TV writer Steve Harper considers the morality of watching TV with dark themes.
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After viewing the second season premiere of House of Cards, I chose to stop watching. Even though several of my friends are celebrating the show’s return and think Season 2 is excellent, I won’t go back.
Sure, the show is well written and well acted. The production values are excellent. But I can’t get behind a murderous anti-hero. I won’t cheer on a protagonist who harms people in order to indulge his paranoia—in order to get what he wants. For me, it feels too close to the spirit of Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law to rank as fun or entertaining.
In all transparency, I am a writer: a published and produced playwright and I write for television. I understand the need to draw an audience and to create a compelling story. I understand the value of conflict in storytelling and that sometimes the most interesting material involves dark subjects and bad behavior.
I’m also a black gay man and I’ve experienced some real life random acts of violence: some bullying, some threats—some scary situations.
A year after completing college I was walking to the subway after seeing a play in New York. Two white men, thinking I was the guy who stole their van, chased me down a city street, grabbed me and pinned me to the hood of a car.
My glasses went flying. A crowd gathered. I was held there until the police broke it up.
Years later, in Baltimore, two black kids threw a bottle at my partner and me, yelling a homophobic slur at us.
Neither incident is as horrible as the Trayvon Martin case or the other recent cases in Florida that resulted in murder. I walk with a sense that violent things can happen at any moment, engineered by people whose call to action is in direct proportion to their paranoia and their ego. I don’t want to watch programs that put those people front and center.
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I want TV to be as exciting as the next guy. I regard The Sopranos as one of my favorite shows. Tony was a murderous crime boss, yes, but he was also in therapy – working to be a better husband, father, and a better man. His moral struggle was built in to the premise.
House is another show I loved. He was a nasty and opinionated, and focused on solving medical ‘puzzles’ more than helping patients, but he was ultimately saving lives.
Our current TV climate is full of programs that celebrate the violent controlling protagonist; the bad guy without a conscience, who believes his enemies have it coming. Look through the TV listings and notice how many titles suggest underhanded behavior as the primary attraction. I don’t understand the trend.
Many of my black, gay and/or female friends enjoy this kind of material. Some of them claim to dislike dark programming, but they’re still drinking the Kool-Aid. No one I’ve spoken to has been able to reconcile this disparity with a compelling argument.
I want to watch TV programs that that are life-giving in some way; shows that feature people trying to make the world a better place. That’s what I want to watch because that’s the kind of man I want to be.
When writers use violent, dark moments as something for characters to move through I’m on board. But television that takes a pornographic interest in the dark side of human nature is not my bag.
To me, there’s nothing romantic or fun about characters that think nothing of homicide. I’m not interested in cheering on a bully or a killer on a weekly basis. It’s too close to real life, and for me, it’s far from entertaining.
Is it paranoia or a from of collective voyeur catharsis? We also seem very much obsessed with “celebrity” and people being famous for being famous. Social media has provided an overwhelming avalanche of over sharing that makes privacy and grace a thing of the past.
Seems to me that the attraction of these shows is the ability to explore these issues in the safety and comfort of ones home where we can discuss and decide on the merits and values the writers choices represent and agree of disagree with them. I find that both entertaining and valuable.
My guess is this: In an environment soaked with scandal, the popularity of shows and characters like this reflects a general paranoia among the viewing public. Every day we have headlines about some public figure being disgraced; I think this has made us wary of our fellow human, believing anyone could be the next Anthony Weiner, Oscar Pistorius, Lance Armstrong or A-Rod (and I’m going to apologize now that all the examples I’m naming are men, these are just the names that come to mind). Nowadays, you can’t talk about the virtues of Ghandi, MLK or Nelson Mandela for two… Read more »
You are, of course, advertising the show here. Silence is a profound boycott, but a disciplined one. Speaking out superficially against something doesn’t leave people not wanting to watch, it leaves them curious and more likely to watch. Then again, I suspect that you knew that and the idea is to get as many blog views as you can. Does the show pay you for this press?
I am not, nor have I ever been employed by House of Cards or Netflix.That’s a pretty cynical view, Jerry. I don’t believe Silence = Boycott as you suggest, I do believe the (AIDS activist) slogan Silence = Death. In the article I’m referencing some painful personal experiences to make a point (not at all superficial) about a trend in our entertainment culture that rubs me the wrong way. If that drives you toward watching House of Cards, that’s your business. I believe it could just as easily drive viewers away – as it drove me away. As for your… Read more »
I think you’re missing the point and taking it personally. This brought up shadows in your life, Steven. I can’t wait to see them both go down…hard! That’s the whole point…these people are truly bad people. I haven’t cheered them on since I realized what their agenda was and the depth of their deceit and treachery early on in season 1. I love Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright because they are good actors, not because of the people they portray. I HATE their characters. Do you want to love/hate a character…try the character Doug Stamper!
I felt the same way about 24. Jack Bauer is an anti-hero in my eyes, yet most would argue he’s more moderately affixed in a modern s(h)ituation (my word). I don’t think freedom is something to joke about, or take lightly, yet Me. Bauer saves lives by sacrificing liberty for security. In so doing, he is a proponent for Big Brother. If any anti-hero show isn’t filled with consequences, its problematic to the viewers who are like you mr Harper, no one likes when bad guys win. As Wes said, we want to see them fall. The drama is eye… Read more »
I totally agree with you. I really dislike the current trend of anti-heroes that people seem to love. I won’t watch shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad. My friends argue that their behavior is justifiable but to me it isn’t. But to try to explain it… I have a friend who used to work as a dominatrix and she told me one time that the more stressed out a person was the more they wanted escalated graphic and violent things done to them. She said you could see a pronounced spike especially when the economy got bad. I wonder if… Read more »
Very interesting Leah I tend to agree Part of the attraction of breaking bad initially is the thrill of seeing a man stymied by the system using his cunning mind to find a way out. Eventually though his human fallibilities and Shakespearean ambition and pride get the better of him and a morality play ensues. But essentially disempowered people want tales that show a protagonist beating the oppressive system so many people are currently stifled by. Unfortunately the criminal life seems to be all that us proposed. And in these shows the antihero is doomed anyway as the system always… Read more »
Part of the fun of watching Horrible Bosses was seeing all three of them get what was coming. Especially seeing Kevin Spacey’s character get sent to prison.
Funny, I don’t root for hit at all, yet enjoy the show. To me, it’s just an exploration of human nature, justification, competition trumping values, oh, and absurdity (none of this would ever happen…right? God I hope not). I guess I’m in it more for the shock value and entertainment. And I guess deep down I believe Frank will be found out, justice and right will prevail.