Avgeropoulou DISSERTATION

Crime and the Media: how/if TV series affect
people's perception, attitudes and beliefs
about crime.
Case Study: CSI, Dexter, and The Sopranos
Katerina Avgeropoulou
Spring Semester 2015
Communication Seminar Dissertation
Professor: Dr. Simon Leader

Crime andThe Media Avgeropoulou 1
Abstract
The purpose of this research project is to explore whether and to what extent
crime-drama TV-shows may affect people’s attitudes, beliefs and perception about
crime in real life. In order for my research to be more effective I chose to use as
examples three Tv-shows: CSI (Las Vegas and Miami), Dexter, and The Sopranos. In
order for my research to be more effective I chose to focus on how these three
shows represent gender, “race” and also to what extent their content is perceived as
realistic. I conducted two extended focus groups in order to acquire primary data,
which provided me with valuable information; participants supported that crime
shows create stereotypical representations in terms of gender roles and “race” but
these representations can’t change their beliefs, whereas they said that CSI can be
informative and provide them with knowledge about forensic-sciences.

Table of contents
Introduction …………………………………………………………………..3-4
Literature Review ……………………………………………………………………5-27
Methodology ………………………………………………………………….28-40
Findings – Discussion ……………………………………………………………… 41-47
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………48-49
References …………………………………………………………………50

Introduction
Media contents and how they affect people’s perception, attitudes and beliefs was
always a very popular issue both for scholars and for audiences. At the same time
scholars have developed many theories considering how media impact on people’s
perception, but research findings are contradictory; there is no certain answer to the
question how much and in what ways people can be affected by media content.
Moreover, audience was always a fascinated with mystery and crime genre
(Steenberg, 2012), but scholars are divided in terms of the genre’s impact on
people’s perception (Howitt, 1998).
As a result the ambiguity of media effects on people’s beliefs, attitudes, and
perception was the main reason that I chose to explore this topic. Moreover, I chose
to discuss about crime shows because as I mentioned above people are fascinated
with crime and sometimes crime shows have also a cathartic effect for their
audience that’s why they are so popular (Jwekes, 2011) and that is the main reason
(their popularity) that I chose to study the following research question: Media and
crime; how/if crime-drama shows affect people’s perception, beliefs about crime.
After I finished my literature review I realized that this research question has many
aspects so I narrowed the question further and I concentrated on the effects of
crime shows on people’s perception considering three aspects: Gender, “Race”, and
perceived realism (how realistic people perceive the TV-series’ content).
To conclude, as I already mentioned the issue of how/if crime shows affect people’s
perception about crime in real life has many aspects which need to be explored (for
example how crime shows affect people’s beliefs about state officials or the legal

system etc.) this paper can be a starting point of further exploration of the various
aspects/ narratives in crime-genre which might have an impact on people’s
perception about crime.

Literature Review
This literature review is organized according to the source type (books, articles) and
each type is also chronologically organized.
Books
 Dennis Howitt, Crime the Media and the Law, 1998.
Howitt in his book discusses how media and crime are related. In the first chapter
of the book: “Linking Media and Crime”, Howitt provides a historical background
about the dominant theories which scholars have used in order to analyze the
impact of crime representations on audiences perceptions, attitudes and beliefs
about crime. Moreover, he discusses which types of crimes are more “attractive” to
the media and as a result are represented more often in television, radio, and
newspapers.
As Howitt mentions in the first chapter of the book, there are three major
theoretical approaches which scholars have used in order to discuss the impact of
media in society and vice versa. The first theoretical approach is “the effects model”
which was developed during the early part of the 20th century. As Howitt describes,
various social thinkers during the first part of the 20th century were discussing that
social structures were very weak; as a result of previous wars and the French and
Russian revolutions. As a result during that period there was social instability and
along with the emergence of cinema as various scholars argued, an increased faith
and optimism was expressed by people towards the “power of the media” as “forces
of social change” (p.70).

As a result social thinkers of the time, argued that social structures were weak and
this lead to a fragmentation of society, the consequence of this thinking was the
effects model which supported that people are uncontrolled and “socially
uncoordinated” and as a result an easy prey for the media which were viewed as a
powerful tool which could manipulate people’s attitudes and beliefs.
The second model that Howitt discusses is “the uses and gratifications model”
which was first published in the 1940’s and views people not as an easy prey for the
media but as active viewers who actively choose and interpret what they watch or
read in the media. As Howitt mentions, this model in opposition with the effects
model: “points us towards replacing the question ‘What do the media do to people?’
with the question ‘what people do with the media?’’ (p. 10).
The third model that Howitt mentions is “the cultural ratification model” which
supports that media function as a power for social stability, as he explains according
to this model: “the media are so allied to the power structure of the state that
inevitably they serve to support and maintain power structures and dominant
ideologies” (p.13).
To continue, Howitt discusses that the three previous theories and especially the
effects model are restricted in their focus because “they overlook the political
processes involved in crime and our understanding of crime” (p. 23). As a result he
presents the agenda setting theory which supports that media are not making us
think in a certain way, they “highlight things to be considered, discussed and
debated” (p. 23).

To continue, Howitt argues that there are two major types of crime that are mostly
represented in the media; sex and violent crimes. This happens because this type of
crimes are more attractive and that’s why research is conducted mainly for this two
types of crimes even though according to statistics these are not crimes which affect
the larger amount of victims (p. 3).
In chapter 9 Howitt discusses race and crime. As he mentions black people and
crime are associated. As he argues media have contributed significantly to this
“socially constructed fact” (p. 142), and as he notes “African-American and African-
Caribbean youth especially in UK and USA were identified with the media-created
crime of mugging (p. 142). Because of unemployment and poverty the majority of
African-Americans and African-Caribbeans as he mentions, were usually being
stereotyped as ‘muggers’, moreover Black families are regarded as pathological and
portrayed through the media as usually associated with drug and alcohol use (p.
142).
In chapter 12 Howitt discusses the portrayal of drugs in television, as he notices
even though sex and violence are very common themes (especially in drama TV-
shows) and also violent images are often depicted even in cartoons, the drug theme
is a more sensitive theme and is not depicted as much in TV-shows as much the sex
and violence themes and is not depicted at all at cartoons. As he mentions there is “a
strong hegemony against drugs” (p. 168).
This book provided a rich theoretical background about various theoretical
contexts in which media and crime are interacting, and also how political events
affect people’s perception about crime. Moreover, it connected race and crime and

how ‘black family’ is being stereotyped as pathological and associated with drugs
and alcohol, this stereotyping and the portrayal of black family as pathological is also
mentioned in Pineda’s article (which I will discuss later); who comments that in CSI
there are not many black people in leading roles and those who are represented in
the show they are associated with drug or alcohol problems or an alcoholic past.
Furthermore, it pointed that sex offences and violence are the most “attractive
crimes” and are overrepresented through the media.
 Paul Manson, Criminal Visions: Media Representations of Crime and Justice,
2003.
In this book Paul Manson discusses how mafia is portrayed in films and
television and how the crime genre portrays ethnic identity and Sicilian heritage;
in a way which creates stereotyping and separation of Italians and Italian-
Americans from the “mainstream” American culture. Moreover, Manson
discusses the “serial killer genre”, also he discusses serial killer’s attractiveness
for the audience and how serial killers are presented in cinema and TV.
To continue, he discusses how police was presented through fiction from 1955
until present time. Furthermore, Manson explains the reasons why the
courtroom space has being used extensively in films and TV-shows, and also
what type of law cases are used more in TV and why.
As Manson argues, after the 1960’s films and television have employed similar
narratives about Italian-Americans and mafia, which stem from “Italian myths”;

strict family hierarchies, crime as business and the influence of “Omerta1”. As
Manson mentions, Italian/Sicilian heritage is associated; through crime shows
such as The Sopranos, with mafia. Moreover, Manson argues that through the
crime genre: “Italian-American identity remains separate from white American
identity; a concept that Steinberg has called white ethnicity” (p. 130). Manson
uses The Sopranos as an example to analyze how Italian-Americans are depicted,
as he says: “In the Sopranos the Mafia is shown to be a common element in an
Italian/Sicilian heritage” (p. 134).
Moreover, The Sopranos and other similar crime shows which use mafia as a
theme they also promote white male identity, and also the theme of male
bonding through business (p.141). As Manson comments: “The Sopranos can be
read as a white male fantasy” and as he continues: “The fantasy of a secret
society with masculine rituals” (p. 141).
Serial killers as it is discussed in chapter 8 is a cult for contemporary society, as
Manson states people are not simply fascinated with serial-killers crime shows,
as he comments: “this cult has led to obsession and idolatry” (p. 169).
Continuing, Manson discusses how serial killers are portrayed; they are
presented as superficially normal, and often as gentle and non-threatening (p.
175). Also Manson notes the importance of domestic comfort and safety which is
a common theme in crime shows with serial killers; such as in Dexter TV show,
were Dexter appears as a completely ‘normal’ forensic scientist with a wife and a
kid who loves but his real side is “the dark passenger”. Manson notes: “the
1 The concept that members of a crime organization mustremain silent; when they arequestioned by
lawenforcement officialsaboutillegal activities of the organization when questioned by law
enforcement.

protagonist is presented as retreating to the safety and shelter of the home, a
space which is sometimes associated with a partner or family unit” (p. 176).
Manson in chapter 11 discusses that policing for the majority of people is a
mediated experience rather than an immediate one: “people know the police
through television; research suggested that up to two-thirds of people find out
about police through the media rather than through personal contact” (p.217).
Police series are very popular for the audience for more than five decades (p.
220) , and as Manson notes policing programs use police “as a vehicle to present
messages about society” (p. 218).
Manson presents research results which indicate that police depiction in TV-
programs usually portray police officials as “mixed” characters; well-intentioned
individuals but with personal flaws who pursuit their goals. After the 1970’s “the
construction of police has changed” (p. 221). Policing is under questioning and
this expressed a general tendency of society not trusting officials, state and
institutions so much as in the past (p.221).
To conclude, mansion discusses that law in crime-drama series is a very
popular theme, “the law offers to a writer or director a surface upon which a
tapestry can be woven and applied far beyond a mere ‘story about legal
processes” (p. 238). As he continues Manson argues that cop-movies and
gangster films and series are the most popular, as he explains criminal law is
more exciting than civil law (p. 242). The lawyer as he also explains is presented
as an individual who “triumphs against adversity” (p. 246).

This book provided a broader knowledge concerning crime-drama series; how
police is portrayed, how they create stereotypes about ethnic identities, how
appealing is a serial killer in contemporary society, and also how law is a very
appealing theme for crime-shows and what kind of law is the most attractive for
the audience.
 Douglas L. Howard, Dexter: Investigating cutting edge television, 2010.
This book analyzes the TV-series “Dexter”, it explores Dexter’s moral code,
distinguishes ‘bad’ from ‘good’ serial killers, it analyzes the importance of familial-
emotional connections in Dexter, and also it examines the importance of location;
Miami, and the relationship of Dexter with law-justice and the police department.
As Howard discusses, Dexter has a “moral code”; he doesn’t kill randomly, he only
kills ‘those who deserve it’ (p.119). Dexter’s moral code is a useful tool in order for
the audience to “understand” him and be emotionally connected with him. Dexter
kills the bad guys; he kills a serial killer who has killed and abused children (p.122),
Dexter’s killings are perceived as ‘morally acceptable’. Dexter is perceived as a
vigilante, as a super-hero (like Batman and Superman); whose murders ‘clean’ our
corrupted society.
To continue, Dexter series makes a distinction among moral and immoral serial
killers. Dexter discovers in Season 2 that has a biological brother (Rudy Cooper) who
is also a serial killer but as Howard notes ‘The Ice track killer’(Dexter’s biological
brother), is a killer of children so there is a clear distinction among Dexter and him;
even though they are both extremely clever and meticulous as Howard says: “the
show appears to want to display a distinction between a serial killer who is utterly

immoral, and a serial killer who—whether or not he, too, is utterly immoral—at least
tries to be moral”(p. 123).
Howard also argues that family is a very important factor in Dexter’s life even
though he is presented as ‘emotionally incapable’, during the seasons we see that he
is married he has a son who loves, and also how protective he is towards Debra (his
sister), familial connections are a useful tool in order for the audience to sympathize
Dexter (p. 126). Dexter also is connected with old-fashioned (right wing) morality
and gender. Dexter is a white mainstream American guy who during the show often
expresses how family suppresses his freedom and is a burden for a man.
Traditional-conservative morality is expressed through Dexter. Dexter appears as a
vigilante he is presented as entitled to reinforce the law, he is part of a police
department that he perceives as not efficient (the department is presented as
incapable to solve various cases) in a sinister city; Miami. Death sentence is
presented as something justifiable and acceptable for people that cannot ‘be fixed’
and are a threat to society. Dexter is presented as entitled to act as a cop, a judge
and a jury; an agent of traditional morality where death sentence is acceptable and
justified (p. 128-130).
The book examines how Dexter’s character is constructed in order for the audience
to be connected with him, Dexter expresses traditional morality and as Howard
mentions never before a serial killer was so popular and accepted by the audience.
As he says: “Dexter represents a turning point in the willingness of Americans to
embrace the serial killer as one of their own, as the personification of essentially
American values.” (p. 132-133).

 David Lavery, Douglas L. Howard, Paul Levinson, The Essential Sopranos
Reader, 2011.
Lavery et al. argue that Tony Soprano is not like other mafia leaders who were
presented in the past, Tony lives two lives; “his birthright as a mobster and his
assimilated life as an American dad” (p. 183) as they argue, this duality in his life
makes him very anxious and in order to face his panic attacks caused by this
struggle; Italian heritage VS mainstream American culture, he visits a
psychologist once a week and also he consumes Xanax (p. 183).
Lavery et al. in part 6 (Ethnic and Social Concerns) of the book discuss the
importance of food in the TV-show: The Sopranos. As they explain, from Copola’s
movie; The Godfather to the TV show; The Sopranos, food is “used” as a vehicle
to portray traditional Italian, Italian-American identity and thus to separate
Italian-Americans from mainstream American popular culture. As they say: “It is
no coincidence that food figures prominently in the construction of these textual
and filmic worlds—in the American myth of the Mafia, cold-blooded murder and
hot Italian meals stand side by side” (p. 183).
Lavery et al. mention: “The characters’ lives are defined by this push and pull of
old and new, memory and reality, their Italian heritage and their adopted
homeland. And, in many ways, they are defined by what they eat.” (p. 184). As
Lavery et al. discuss, in The Sopranos there is a “food obsession”; many scenes in
every episode (even mafia meetings) take place in the kitchen.
Food is fetishized in The Sopranos, characters meet at Satriale’s Pork Store or in
Nuovo Vesuvio (upscale local Italian restaurant), and names of Italian dishes are

mentioned in every episode and also camera angles with close-ups in traditional
Italian spaghetti work all together in order to point the difference of Italian
traditions VS mainstream American culture. Characters in the show often judge
members of the ‘family’ who eat “healthy American snacks and they consider
them as not loyal to the ‘family’, moreover these members are later revealed to
be snitches thus they are killed by the family (p. 185) so a connection among
loyalty and keeping Italian traditions alive (through food) is obvious in the show.
As Lavery et al. say: “For The Sopranos’ Italian Americans, food is identity, and
it can represent norms of masculinity, memory, family, and cultural heritage.” (p.
185). In terms of masculinity Lavery et al. analyze a specific episode of the show:
(“The Knight in White Satin Armor,” S02E12) Richie (Tony’s sister fiancé) has a
gay son who likes ballroom dancing. In that episode there is a scene where his
wife cooks meal in the kitchen and she calls his son “Littly Ricky” then Richie
becomes furious and replies: “Rick. Rick. Richard. How many times I gotta tell
you? He was “Little Ricky” when he was twelve years old” (p. 187). In that scene
Janice (Tony’s sister) is placed in the kitchen in the traditional feminine role;
women are the ones who cook for the family. Moreover through the previous
dialogue it becomes obvious that Richie feels that his manhood is threatened
because his son is gay (so Richie can’t pass his masculine Italian traditions into
the next generation) and when Janice calls him “Little Ricky”; which sounds more
feminine than Richard or Rick, he becomes oversensitive and attacks her verbally
(p. 187,188).

Furthermore, in another scene of the episode (again in the kitchen when Janice
is cooking) Janice explains to Richie that she put her mother (who lives with
them) in bed early in order to be able to have sex, Richie again feels that his
masculinity is under attack (because she took the initiative to ask for sexual
intercourse; which is perceived as a man’s duty) and he replies to Janice: “Put my
fucking dinner on the table and keep your mouth shut!” and after few minutes
he also punches Janice. After punching her he returns into the kitchen takes his
food (traditional Italian food), a glass of wine and starts eating (p.187). As Lavery
et al. explain: “In that particular scene the show uses its most potent signifier of
identity: food” (p.187).
This book was extremely helpful as it explains how food is used in order to
portray and emphasize the importance of masculinity, and cultural identity of
Italian-Americans. It also helped me to decide and show parts of that episode in
my focus groups in order to discuss these concepts and find out how people are
affected and perceive this kind of depictions in the show.
 Yvonne Jewkes, Media and Crime, 2011.
Yvonne Jewkes discusses Gender in chapter 5; how women are represented
through media (how media treat female offenders) and stereotypes (considering
women) that are reinforced through media representations of gender. Furthermore
Jewkes discusses the role of police and the way that is represented through the
media. Also in chapter 7 she explores main themes (considering crime) that media
“use” and also why crime films and TV series are popular and the importance of
location; why location matters in crime shows (example of NYC).

Jewkes argues that women offenders are rare (usually offenders especially in
violent crimes are male) and as a result when they are represented they attract more
attention of the audience and of the media as Jewkes argues:“ Women who are
implicated in serious offences attract more media and public attention, the image
created of them is more powerful, and they live a more long lasting impression”
(p.126). As Jewkes continues, female offenders are further marginalized “by
reference to their sexuality” (p.127). Jewkes explains that sexual promiscuity is used
as a main characteristic of female offenders. Female representation in the media are
polarized (either women are innocent and are represented in the same way with
children or they are deviants and sexual promiscuous (p. 127).
Moreover stereotyping of female roles is usual in films and TV-shows and the main
narratives that accompany female offenders are the narratives of bad wives, sexual
deviance, and evil manipulators (p. 127). As Jewkes argues, female offenders are
usually constructed as lesbians or sexual sadists and sexuality functions as a cause
for aggressive behavior (p. 130,131). Also appearance is used for female offenders as
Jewkes says: femmes fatales ensnare their victims with their good looks” (p.133).
Jewkes comments that depiction of police through TV is by far the most widely
covered profession both in factual and fictional representations (p. 160,161). As she
continues, police officers before the 1970’s were depicted mostly as heroes or
gentlemen and police was highly idealized, after the ‘70s crime ratings were higher
and public concern was growing considering police effectiveness as a result the
depiction of policemen in TV changed; they were portrayed “not as heroes but as
ordinary people doing a difficult job” (p. 162).

Jewkes in chapter 6 also notes the difference on the depiction of victims and
offenders. As she argues, in order for the audience to empathize with the victim,
great importance is given (concerning victims) to family. Victim’s family is
emphasized when a crime is depicted in TV (how victim’s family deals with the crime,
what kind of person was the victim is “learned” through depictions of their families.
On the contrary offenders are presented like loners and a depiction of their family or
knowledge about ‘who they are’ is rare provided, the only fact that we know about
them is the crime that they committed (p.170, 171). Victim’s “normality and
typicality” is conveyed through family depiction and offenders are basically
presented as ‘anonymous’ (p.174).
Jewkes discusses, how race is represented through TV, she uses as an example the
reality TV-show “Crimewatch”. As she argues media “may generate fear of, or
hostility towards particular groups such as people from ethnic minorities” (p. 173).
As she explains, black people are overrepresented as offenders and
underrepresented as victims. Moreover, Jewkes mentions that male offenders are
also overrepresented in TV (P.174, 174).
In chapter 7, Jewkes explains why crime series are so popular, the theme of
‘manliness’ as the main theme in crime genre and also discusses the importance of
location in crime series.
As Jewkes argues crime genre is popular mainly for two reasons. The first reason is
that in crime shows there is an increased action pattern and a tension building
dynamic among the characters, as a result audience has an intense sense of
excitement while watching crime shows and that is considered fascinating. The

second reason of crime genre’s popularity is the cathartic (tension release) role for
the audience; by empathizing for example with serial killers (such as Dexter Morgan)
“audience is allowed to release and “live” its most “antisocial or deviant fantasies”
that they couldn’t express in the real world (p. 183).
The theme of “manliness” is common in action films as Jewkes argues, especially in
the crime genre police officials, lawyers and in general male protagonists are
associated with “a rugged masculinity which is combined with heroic agency” (p.
185). As she mentions the self-confident, “tough guy” male protagonist has been
established in the crime genre since the first gangster movies were produced during
the late 1920’s and 1930’s (p. 185).
Another important issue which Jewkes mentions considering the crime genre is the
importance of location. She uses NYC as an example: “NYC which feels well known to
those who have never visited through its depiction in the movies” (p. 189). As she
says, NYC is often depicted as the dark sinister city where violence and crimes thrive.
As she continues: “NYC has been used as a backdrop for countless crime films and its
streets and subways, courtrooms and police department are familiar to audiences
around the world” (p. 189).
This book helped me understand how gender and race are depicted in crime-series,
how police officials are depicted, how important is the location for a crime show
(connection with CSI which also “uses” NYC as a perfect “violent- dangerous”
setting), and also why crime genre is so attractive to both media and the audience.

 Lindsay Steenberg, Forensic Science in Contemporary American Popular Culture:
gender, crime and science, 2012.
Steenberg in her book explores how crime TV series affect people, how they create
stereotypes; she examines as an example CSI TV show. Steenberg explores how
gender is represented in CSI, the consequences of the CSI effect for society.
Steenberg argues, that CSI promotes a more conservative ideology and as she
mentions CSI presents “gendered autopsies” (p.77). As she continues in CSI female
and male autopsies are framed in a completely different way; through editing and
camera angles. As she explains, female body is sexualized through specific shots; the
female corpse is presented through the shots as mysterious and beautiful (female
corpses are usually women with beautiful bodies). As she says: “Weissmann and
Boyle observe that the male body is considered in pieces though several close-ups
whereas the female corpse “remains intact” through a continuous pan” (p. 78).
As she continues female bodies are presented in a way that we empathize with
them and they convey intense emotions, while male bodies are presented as a tool
for the audience to learn things about forensic science (p.77, 78).
Moreover, Steenberg argues that female forensic investigators in CSI (such as
Catherine Willows) have a distinct characteristic in comparison to their male
colleagues female investigators; in order to solve a case they are not only based on
their scientific knowledge but also on their intuition. Intuition is framed as a
woman’s thing which is used be females to complement or support their scientific
knowledge. Specifically as Steenberg says: “The legitimacy afforded to women’s

intuition promotes a ‘separate and almost equal’ logic advocating a gender
bifurcated articulation of expert knowledge” (p. 64).
Steenberg discusses how “The CSI effect”, affects society. She distinguishes three
major effects. The first is that the attractive depiction of labs and investigators in CSI
which has add a glamorous and sexy appeal concerning the job of the forensic
scientist. As a result the societal impact of this ‘false’ depiction has led to an increase
of students who choose to study forensic sciences (p. 118).
The second societal impact of CSI (which is linked with what I have previously
mentioned about the importance of location in the crime genre), is that CSI Las
Vegas for example as Steenberg says: “Is a characteristically postmodern simulation
of the American dream—combining the promises of leisure, luxury and lifestyle with
their darker constitutive elements: addiction, prostitution, violence and crime.” (p.
122). As she further explains Las Vegas is used as a space which represents “all real
worlds” in one single urban space, in this representation the real world is depicted as
a place where people are thirsty to live the American dream in a society where
sinister instincts thrive, science is presented as the solution, as an anti-postmodern
way to make us feel safe again (p. 118).
The third aspect of the CSI effect is the concept of surveillance. Steenberg argues
that CSI promotes the notion that no criminal action can remain unpunished, this
happens through the concept of surveillance which is present in CSI; forensic science
is presented as a tool for constant surveillance, as it is communicated through the
TV-show that every human contact leaves a trace (hair, DNA) no one can hide
forever (p. 123). Forensic sciences are presented as “a powerful mechanism” for

constant citizen surveillance as she says: “Mapping people in this way forms a potent
forensic panopticism that both threatens and reassures.” (p. 123).
Journal Articles
 J. M. Tyree, Spatter Pattern, 2008.
Tyree in this article discusses how Dexter TV-show differs from other crime shows
and compares it with CSI TV show. Moreover, it mentions how Dexter is presented as
a “folk anti-hero avenger” like Batman, whose violent actions are justified as they
“protect” and keep safe a society which is characterized by moral corruption.
Tyree discusses how Dexter TV show differs from the majority of crime shows such
us CSI. As he explains Dexter uses sarcasm in order “to dissolve every melodramatic
sidebar”(p. 83), that is the main difference from other crime-drama shows such as
CSI. As Tyree explains Dexter has a unique baroque and ludicrous narrative which
attracts the audience and makes the show unique in the crime genre. As Tyree says
Dexter functions as a “parody of crime shows” (p. 82), even though CBS (CSI’s
channel) is the parent company of Dexter’s channel (Showtime) the two shows are
completely different; CSI investigators are presented as “serious” with a moral
indignation which serves as a tool to camouflage “the truth that America craves
blood work after dinner” (p. 82). On the other hand in Dexter sarcasm is the main
element used in dialogues (instead of CSI’s ‘seriousness’ and formal tone) and as
Tyree mentions: “In Dexter is not so much what happens, but rather a certain tone,
chilly and mocking, a sociopath’s vision of ordinary life” (p. 83), in Dexter sarcasm
functions as a tool to portray that normal life is fundamentally “screwed up” (p. 83).

As he continues: “The show’s basically surreal nature effectively dodges the bullet
of a sustained moral critique” (p. 83). As Tyree argues, Dexter’s normal life is
presented so frantic and this functions as a tool to show that a serial killer’s life is not
so much different than “normal” people’s lives (p. 83). The only common element
among CSI and Dexter series is location; Miami which is presented “as a hell of non-
ending massacres” (p. 82).
Tyree mentions that Dexter is presented in the show as a super hero (like Batman
or Superman) whose violent actions are justified in the immoral society that we live
in. Both Dexter and other characters of the show are making this comparison
obvious through the dialogue as Tyree mentions: “indeed Rita excoriates him for
disappearing at night ‘like Clark fucking Kent,’ but the FBI describes the Butcher as
more like one’s own personal Batman.” (p. 85).
This article explains how sarcasm is used in the show in order to make it
significantly different from other crime shows, and how Dexter functions as an
“antidote” for the norms of the crime genre. Moreover it explains how Dexter’s
presentation as a super hero helps audience to empathize him and justify his violent
actions.
 Isabel Santaularia, Dexter: Villain, Hero or Simply a Man? The Perpetuation of
Traditional Masculinity in Dexter, 2010.
Santaularia argues in this article that Dexter TV-show portrays and connects Serial
killers with traditional “macho” masculinity. As she explains in the crime genre
violence is presented as an inherent male characteristic and especially serial killers
like Dexter are presented as dominant males whose violent actions are acceptable as

they can “save” a society which is deeply damaged. As she says: “In serial killer
fictions, the construction of the serial killer’s masculinity is also related to the
preservation of moral values, justice and/or the law and order.” (p.59). Both Dexter
and Hannibal as she explains they are presented as dominant males who kill in order
to save society; Hannibal kills only those who offend his sense of good taste and
Dexter kills serial killers who harm innocent people.
As Santaularia argues, Dexter is presented as a traditional male with inherent
violence who constantly struggles to restrain his masculine urges in order to meet
society’s expectations from men to express their ”feminine side” and expressing
their emotions more often or helping their partners with the house chores. As
Santaularia says: “Dexter’s on-going effort to repress his Dark Passenger is also the
fight of many modern-day men who are forced to adapt to the demands of women
or perish, or, at least, remain single”(p. 62). As she mentions: “Dexter’s on-going
effort to repress his Dark Passenger is also the fight of many modern-day men who
are forced to adapt to the demands of women or perish, or, at least, remain single”
(p. 62).
This article connects Dexter with traditional values, and as it explains through the
show’s episodes family functions as a veil of normality in society but also as a burden
which suppresses traditional masculinity and man’s freedom.
As Santaularia explains in Dexter show traditional values and patriarchal structure
of family characterize Dexter’s moral code (who constantly expresses that he feels
pressure inside his own family with Rita and tries to look normal but family functions
as a burden against his freedom and individuality) and these values are inherited

from his father. As Santaularia says: “His Father’s patriarchal values need to be
preserved at all costs to guarantee Dexter’s invulnerability in particular and, in
general, the survival of the ‘traditional man’ in danger of extinction.” (p. 66).
 Robert W. Pineda-Volk, Kimberly C. Philbin, Investigating CSI: Ideology and
Crime Scene Drama, 2010.
Volk and Philbin argue in their article that the time period that CSI “appeared” on
TV there was a time that state and institutions were facing people’s mistrust and one
of CSI’s main functions is to re-establish and “legitimize the criminal justice
system”(p.1). This is achieved through CSI’s narrative which supports that evidence
don’t lie and forensic scientists don’t make mistakes, as a result CSI through its
narrative reinforces normality and tries to re-establish the notion that in society
there are clear boundaries among right and wrong, to a certain extent CSI abandons
the post-modern fragmented idea of society and reinforces traditional, conservative
morality (p.2).
The conservative morality of CSI’s narrative reinforces stereotypes about gender
and race. As Volk and Philbin explain in all CSI’s the leader of the forensic experts is
always a white middle age male who is a patriot; for example Max Taylor (CSI NY) is
an ex-military patriot (p. 4). As Volk and Philbin mention: “They are all white,
somewhat older men with an uncanny knack for figuring out complex crimes. They
are supported by attractive white women, who are second in command.” (p. 4). As a
result white attractive women are presented as secondary investigators who support
the strong traditional white male patriot.
Racial stereotypes are also reinforced through CSI’s narrative, for example the
article gives an example of an episode where CSI investigators are visiting the house

of a rich ‘black family’ (the Jame’s; African-American family) in order to investigate a
woman’s murder. The ‘black family’ is portrayed as pathological; with the mother
opening the house door and being drunk, holding a bottle of booze. As Volk and
Philbin mention: “African-American family is fostered by stereotypical depictions of
African Americans as violent, lazy, alcoholic, and irresponsible.” (p. 4). As they
continue Volk and Philbin argue that women in CSI are white, heterosexual, and
pretty, women are sexualized in CSI and for example Catherine Willows who is a
forensic scientist is also a former nightclub stripper (p. 6).
The article also mentions that after a content analysis of CSI Miami and NY the
following results came up: women are overrepresented as victims and
underrepresented as professionals (according to official state statistics), moreover
“ethnic minorities were underrepresented among victims and offenders”(p. 6).
This article explains how CSI and its popularity affects people’s perception about
society by reinforcing race and gender stereotypes, as the writers argue “CSI
operates in a very white world” (p. 6).
 Ashley M. Donnelly, The New American Hero: Dexter, Serial Killer for the
Masses, 2012.
Donnelly in this article mentions Dexter’s popularity and merchandized aspect, as
she explains online shops sell Dexter’s products with huge success; even a “Dexter
inspired kitchen was created” (p.15). As she continues Donnelly says that Americans
love the anti-hero Dexter and they perceive him as a “social worker” (p. 15). As
Donnelly explains even though Dexter or Tony (leading character of The Sopranos TV

show) are criminals, people love them and as she explains: “America enjoys morally
complex lead characters that challenge our notions of right and wrong.” (p. 16).
Donnelly argues that Dexter and Tony Soprano represent traditional masculinity
and conservative ideology. As she explains Americans after the 9/11 attack they
express a fascination with vigilantism and anti-heroes such as Dexter and Tony
Soprano. Dexter is the anti-hero who reinforces traditional morality through his strict
clear-cut moral code; the code helps him to have a clear understanding of what is
right and wrong nothing is blurry in Dexter’s world (p. 16).
Donnelly argues that Dexter is presented as the “other” and as she continues in
general serial killers are presented and marginalized as “others” by others she means
that they are presented like they are not human beings, as she notes: “Clear black
and white boundaries reinforce difference and pose no threat to our
conceptualizations of what is right and wrong. Dexter can kill because he is Other,
because he is not “like us.”(p. 23). This “otherness” of Dexter also reinforces a
conservative ideology because as she explains this “otherness” is a way to express
the fears of Americans though “a monster figure” (serial killers) (p. 19). As she
mentions: “The serial killer, arguably, is not simply someone that evokes our fears of
being killed, but he/she also makes us fear the Otherness within ourselves as a
society and as individuals.” (p. 19).
As Donnely argues this Otherness expressed by crime genre functions as a tool for
conservative Americans to reinforce national unity and marginalize people who are
simply different, as she explains: “this Otherness (marginalization of people)

expresses a desire to eliminate difference. The serial killer represented difference
among those striving for conformity.” (p. 20).
This article explains why Dexter is popular; an anti-hero who can save society, and
she also argues that Dexter and The Sopranos are characterized as “Others” and
through this characterization there is a clear distinction among normal people and
marginalized “others”; which creates a clear distinction of what it is considered right
and wrong in society, thus it reinforces a conservative ideology where categorizing-
marginalizing people is acceptable (p.9).

Methodology
The literature review provided me with a rich theoretical background considering
my research question. The next step in my research project was to choose the most
appropriate method in order to be able to conduct primary research and acquire
first-hand data. Among a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, I chose to
conduct two extended focus groups.
I chose to conduct two extended focus groups; qualitative method with a short
questionnaire provided before the discussion, because my research question
examined how/if crime-drama TV-shows affect people’s perception about crime. I
chose to conduct extended focus groups because I wanted to learn participants’
demographic information, which TV shows they have watched, and how often do
they watch them.
As a result, my research’s focus was how/if TV-shows affect people’s perception,
beliefs and attitudes. As Wimmer and Dominick (2011) have mentioned, focus
groups and intensive interviews are: “Research strategies for understanding people’s
attitudes and behaviors” (p. 132). I chose to conduct focus groups instead of
intensive interviews for various reasons. The first reason is that focus groups are
relatively cheap to conduct (Wimmer, Dominick, 2011, p. 133); especially for me
because I used my own equipment in order to record the material and I also used a
classroom at Deree so I didn’t have to rent or pay anything.
The second reason that I chose focus groups instead of intensive interviews, was
that in the focus groups I had 14 participants and I was able to acquire their opinions
in two hours (each focus group lasted one hour), while with intensive interviews if I

wanted to have also 14 responses/opinions about my topic I would have to spend
much more time for interviewing individually each participant.
Moreover, focus group has the advantage of people interacting with one another
and as Wimmer and Dominick argue: “responses in focus groups are less inhibited
than those from individual interviews” (p. 134). As a result, through the discussion
among participants new ways of thinking may come up and one participant may
discuss and express an opinion that has never thought about it previously; because
another person in the group has triggered a whole new perspective on the issue.
In order to collect primary data through two extended focus groups, the first step
was to define the research problem/question (Wimmer, Dominick, p. 135). The
literature review provided me with a better understanding about how/if crime-
drama shows affect people’s perception about crime, and also it highlighted various
aspects in crime shows which may affect people’s perception, beliefs and attitudes;
such as gender and race stereotyping, how police officials are portrayed, how
forensic scientists are depicted, how serial killers may be perceived as super-heroes.
In order for my extended focus groups to be effective I couldn’t focus on all of these
aspects that I discovered through my literature review (because that would confuse
participants and also it is impossible to explore all of these issues in one hour).
As a result, in order for the focus groups to be more effective I decided to focus on
questions about gender (and how the portrayal of family in these shows may impact
on people’s beliefs and attitudes towards gender roles) and racial representation in
CSI, Dexter, The Sopranos, (how/if they affect people’s beliefs, perception and
attitudes). Moreover, I decided to ask also questions which would examine the

“Perceived realism”2 of these shows; for example how realistically people think that
NYC, Miami, Las Vegas are depicted, or how close to reality is the depiction of
forensic scientists in both CSI and Dexter. As a result, my research focus for the
extended focus groups was: “How/if Crime shows affect people’s perception about
crime; in terms of gender, “race” and “perceived realism”.
The second and third step was to select the sample for the extended focus group,
and also to determine the number of groups needed (Wimmer,Dominick, 2006,
p.135). I chose to conduct two extended focus groups with 7 participants each.
Participants were Deree students, age: 19-26. I chose college students first: because
the amount of time that I had in order to conduct my research was relatively short
and as a result it was more convenient for me to ask from students in campus to
spend one hour in a classroom during the activity hour (where no one has classes).
The second reason was that students spend many hours per week watching TV-
shows. as Vandervell (2014) mentions: “ The Sodexo University Lifetime Survey 2014
has shown that 23% of students watch 2 hours of TV per day and a fifth of students
(19%) watch TV for three or four hours every day”. As a result, the age group 19-26 is
a considerably “valuable” audience in terms of examining the impact of crime shows
on people’s perception, beliefs and attitudes.
Participants were selected also on the basis that they have watched (at least one
season) CSI, Dexter and The Sopranos; in order to have a common basis and to be
able to show video excerpts from the shows which would trigger the discussion and
introduce my questions. The first focus group (focus group 1) consisted of 2 males
2 As I have mentioned also in the literaturereview, “Perceived realism”howand to what extent
people perceive media content as realistic.

(age: 20, 22); one had watched The Sopranos and both have watched Dexter and CSI,
and 5 females (age: 19-26) one have watched The Sopranos and all have watched
Dexter and CSI. The second focus group (focus group 2) consisted of 3 males (age:
21, 22, 25); all have watched Dexter and CSI but no one have watched The Sopranos,
and 4 females (age: 19-26); two have watched The Sopranos and all have watched at
least one season of Dexter and CSI. I chose to conduct two focus groups with
participants who had similar demographics because I wanted to be able to compare
and contrast their responses under a common basis, and also because as I previously
mentioned this age group: students age from 19-26, consists of an audience which
watches a lot of TV-shows.
The forth step was to prepare the study mechanics. As I have mentioned already, I
selected Deree students age 19-26, I reserved a Deree classroom and we conducted
the extended focus group during the activity hour where everyone was free to
attend. I used my DSLR camera in order to record the discussion and I also used
classroom’s projector and the desktop computer in order to be able to show video
excerpts from the shows. Furthermore, I was the moderator for both extended focus
groups.
The fifth step was to prepare the focus group material. As I have already mentioned
I first distributed a short questionnaire before the discussion, in order to be able to
know participant’s demographics, how frequent do they watch TV-shows, and also
which TV-shows they have watched (so if no one have watched one of my shows to
be able to exclude him/her from the focus groups).

My short questionnaires questions were:
1. Do you watch crime shows?
2. Have you watched CSI (Las Vegas, Miami, or NY)? If yes how many seasons?
3. Have you watched Dexter? If yes how many seasons?
4. Have you watched The Sopranos? If yes how many seasons?
5. From a scale 1-10 how informative do you think that crime-drama shows are?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Not at all informative Very Informative
6. How often do you watch Crime shows?
a. every day
b. every week
c. as often as I can, but not quite every week
d. occasionally, when I get the chance
7. Please Indicate your Gender…
8. Please Indicate your age…
After the distribution of the short questionnaire I was able to decide who would be
a ‘better’ participant for the focus groups.

The next step was to decide the structure of the discussion in focus groups and the
material that I would show in order to be able to extract meaningful responses. The
literature review provided me with various aspects which may affect people’s
perception of crime in real life; for example how police officers are portrayed, how
gender roles are portrayed, how ‘race’ is portrayed, how forensic scientists are
portrayed and many other aspects.
I couldn’t research all of this aspects in my focus groups in one hour, so I decided to
narrow down my questions and focus on three aspects which are common in these
three shows; 1) gender representation (and how/if family depictions in these shows
play a role in gender representation and in the creation of stereotypical roles), 2)
‘Race’ and how African-Americans are portrayed in these shows 3) “Perceived
realism”: how realistic do participants think that is the representation of NYC, Las
Vegas and Miami through these shows, and also how realistic do they perceive the
representation of forensic sciences.
The aim of the questions in focus groups was to understand how participants
perceive the above representations and how/if their depiction can affect their beliefs
about gender, ‘race’. Moreover, how realistic do they think that these shows are; in
terms of the nature of forensic science, and the depiction of cities.
Moreover, in order to trigger the discussion and focus on these three aspects
except from the questions, I also planned to show excerpts from three episodes (one
from each TV- show). The literature review helped me identify the episodes; each
episode that I showed was discussed in my literature review as an example for the
depiction of gender or racial stereotypes through the shows, and also for the

depiction of forensic professionals and the depiction of the location (NYC, Miami,
and Las Vegas).
The next step was to conduct the focus group. When the participants showed up (in
both focus groups) I explained my topic, and then I handed the short questionnaire.
After the completion of the questionnaire, I showed participants two excerpts in
order to introduce the first issue: Racial representation. The excerpts that I showed
were from CSI Las Vegas (s01e01 Pilot) the first excerpt was 00:05:04’ – 00:05:37’
and the second was: 00:26:51’ – 00:28:23.
Excerpt 1
Excerpt 2

These two excerpts portray an African-American forensic investigator as slightly
addicted to gambling and also on the second excerpt he is visiting a Judge’s house
and the police arrives as the neighbors called them because they saw “a black guy
staring the Judge’s house” as it is mentioned in the episode. Then the episode shows
the African-American forensic scientist being asked from the Judge to help him bet
on a horse race, and if he did that the Judge would give him an official document
which the forensic scientist needed in order to proceed with a case.
In that episode a black guy is represented as ‘problematic’ and this representation
is linked with my literature review where I wrote that according to various scholars
black people are often represented in TV-shows as addicted to alcohol, drugs and
gambling. As a result I was interested to see participant’s reactions after they viewed
these two excerpts. The question which followed these excerpts was “What do you
think about the representation of African-Americans in CSI and how/if affects you?”
and also I told participants that except from CSI they could also speak in general
about the representation of African-Americans in crime shows.
After the discussion about racial representation in crime shows, I showed four more
excerpts: two from CSI Las Vegas, one from The Sopranos, and one from Dexter.
These excerpts portray gender-role stereotypes and the role of family in gender
representation; and they are discussed in my literature review. The first excerpt from
CSI Las Vegas (so1eo1 Pilot) 00:07:22’- 00:08:12’ shows a young female forensic
investigator in her first day at work being called by her supervisor without any
reason. When she enters his office he tells her that he is bored hiring people who
don’t deserve the job and he accuses her of taking the job just because of her

mother’s connections even though it is stated that the female investigator has
graduated with honors from her university.
Excerpt from CSI
The second excerpt from CSI 00:11:55’- 00:12:24’, here the excerpt depicts again the
young female forensic investigator not being able to handle an autopsy and when
she leaves in order to vomit the old male autopsy expert comments: “she is cute”.

Second excerpt of CSI with new female investigator
The third excerpt was from Dexter and it depicted him and Rita arguing about family
issues and few minutes later Dexter being with another woman and lying to Rita
through the phone.
This episode was discussed in the literature review as an example of how family is
presented in Dexter; as a ticket for someone to look “normal” but also how it
suppresses men’s primitive instincts and individual freedom. The excerpt was from
00:32:49’ – 00:34:14’ (S02E05) “The Dark Defender”.

Excerpt for Dexter “The dark Defender” episode
The excerpt from The Sopranos (S02E12) “The knight in white satin armor”
00:41:40’- 00:43:37’ portrays Tony’s sister in her kitchen cooking and arguing with
her fiancé about his son (she supported that even if he might be gay it doesn’t
matter); he is gay and loves ballroom dancing, the macho fiancé tells her to “put my
fucking dinner on the table and shut up” and he also punched her because she took
the initiative and asked him to have sexual intercourse.

Excerpt from The Sopranos
After these excerpts I asked the two following questions:
 What do you think about the representation of female and male investigators
in CSI and Dexter? Do these representation affects you, if yes how?
 Discuss the role of family in crime shows and how women are represented in
the family. Do these representations affect your beliefs and thoughts about
gender? If yes in what way?
To continue, after the discussion of the previews two questions I also asked some
questions in order to explore further the three aspects I’ve mentioned previously.
The questions were:
 Do you think that gender matters in terms of who is the victim?
 Do you think that gender matters in terms of who is the offender?

 Do you think that crime shows such as Dexter and CSI Miami portray cities in
a realistic way?
 Do you think that shows like CSI and Dexter could “affect” people; in terms of
choosing to study forensic sciences?
After the discussion of the above questions the focus group was completed.
In general the two focus groups didn’t vary significantly concerning participant’s
responses. Participants were excited with the research question and sometimes I
had to stop them and change the question because they were discussing
enthusiastically for too long each question. My questions were understood and I
didn’t need to make many further explanations. The findings which resulted from
their responses were extremely interesting and added further meaning to my
literature review.

Findings/Discussion
In general, the two extended focus groups provided valuable information and
contributed significantly in my research’s progress; in terms of how people perceive
or are affected by representations of gender, race, and also how they perceive (in
terms of realistic depiction) the representation of forensic science, location and
crimes. Moreover, the two focus groups provided me with similar viewpoints;
participants from different focus groups had similar understanding; in terms of how
crime shows represent and may affect their attitudes and beliefs. In order for the
discussion of findings to be more effective I will discuss findings by examining
participant’s responses (from both focus group 1 and focus group 2) on each
question.
The issues that were discussed in both focus groups were: gender representation in
crime shows and the role of family in the representation of gender roles, how “race”:
(African-Americans) is portrayed in crime shows, and how/if affects participants’
beliefs, how realistic is the representation of cities in crime shows; specifically,
Miami, NYC and Las Vegas, and also how crime shows portray victims and offenders;
and if this portrayal has affected participant’s beliefs and attitudes.
The first question I asked after showing two excerpts from CSI, as I have mentioned
above was: “What do you think about the representation of African-Americans in CSI
and how/if affects you?” (I also encouraged them to talk in general about how crime
shows depict African-Americans). Both focus groups agreed that CSI is a very
conservative TV-show which reinforces “racial” stereotypes and also they said that
Dexter is much more progressive in terms of “racial” representation. “There is racial

prejudice for sure in CSI” (Female, 19, Focus group 1), as another participant added:
“CSI Las Vegas shows only one African-American investigator who is ‘almost black’
with a significantly light skin tone and he is also gorgeous!” (Female, 21, Focus group
1). Most participants agreed with her and mentioned that there is significantly rare
representation of African–American investigators in CSI and those who exist have a
lighter skin tone and they are extremely attractive.
Focus Group 2 expressed similar opinions in terms of “racial” representation in CSI
but it also provided the aspect of deliberate discrimination against Caucasians,
“America has gone to the opposite, because Americans were accused in the past for
‘racial’ stereotyping now Latinos and African-Americans are mostly portrayed as the
good guys” (Male, 25, Focus group 2). Another participant, (who agreed with the
previous comment) added “Sergeant James Doakes in Dexter is portrayed as a very
strong, decent and well respected police officer” (Female, 23, Focus group 2)
another participant also mentioned “I don’t recall a black offender in Dexter” (Male,
21, Focus group 2).
To continue, focus group 1 also mentioned another aspect that they observed in
crime shows: the aspect of the ‘pathology in black families’ as participants argued
even if an African-American is portrayed as a respected personality with a good
working position there is always a background story which associates the person
with a past addiction; drugs, drinking or gambling. “Crime shows, when there is an
African-American character, emphasize a lot on their background stories which
usually reveal a sinister past” (Male, 22, Focus group 1). As another participant

continued, “Even Doakes in Dexter show was presented as having drinking
problems” (Female, 26, Focus group 1).
In general, participants of both focus groups mentioned that CSI is more
conservative than any other crime show “Maybe CSI is so conservative because it
was created in the early 2000’s” (Female, 22, Focus group 1). Moreover, participants
agreed that even if crime shows may portray racial stereotypes this doesn’t affect
their beliefs and attitudes as a participant mentioned “If you are racist, there is no
chance a show to be able to change your beliefs” ( Female, 21, Focus group 2).
The next aspect that I explored through focus groups was gender representation
and the role of family in the representation of gender roles. The questions asked
considering this factor were:
1. What do you think about the representation of female and male investigators in
CSI and Dexter? Do these representation affects you, if yes how?
2. Discuss the role of family in crime shows and how women are represented in the
family. Do these representations affect your beliefs and thoughts about gender?
If yes in what way?
Both focus groups agreed that Dexter is more progressive in terms of gender
representation in comparison to CSI and The sopranos. Participants in focus group 1
mentioned: “Dexter babysits Rita’s children and he also cooks” (Female, 21).
Participants of Focus group 1 also argued that CSI and the majority of crime shows
categorize women in two extreme opposites “In CSI we see two types of women the
two extremes, the anxious mother who constantly struggles to be perfect both at

home and at her job and the other opposite the sexually promiscuous women who
are usually portrayed as victims” (Female, 26).
In terms of the role of family in gender roles’ representation in crime shows, groups
also provided similar responses. Participants mostly commented on how Dexter is
presented as being suppressed (in terms of his masculinity-inherent violence) by his
wife Rita. “Dexter’s relationship with Rita is presented as compulsory, a vehicle for
him to appear normal” (Female, 21, Focus Group 1). Participants in focus group 2
also mentioned that family is represented as an institution which suppresses men’s
freedom. “Dexter is struggling through the seasons to be a normal family man and as
a result he suppresses his real self The Dark Defender” (Male, 25).
Participants also agreed in both focus groups that The Sopranos represent gender
role in an extremely stereotypical way. “Women in The Sopranos in almost every
scene are placed in the kitchen” (Male, 20, Focus group 1). In focus group 2 a
participant commented “In The Sopranos, gender roles are not realistic at all, they
are exaggerated in order to emphasize that these people are not ‘the mainstream’
American citizens, they are Italian- Americans who belong to the mafia” (Male, 25).
As a result focus group 2 noticed another aspect in the way that gender roles are
being portrayed in The Sopranos; the aspect of marginalizing ethnic minorities. “You
expect from the Mafioso to hit his wife” (Female, 23) as she continued “Through
various films and TV-series we have created a stereotypical image of ‘The Italian
family’” (Female, 24).
The next question that I asked in terms of gender representations was: “Do you
think that gender matters in terms of who is the offender?”

Focus group 1 mentioned that gender basically is related with the types of crimes
which are committed. “Women offenders are connected with money crimes
whereas men are usually depicted as violent sex offenders” (Female, 26). Another
participant added “Women offenders are usually connected with fraud and
deception” (Female, 21).
Focus group 2 focused not so much on the type of crime but on the motive of
crime. “The motives are different” as the participant continued “Men commit a
crime which many times is partly justified due to a troubled or sad background
story” (Male, 25). “Women usually commit crimes in order to revenge someone,
usually an unfaithful male partner” (Female, 23). Moreover, participants in focus
group 2 mentioned that women are almost never portrayed to kill with a violent way
they always kill in a sneaky way. “Women commit their crimes usually through
deception while men use their physical strength in order to kill someone” (Male, 22)
as another participant added “You rarely see a woman stabbing to death someone
she usually uses poison” (Female, 22).
In general, participants of both focus groups said that the stereotypical
representation of gender roles in crime-shows doesn’t affect them. An exception
though was The Sopranos, participants said that the way that TV- shows and films
portray the Italian family and its connection with mafia, has affected them; in terms
that when they see an Italian character to be member of the mafia or hit his wife
they are not surprised.
The next question which was discussed was: “Do you think that gender matters in
terms of who is the victim?” Both focus groups answered to this question in a similar

way. “In crime shows the majority of the victims are women” (Female, 21, Focus
group 1). “Female victims are usually associated with sex offences while men mostly
with economic crimes” (Female, 22, Focus group 1).
Focus group 2 added the aspect of promiscuity as a common narrative in crime
shows which basically implies that attractive and sexually vivid women should be
punished. Focus group 1 didn’t mention anything about it. “Many times in crime
shows it’s the woman’s fault that she was raped because she was dressed in a
provocative way” (Female, 23). “Usually women who are victims are not rich or
educated usually they have a night job, at a bar for example” (Female, 24).
The next questioned that I asked the participants in both focus groups was: “Do
you think that crime shows such as Dexter and CSI Miami portray cities in a realistic
way? (Can these shows increase your knowledge about these cities?)”
Participants agreed completely in their responses considering this question. They
argued that Crime shows usually portray cities in a more positive way. “Cities are
presented like a board game, the viewer feels that he/she knows exactly where is
what” as she continues “ In Dexter you know where is the police station, where is
Dexter’s house, where is the location of the murders… it’s like you have been in
Miami” (Female, 24, Focus group 2). “Personally I don’t believe that cities are
represented in a realistic way, I have been to Miami, in Dexter it appears so clean but
it’s not” (Male, 25, Focus group 2). “Cities in rime shows are sprinkled with glitter”
(Female, 21, Focus group 1).
The last question that I asked participants was “Do you think that shows like CSI and
Dexter could “affect” people; in terms of choosing to study forensic sciences?”

This question triggered a whole discussion in terms of how realistic is the
representation of the forensic scientist, the labs, and whether people believe that
they can learn about forensics through crime shows.
Participants provided very interesting data in this question. The majority of
participants believe that the depiction of forensic science is pretty accurate in CSI
and that they can learn new things by watching the show. “My boyfriend is a forensic
psychologist and he told me that many things that they present in CSI are accurate”
(Female, 22, Focus group 1). “I think that I have learned some interesting stuff about
DNA and in general about forensics through shows like CSI and Dexter” (Female, 19,
Focus group 1). Another participant mentioned “I definitely believe that many
people choose to study forensics because of CSI, my brother was watching CSI when
he was on high-school, few years later he decided to study forensics. I am not saying
that CSI was the major reason for this decision but it definitely affected him” as she
continued “One year later he decided that he didn’t like forensic science anymore
and he dropped out from the university, maybe his expectations were not met”
(Female, 22).
There was only one person in focus group 2 who disagreed completely with the
majority of participants “Everything about forensic is exaggerated in CSI even the
music adds a glamorous-mysterious veil on the forensic profession” (Male, 25). He
also added “They present CSI investigators like Gods, like they know everything, but
this is not true” (Male, 25).

Conclusion
Researching about the effects of crime TV-shows on people’s perception about
crime in real life was not an easy task. While I was reading what other scholars have
been said, I realized that crime shows may affect people’s perception in various
ways. As a result the literature review helped me understand that in order for my
research to be more effective I had to narrow down my research question; therefore
I decided to research through extended focus groups how crime shows affect (if they
do) people’s perception in terms of three aspects: Gender, “racial” representation,
and also in terms of perceived realism (to what extent people perceive crime-drama
shows’ content as realistic).
The two extended focus groups provided valuable results which helped me gain a
better understanding of how young people perceive crime shows. In general,
participants in both focus groups expressed similar opinions. In terms of how they
perceive “racial representation” in crime shows the majority of the participants
agreed that CSI reinforces a conservative ideology by not including many African-
Americans in the show and when it does they are presented as ‘problematic’ and
usually with some sort of addiction(drugs, gambling etc.).
In terms of gender representation in crime shows results from the focus groups
indicated that women are represented either as sexually promiscuous and they have
to pay for their sinister/provocative looks or behavior (and they usually die in the
end), or they are represented as working mothers who struggle to prove that they
are good at their job and also that they are able to raise a child.

Moreover, focus groups’ participants observed that male offenders are portrayed
as violent and usually they commit sexual crimes, while women are presented as
sneaky and usually they are involved in deception and money crimes. One of the
most interesting findings from the focus groups was that even though participants
said that a TV-show can’t affect their beliefs and attitudes; even if it presents
stereotypical gender roles or ‘racial stereotypes’, all participants (except from one)
agreed that they could learn new things from CSI and that they believe that the
representation of forensic science in crime shows is close to reality.
To continue, even though my primary and secondary research supported one
another and they also provided a valuable understanding of how TV-shows may
affect people’s perception about crime, my sample was small and as a result we
cannot draw certain assumptions about the effects on perception.
Furthermore this research question leaves so many sub-issues unexplored (how
cops are portrayed in crime shows or how they affects people’s perception about
judges, jurors etc.) because of the limited amount of time that I had available. As a
result this paper might trigger other researchers to explore further the impact of
crime shows on people’s perception about crime in the future.

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