Kristin Hollins
Chicago PD: Good Cop, Bad Cop
036:065:001-002 Spr14 Television
Criticism
Who doesn’t love a good cop show? A
little shooting, a little blood, and a whole lot of badass. You can be a part
of the action all while sitting safely in the presence of your own home. Crime
shows have made a significant increase on television in the last few years
giving viewers the opportunity to see how cops deal with life threatening crime
cases. But are these representations of cops accurate to the real life cops
that roam the streets? No, not really, but that does not change the fact that
viewers think that the cops on TV are accurately represented. What is seen on
television significantly influences viewer’s outlooks on the world around them.
Television helps sculpt viewer’s opinions of the world based upon what they see
on TV, even if what is being shown is not entirely accurate. The
representations on a show can lead to negative outlooks by viewers. An example
of negative representation is present in the American television legal drama, Chicago PD.
Chicago
PD is about an
intelligence unit that cleans up the streets of Chicago dealing with extreme
levels of violence and hostility. Like most crime shows, the cops in Chicago PD solve crimes for their city
and lock up the “bad guys”, however, in this particular show the cops do not
always take on the “good cop” role as most cops do. Many of the cops in Chicago PD are represented maliciously
through their dirty actions. The way the majority of the cops on Chicago PD are represented gives viewers
a negative outlook on the real life Chicago cops. The show represents the cops
in a negative light, which is then transferred to how viewers of the show view
the Chicago cops in real life. Examples of the malicious and violent behaviors
are seen in episode 2, “Wrong Side of the
Bars”. In episode 2 Sergeant Hank Voight is shown on multiple occasions
mentally torturing criminals, where at times viewers might mistake him as a
“bad guy”. Sergeant Voight is one of the main characters in Chicago PD and he takes on the role of
the “bad cop” by verbally and physically abusing suspects throughout the show,
so viewers are exposed to these unacceptable behaviors in each episode. He is
seen mentally torturing the suspects by handing a knife to his partner telling
him to stab a knife into the suspect’s eye if the suspect fails to give them
the evidence they are in need of. Another incidence in this episode where the
cops take on a “bad cop” role is when one of the officers punches a criminal
repeatedly in the face after the criminal is handcuffed. Another officer is
seen verbally assaulting a criminal and then punches and kicks the man until he
falls to his knees. The suspect is denied a lawyer and is instead verbally
abused by the cops. In the
end, the cops may have locked up the criminals, but the malicious actions
portrayed in the episode keep viewers from looking at the officers as “heroes”.
The cops in this episode are represented negatively which is obvious to the
viewers of the show. The negative representation of the cops creates a negative
outlook on the Chicago cops that in real life protect the Chicago community. Viewers
will see the Chicago cops as malicious and each violent act that takes place in
Chicago PD will be associated with Chicago’s
real life cops. In reality the Chicago cops are not brutally assaulting
suspects and playing the “bad cop” role. They are simply doing their job with
no unnecessary violence. Each cop wants to be seen as a positive role model for
society, who protects and serves his or her community to make the community a
safer place. These positive actions portrayed by cops are not always displayed
in the show because they are not as entertaining to watch as watching an
officer beat up a criminal. Viewers do not always get to see the accurate representations
of the Chicago cops in this show because the accurate representation is not as
dramatic and exciting to watch.
The negative representations of cops in Chicago PD are not the only aspect of
the show that has an affect on the outlook of viewers. The way viewers view the
city of Chicago is altered as well due to the increased and intense amount of
crime that is portrayed on the show. Chicago
PD makes the city of Chicago appear as if it is filled with crime and gang
violence. In each episode the Chicago cops are chasing after gangs and serial
killers making the city look dangerous and brutal to live in. The show makes
Chicago look like a dark and unsafe place. The positive aspects about Chicago
are not expressed to viewers and the city is only seen as a crime filled danger
zone. Chicago PD makes it hard for
viewers who have not traveled to Chicago before to see Chicago in a positive
light. Their outlooks on Chicago are influenced by the way the city is
perceived on the show. The negative actions that are portrayed belittle what
the city truly has to offer. While there is crime in every city, the amount of
crime and level of violence represented on Chicago
PD is significantly increased. In order to have an entertaining show that viewers
want to watch, the plot of each episode must excite the viewers in some way and
violent crime tends to do just that, so the intensity and amount of crimes
represented in each episode is heightened for entertainment purposes. The
accuracy of how Chicago cops really act (not engaging in unnecessary violence) is
not always displayed, but the portrayal of dirty cops that supply sweat and
blood makes for entertaining TV.
Chicago PD negatively portrays Chicago cops and the
city of Chicago, which in return leads to viewers having a negative outlook on both
the city of Chicago and its cops. The show represents Chicago as a crime filled
danger zone with dirty and malicious cops who serve it, which in reality is not
the case. The representations made in Chicago
PD are crucial to the outlooks viewers will have. Viewers must keep in mind
that the actions made during the show are exaggerated for entertainment
purposes and are not a realistic representation of the City of Chicago and its
cops. What is seen on TV helps shape viewer’s attitudes of the world around
them, even if what is being shown is not entirely accurate.
Work Cited
"Bad Cop,
Good Cop - Chicago PD." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 27
Mar. 2014.
Brandt, Michael,
and Derek, Haas. "Wrong Side of the Bars. "Chicago PD. NBC. Chicago, Illinois,15 Jan. 2014. Television.
Chicago Cops.
Digital image. Los Angeles Community Policing. Lacp.org, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
"Chicago PD
1x02 Promo "Wrong Side of the Bars" (HD)." YouTube.
YouTube, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Mar.
2014.
Chicago PD Cops
in Action. Digital image. Wicked Local. Wickedlocal.com, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Chicago PD. Digital image. Inside Pulse.
Insidepulse.com, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Chicago PD. Digital image. Serien Junkies.
Serienjunkies.com, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Lyons, Margaret.
"Lyons: Chicago PD Loves Brutality, Eschews Originality." Vulture.Vulture.com, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 27 Mar.
2014.
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ReplyDeleteI was automatically attracted to your blog post, because I saw Chicago PD in the title. I love this show already, even though it’s only been on television for a few weeks. I really like how you explored the “good cop, bad cop concept”—actively acknowledging that Chicago PD favors the utilization of the bad cop more than anything. However, I believe that it is what gives this show an edge above the other cop shows or crime dramas on television today. Prior to Chicago PD entering into the world of primetime television, we had never been exposed to a world in which “anything goes” when it comes to getting information out of criminals and locking them up. I think the idea of an exclusive, intelligence unit in Chicago is exciting, fresh, and new. I can see where you think that it gives viewers a negative portrayal of what it’s like to be a Chicago police officer or what the city of Chicago is really like. However, the reality is that the crime rates in Chicago are extremely high, and it is in fact a sad reality for many who reside there. Now, I’m not saying that every part of Chicago is bad and crime inflicted, but there are areas like the South side that are permeated with gang violence, drugs, and wanted criminals. I think when you touch on how most people who haven’t visited Chicago prior to viewing this show would be turned off or given the wrong idea about the city is false. I think that for the most part, if people were visiting Chicago they’d be staying in the heart of downtown—along the magnificent mile, in the loop, and along Michigan Avenue. This is not to say that these areas don’t have their fair share of crime, but it is vastly different than if you were going to stay in a motel on the South side or in another area that was crime inflicted, which is where Chicago PD would be shooting their scenes—to give off the illusion of danger and crime for the show. All in all, I really liked your blog post and I think your strongest argument lies around the idea that Chicago PD is giving viewers an inaccurate, unrealistic portrayal of what it’s like to be a cop in the city, but I think it definitely gives viewers a good idea of what kind of crime is happening and the danger these cops are faced with daily. Well done, I like how you used examples from the show and described them well for those who may not watch this series.
ReplyDeleteChicago PD is such an interesting show. While I don't agree that it makes Chicago and the Chicago PD look bad per say, I do think it highlights the rampant violence and crime that plagues Chicago. Whether you've been there or not, it's no secret that Chicago is battling a violence problem. Interesting take.
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