As some of you may or may not know, I am a huge fan of both 24 and Lost. I watch them religiously, and I think about them constantly. Recently, they have both been in the news as Human Rights Organisations have questioned the abundance of torture that is portrayed in these shows. I have never thought of myself as someone who would condone the use of torture or even as someone who would find entertainment in the depiction of it. But it is true; my two favourite shows use it quite a lot. In Lost, there is usually a lot of remorse surrounding the use of torture. Poor Sayid is tortured by his own use of torture. He feels really bad about it; and really seems like he will never torture someone again.
Now Jack Bauer, on the other hand, tortures an average of ten people per day ... at least. He is also tortured quite a lot. Heck, everyone is tortured on 24, that's just what happens. Sometimes I even find myself yelling "bring in Johnson!" to the television (Johnson is CTU's torture guy - although anyone can torture anyone). What is going on here and just how did torture get so trendy? How is all of this entertaining torture affecting the real world?
Martin Miller of the LA Times reported on this issue of increased torture and reported that "from 1996 to 2001, there were 102 scenes of torture, according to the Parents Television Council. But from 2002 to 2005, that figure had jumped to 624, they said. "24" has accounted for 67 such scenes during its first five seasons, making it No. 1 in torture depictions, according to the watchdog group.
The increase in quantity is not the only difference. During this uptick in violence,
the torturer's identity was more likely to be an American hero such as "24's" Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) than the Nazis and drug dealers in pre-9/11 days. The action-packed show, which drew a hefty 13.6 million viewers last week, was among the first and certainly the most prominent to have its main character choke, stab, or electrocute — among other techniques — information out of villains."It's unthinkable that Capt. Kirk would torture someone," Danzig said.
While hardly alone in the entertainment universe of television and movies in portraying torture, shows such as "24" and later ABC's "Lost" were sought out by the human-rights activists because of their popularity, both here and around the world. Even in Iraq, such series can sometimes substitute for or trump military training, and transmit a dark message to soldiers.
"That's all people did in Iraq was watch DVDs of television shows and movies. What we learned in military schools didn't apply anymore."
EEK! 24 and Lost inspiring real soldiers and how they are really acting in the real war?
(Unfinished)
5 comments:
im not much of a fan of 24 but lost is ok and smallville better then anything else
from bmxking23
After reading your post on how torture in television shows inspiring real soldiers to torture humans in places that are in war torn areas I decided to reply. As awful as this may sound, I do not think that showing torture would really affect soldiers actions because before these shows existed, torture existed. I do not think that soldiers currently in war actually get to watch these shows on a weekly basis due to the lack of electricity in the area. Torture is violence and violence is a natural human characteristic. By showing torture on television I think that it is showing the truth, no matter how horrible, of things that actually happen in the world. Two words that make my point stronger: Guantánamo Bay.
I have to say I disagree with Sayid feeling bad about the tourture of the women in his flashback. Although he may have felt bad, he did not completely change his ways. While on the island, Sayid uses tourture to get answers out of both Sawyer and "Herny". I do however feel that the tourture was done for good reason in both situations.
The fact is that torturers have learned to torture from "24" -- read a real interrogator's story at http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/ under "primetime torture." "People are getting their ideas from that," says Tony Lagouranis in the video clip. He was at Abu Ghraib and knows what he is talking about.
I don't really belive that television shows actually affect current day torture acts, partly because the soilders wouldn't get to watch those shows regularly, and also i don't think anyone actually thinks torture is "fun" or "cool" but think it is actually only a act as revenge or a way of getting info from the opposing army/prisoner etc. or maybe even 2 show how "manly they are. but in short no i don't think television shows affect the actions of soilders in the present day wars.
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