Crime comics and TV parallels

[Yoc]

Anyone else notice a close parallel between a typical Lev Gleason crime comic and an episode of say Criminal Minds?
Obsessive detail on how the crime or killers do their deeds with an inevitable comeuppance at the end.  Crime never wins but let's have fun watching killers at work.
Seems like American TV has almost no limits on the levels of violence they will allow but show a nipple and Janet Jackson should go to jail.

What upsets me though is these shows can be seen in repeats in the afternoons (kids are home from school) when they were originally made to be shown after 9PM.

[tilliban]

Interesting thought there, Yoc.
I, too, am frequently shocked how limitless violence on TV has mushroomed.
They are outdistancing even the horrid crime comics from da 40s and 50s.
Where's Doc Wertham when you need him?
 

[Yoc]

Well, I think we've got enough witch doctors selling snake oil with massaged data out there already.  Doc W would be lost in the forest today.

But seriously I haven't seen a crime comic yet that the killer's methods were not seen on TV.  Even the old EC death by rats was on one!  TV goes even further in their gruesome methods without the poorly printed artwork to lessen the effect.  Knowing the worst of it was on after kids were in bed lessened the concern for me (I admit I loved Dexter and Breaking Bad) but when I noticed you could see marathons of these crime shows in afternoons I feel they've crossed the line.

[CBpop]

I have to agree with you Yoc, I have given up on a lot of the “material” being shown on the media.  That's why I  turned a corner of my book room into a library for our grand kids with comics and age appropriate reading material.  So far, it's been a success and I can discuss the books with the kids, even the crime and horror comics.   I have also rediscovered the joy of reading juvenile fiction

The television isn't the only source of violence,  video games have come a long way from a simple bouncing ball of light to the blood and guts “mature” video games found on game consoles today.  Another reason to be a DCM member, reading the adventures of heroes from the golden age 

[Yoc]

Sounds like you've got a nice thing going there with your reading library CB.  I recall hearing an amazingly high percentage of American's read almost nothing anymore and they honestly sounded proud of the fact!
With movies and video games there is a rating system and you make a choice if you wish to consume it or allow a child to do so.  I don't mind adult content made for adults.  I'm actually very anti-censorship, But with free tv (even with ratings nobody understands or warnings) it's just so easy for kids to see inappropriate material.  Pretty much the time it's shown is about the only thing that might work.

Then there is the stuff that looks like it's a kids show but look closer and it most definitely is Not!  The worst one I ever saw was called 'Happy Tree Friends'.  Holy cats was that a violent show!!