knowledge of the subject. The following terms build upon the inquiry of this paper.Terms:Serial killer: One who has murdered more then three people, often based off of a psychological gratification.Murderbilia: A token or item that is in relation to a crime scene or murderer.Sociopathy: A psychological disorder that enables one to see the difference between what is socially right and wrong. Someone experiencing this condition can have a sense of morality and a conscience. Increase of Television Shows Containing Serial KillersThe Hollywood Reporter states that there were seven new television shows containing serial killers in the year 2013. Thus showing the growing interest in violent media. Victor L. Smith ironically stated in his article from Taylor & Francis Online that Americans have chosen a serial killer for its next hero. He expands upon Americas craving for celebrities, and gossip stating that they are the crutch for entertainment. What could be more juicy of a topic then a murder? He also touches the idea of having a representation of death makes these shows intriguing. In the show Dexter the main character, Dexter, is diagnosed as a sociopath. A sociopath shows a sense of morality along with the presence of a conscience, however they lack the sense of right and wrong. In the show the disorder was somewhat glamorized in making Dexter seem as if he were more intelligent and superior to those around him. Has Americas mundane life led to the increase of violence in the media?

How Media Can Inform Violent BehaviorIn an experiment on the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics 223 students were used to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between aggression and media. The students responded to a questionnaire that showed a positive correlation between the violence and aggressive behaviors on the media and similarly reflective behavior. What is usually not acceptable in the community seems to be exceedingly prevalent in the media. When one views this in mass quantities it can seem normal or acceptable to use in the real world. How far can one stretch mirrored behavior from media? The Hollywood Reporter states that there has been several instances where mock murders and attempts have occurred that were seen on television. From the show Dexter in particular there have been three mock murders and one attempted murder also mimicking the televised serial killer. A women who replicated a murder scene from the show claimed that it looked so easy to do and get away with. I have pulled from this that the show has false conceptions about murder and how common it is. Producers of shows containing mass violence claim that viewing them will not have an effect in promoting violence in the real world. Ironically enough producers also claim that they do not encourage violent behavior, and that their shows are only reflecting real life. Statistics have shown that the amounts of murders occurring in the shows are inconsistent to those committed in real life. In seven seasons of the show Criminal Minds there were over 100 serial killers aired. Within that same time frame the FBI estimated about 40 serial killers in real-life United States. Also, the FBI reported that .2% of crimes committed are murders whereas a whopping 50% of crimes committed on television are murders. The overemphasized amount of violence seems to be completely ridiculous. In these shows it appears that extremely violent crimes occur in daily life when that is not typically the case. Aside from television violence is often present in video games. Some games starring serial killers allow you to put yourself in the shoes of one. The killing of the characters on the games could potentially desensitize one to murder. The Buying and Selling of MemorabiliaOne reason that we know that Americans have an odd interest in murder is the buying and selling of crime scene memorabilia. This is also often referred to as murderbilia. David Schmid analyzes the interest in this demented American pass time. He finds that murderbilia is often priced from 300 to 900 dollars an item. These tokens could be anything from a toenail to a lock of hair. The beginning of mass sell of these items was on Ebay after the Jeffrey Dahmer case. Dahmer was a real serial killer who took the lives of an estimated 18 people. After his arrest the bricks from his apartment were being sold at upwards of 500 dollars a piece. The site decided that the buying and selling of these items was inappropriate and soon after the start of the selling murderbilia was banned from Ebay. Majority of the people purchasing these items have been women whereas the majority of killers have been men. Are people idolizing these killers and putting them on some sort of high regard? What makes people purchase these items could be for a number of reasons: idolizing them, wishing they were the killer themselves, or even admiration for what the killer has done. Aside from murderbilia, there are many other ways in which murder has influence consumer culture. Video games, literature, and television shows portraying violence have produced t-shirts, posters, and other items that show violence or gore. A couple of items derived from Showtimes Dexter include blood spattered pillowcases and coasters. Entering the ConversationTelevision shows including serial killers, violence, and profanity continue to rise in popularity. I believe that part of the reason for the intrigue is from Americas curiosity about murder. Its possible that the interest is from the viewers sympathy for the victims or the relief they feel that its not them. Those who have actually viewed a body or witnessed a murder may not find this type of show to be entertaining. The issue at hand is: does all of the violence shown in media affect our communitys morals and norms? I believe that is does in the light that television can be a reflection of real life. If one becomes too absorbed into a television show, game or literary piece they may find the violent acts to be normal, then reflect them into real life situations. However, I am not suggesting that from one watching a murder on television that they are going to go and commit a murder themselves. I do believe that from the exposure to violence via the media the affects will include desensitizing viewers to aggressive behavior. I have found that shows exaggerate violence in a way that does not reflect real life. When one views a show that is fictional they should keep in mind that it may not be a true example of real life situations. Killers are glorified and seen as heroic in some shows. Dexter only kills other serial killers or murderers which makes him seem heroic in the viewers eyes. The way he goes about killing his victims is inhumane and disturbing. Ironically America has chosen a monster for its next superhero. As for the buying and selling of murderabilia, it seems that those purchasing the items have a demented sense of connection to the killer. It could be that they wish that they were the killer themselves or that they are living through the killer in idolizing them. I do not think that I would enjoy having murderers sock hanging on my wall as decoration. Violent MediaHow can we prevent negative outcomes in result of viewing aggressive media? I think that people should regulate the amount of violence they view in television shows or video games. Parents should monitor what their children view to make sure they are not being exposed to violent material. Many televisions have parental control settings so that parents can regulate what their children watch. So What? What makes the issue of violence in the media important? One reason that growing violence in the media is an issue is because that means impressionable children are viewing it more. A child who plays many violent video games may be more aggressive when in school or around peers. Another thing that could be picked up from media is profanity. Profanity is not generally accepted in the professional world or even in most social situations. With profanity increasing in the media, it is beginning to seem more normal. This has a negative effect on the community. As the saying goes, monkey see, money do.

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Schmid, David. Natural Born Celebrities: Serial Killers in America. 2005.http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=a_GwiSGfZFoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR4&dq=fascination+of+serial+killers&ots=nWrM1crduv&sig=nRnOHIB-waNN_xFY9tvxNM4qLSI#v=onepage&q=fascination%20of%20serial%20killers&f=false

Bond, Paul. "Study: TV's Newest Obsession Is Serial Killers."The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 28 June 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/serial-killers-tvs-newest-obsession-577337

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Smith, Victor L. "Our Serial Killers, Our Superheros, and Ourselves: Showtime's Dexter."Taylor & Frances Online. N.p., 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10509200902820688