Thursday, September 15, 2005

Court Dramas For Soap Lovers

I can't stand to sit through a segment of Court TV, for a number of reasons. For one thing, they have an obvious political agenda in almost every case they cover. I don't necesarrily say that I disagree with that agenda at all times, I just think it is out of place, unwarranted, unnecessary, and to be perfectly blunt, innappropriate. They are obviously commentators and pundits, I don't have a problem with that. On the other hand, I come away from it feeling like if I don't agree with them in their assessment of particular cases and/or criminal defendants, then I would be seen by them as either stupid, naive, or possibly even criminally suspect in my own right.

Another thing I have against them quite simply is the quality of their programming is lacking, to say the least. They have the sappiest movies and documentaries I have ever seen in my life gathered under the aegis of one single individual station. Well, I don't know, they might have some competition there with the Discovery Channel, and quite a few others as well, but the point is, the concept of this network should inspire much better, much higher quality than is usually presented here.

It didn't take me long watching them to figure out what a good lot of the problem is. Quite simply, this is a network geared toward women, that targets a female audience. As a result, if you are looking for variety on Court TV, I advise you to look elsewhere. You are pretty much limited here to celebrity trials. Failing that, if you want to see a certain trial on Court TV, consider the following criteria. If it doesn't involve a sexual component, such as child molestation, or spousal abuse of some form, or rape, then it doesn't matter how compelling or even how important the case might be. It is simply not going to make it onto Court TV.

A case in point involves the recent assasination of the incumbent County Sheriff of Pulaski County, whose popularity virtualy guaranteed re-election befoe he was gunned down at a fish fry campaign appearrance. Luckily, the assassin, who had attempted to flee on motorcycle after shooting the sheriff from long range, was quickly apprehended, due to quick thinking and professional reactions by deputies present. It then turned out that the person who had initiatd the asassination was none other than the Sheriff's main opponent in the Sheriff's election in Pulaski County. And he had a partner-in-crime, said to be in fact the major mover and shaker in the plan, a man who was in fact a major figure in the illicit drug trade in the area.

All three of them were brought to trial though there was some plea bargaining that eventually resulted, but the point is that, for all the imporance and interest that would seem to be apparrent for a case like this, you never heard it mentioned on Court TV. Why? Well, there was no sex, no rape, no woman scorned, no chld molestation or abandonment, no sexual harrassment. Nothing, in other words, the decision makers of Court TV would consider would be of interest to their one and only tageted audience, the American woman. I suppose the presence of bereved family doesn't count.

I suppose I should count my blessings. After the way such luminaries on the network as Diane Diamond and Goria Allred and her daughter have spent such inordiante amounts of time making complete asss and bitches out of themselves, that is, in the way they cover cerain trials. One can not help but conclude they are actually attempting to prejudice any potential jury trial that might arise as a result of criminal prosecutions.