Cops - a rant

[meda]

So Mr. meda, who is otherwise a sane, not a fan of authority sort of guy, LOVES the show Cops. Every Saturday if we are home he insists on watching an hour of buzz cut, not-very-bright local police stomp, taze, throw around and otherwise belittle the poor, drug addicted, and marginalized in their respective communities.

 

I actually have a lot of respect for, and am related to several law enforcement folk, so this is not an ant- police rant, I simply don't understand the behavior of the police on that show, or the glee they seem to get from stomping on poor people on TV. Bleech.

[Kaylee]

I think they look for the more over the top types to be on the show, and then they pump it up for the camera, and it is edited to only show the "exciting" stuff. I have several issues with COPS and similar shows, because I think they give the public a bad perception of LEOS, can be used by LEOS with abusive tendencies to justify their behavior as normal, and because I think they make the cops on camera feel like they have to act "tougher". I also think it's crappy that they can show people on camera being arrested and think the little disclaimer about "innocent until proven guilty" really matters to the people who have been shown on there and recognized.

National Geographic did an episode of their prison show "Lockdown", which is sort of similar, at the prison where I worked. Watching the episode made it seem so much different than how things really were (and how boring they were in reality on most days), but the administration did certain things that were definitely for the benefit of the camera crew (3x the normal staff for a shakedown, plus people trying to be extra tough for the cameras, a minor thing being talked about and portrayed like some huge drug ring, etc). It was sketchy enough in a prison, but I think it's even worse when they do it on the street and involved people who are not even convicted yet. Some of those situations can be very dangerous, and you know the film crew is a huge distraction.

[twin2]

Maybe one day the Pissing Preacher will make an appearance on the show.

Once on Roseanne, when the credits were running they did a spoof of Cops, it was hilarious. Off to try and find it on youtube.

ETA: found it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA_uGwS7w3o

[Guest Anonymous]

I dunno if it's okay to overlap shows in a thread, but I hate Police Women of ______ more. If you really pay attention, most of the time they just look idiotic...like they're stuggling to get the woman in on the action for the sake of filming. Other (male) officers will already have the scene under control and then the police woman runs up to the car with her gun ready yelling for seemingly no reason.

This is particularly true with this one

[Nora509]

Try to get him into Alaska State Troopers instead. It's a similar show but much more tolerable than Cops.

[anniebgood]

Maybe one day the Pissing Preacher will make an appearance on the show.

Once on Roseanne, when the credits were running they did a spoof of Cops, it was hilarious. Off to try and find it on youtube.

ETA: found it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA_uGwS7w3o

Thanks for that! I'm having a miserable morning with hives all over and that made me laugh so hard!

[twin2]

Thanks for that! I'm having a miserable morning with hives all over and that made me laugh so hard!

I aim to please. Roseanne was such a good show in its day. I still enjoy catching an original episode in reruns.