There is no such thing as perfect places or people

Summary

The article critiques the portrayal of crime in media, questioning the idyllic representation of certain locations and the idealization of victims, particularly white females, while highlighting the overlooked narratives of other victim demographics.

Abstract

The author expresses a fascination with crime shows, acknowledging their educational value in understanding human behavior and motives behind violence. However, they challenge the common trope that crimes only happen in "unexpected" places, arguing that quiet, rural areas are often the sites of heinous acts, historically linked to serial killings and racial violence. The article also criticizes the tendency to sanctify victims, especially white females, as universally loved and physically attractive, suggesting this narrative marginalizes victims who do not fit this mold, such as those with mental health issues, sex workers, or Black women. The author points out that the crime genre often perpetuates a stereotype of the white female victim as perfect and the male predator as sexually obsessed, while ignoring the complex realities of violent crime. The piece concludes by emphasizing the need for a more nuanced and inclusive representation of crime, its victims, and its perpetrators.

Opinions

The author is skeptical of the portrayal of certain places as immune to crime, emphasizing that quiet, rural areas can be hotbeds for serious offenses.
There is a critique of the media's tendency to idealize victims, particularly white women, which can lead to the erasure of other victims' stories.
The article suggests that the repeated descriptions of victims as universally loved and beautiful are unrealistic and contribute to a hierarchy of victimhood.
The author believes that the crime genre often fails to address the diversity of victims and perpetrators, and the complexity of their lives and circumstances.
The piece underscores the importance of recognizing that crime can happen anywhere and to anyone, and that vigilance is key regardless of one's environment.
There is an underlying call for the crime genre to evolve and provide a more balanced and realistic depiction of crime and its impact on society.

There is no such thing as perfect places or people

I watch crime shows often. I don’t know whether it’s the study of the human condition , the science , the motives or just addicting on a need to be informed type of level. Shows about murderers and death aren’t entertaining in the traditional sense but they do fill that rabid curiosity about the what’s and why’s of people who kill. Crime shows remind me to be wary and discerning with the world; killers seem to be found in the unlikeliest of places. And statistics point to people in our lives being the most likely to do you harm. Ain’t that something? It’s not the raving weirdo or just released from jail fiend, but people who you sleep with , eat with and cry with who will hurt you the fastest.

One thing that has annoyed me a little watching so many of these shows is the repeated descriptions of places being the “ last place you would ever expect something to happen”. Maybe it’s the jaded, crime accustomed New Yorker in me or maybe cause dark, rural country landscapes have often seemed very scary with their desolate natures and lack of people. But I watch enough of these shows to know, quiet, rural places are the exact type of places where the craziest of crimes can happen. Quiet , rural and suburban locations have shown throughout history to be the birthplace of many a serial killer. Quiet, rural environments in the South were the homes to the lynchings of thousands of Black Americans. Quiet , rural environments are specifically why we created things like the Green Book to inform Black travelers of safe spaces and places to avoid. So maybe it’s the privilege of other people who don’t have that history of being hunted that they look fondly to their little , quiet towns, where they leave their doors open and everyone knows everyone. It breeds an arrogance about your untouchability , a blindness to the madness around you. Crazy is lurking everywhere.

Another thing that kinda annoys me on a slightly lesser level is the sanitation of victims. Being murdered and knowing someone who was murdered has to be one of the most horrible of experiences. To think that someone felt in their right to simply take another’s life. Someone decided they were going to be God and you had no right to continue living. Flat out this is dead wrong and inexcusable. That said and it’s almost guaranteed particularly if the victim is female and white, that she was “ the nicest person ever and everyone loved her”. What a beautiful sentiment. What a beautiful person if such is the case. But I find when the same words are repeated as well as the frequent descriptions of such victims as “ drop dead gorgeous”, “absolutely beautiful”, there is need to deify the victims. Now I’m not saying people should bash the dead but no one is always perfect. No one appears to be drop dead gorgeous and beautiful to everyone. And finally I can’t help but feel like these cases make it seem as though only certain types of victims matter. If Girl W was a loner, who lived with depression and PTSD, who engaged in sex work, who wasn’t always the nicest person, then it doesn’t matter if someone killed her. Those kinds of cases barely get coverage. Similarly in the rare cases of Black female victims, rarely do I hear the same type of commentary about her being drop dead gorgeousness or her being absolutely beautiful.

The crime genre in many ways is overwhelmingly slanted to position white female victims and every other type of male as her predator. The white female victim was perfect in appearance, in life position and in the events that transpire. The usual male predators are usually driven by sexual violence and an obsession with the white female victim that got out of hand. Not to mention all the husbands and boyfriends who seem to be allergic to divorce and breakups. They’d rather participate in search and rescue missions, do crocodile tear interviews as they continue hiding evidence and alluding the authorities months or even decades . It’s a cruel world.

Understand I have empathy for all people who experience violent crime. I just think that the crime genre falls way short sometimes in the crimes they choose to address, the deification of victims which leads to erasure of victims who don’t fit acceptable metrics and the rural / suburban wonderlands are overdone. It is 2023 and crime happens everywhere , all of the time. Always watch your surroundings and the people around you.