Wednesday, October 26, 2011

I Shouldn't Love This Show, Should I?



One of my newest favorite tv shows is Snapped, on the Oxygen network. My sister turned me on to it. I was laid up with a cold on Sunday and came across a Snapped marathon while I was channel-surfing.  Each episode is a profile of a murder case where the killer is a woman.   Each year, approximately 16,000 people are murdered in the United States. Only 7% of the killers are female (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program).  I'm assuming that since murder by a woman is so rare, this is why Snapped explores the crime and, more interestingly, the lives of the women who did the killing.  Who are these women and what drove them to kill?

From what I can tell, the majority of the cases are about a woman who killed her husband or boyfriend.  Part of me is embarrassed that I now watch this show.  I mean, imagine if the shoe was on the other foot.  Suppose there was a show with a tongue-in-cheek name about men who killed women?  I'd be horrified.

I saw a stat somewhere that 1500 women in the U.S. are killed by their husband or boyfriend each year.  That's disgusting.  But this show's funny name kinda sets the tone that when a woman kills it's not so serious.  

I don't know why it is okay to have such a show.  A guy friend of mine says I like it because all women are secretly hostile toward men.  I don't think that's true…but I do imagine that many of us have at some point fantasized about killing a guy who "done us wrong".  We just knew better than to actually do it.  These women didn't.

Is it weird that I (and so many viewers, almost all who are women) enjoy it?  Does it send a message that I should be embarrassed about (but am not)?  What do you think?


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8 comments:

SheilaMartin said...

I've watched this show many times. While I do not approve of this this type of thing, like you said what womon at some point has not thought about taking some guy out who has hurt her. But women must remember, the way a man treats you is not a reflection of you, but of him. As for your friend's remark, "women are secretly hostile towards men", he is wayyyyy off base, maybe secretly hostile towards him (no disrespect to your friend), women are usually only hostile towards men who hurt them, so if your friend is feeling some hostility maybe he should check himself, I'm just saying.

Button line is this stuff is what TV is all about today, people hurting each other, calling each other names, etc., if it's bad it sells!

Michael Ann said...

I have not heard of this show. Interesting crime statistics about women who murder. I don't think all women are hostile toward men. I wonder if it's the other way around?

eleanore said...

@MichaelAnn: I wonder the same thing (about "men being hostile to women").

Loving Spinsterhood said...

My cousin Joanne loves "Snapped." She is a married mother of three. On the weekends, the cable channel will offer a marathon of the half-hour program and she will microwave some popcorn and make it a day! If I was her husband, I'd be a little concerned though.

Nicole NA said...

A friend loaned me his CSI Season One collection, and now I'm hooked. Murder thrillers are not for everyone. For me the intrigue is getting into the mind of the killer (whether male or female), and solving the crime based on evidence and clues. I've never watched Snapped, but I can see myself liking a show like that regardless of the fact that the killers are women.

On the other hand, I can relate to your sentiments of discomfort with the show, just as much as I can relate with the whole fantasizing about killing some guy who "done me wrong." Two names come to mind, matter of fact.

I don’t think there’s anything to be embarrassed about just because you like the show. Sometimes a TV show is just a show that's a good show. Sometimes, it’s something to satisfy a hidden craving. And sometimes, it’s just something we happen to stumble upon while at home nursing a cold and channel surfing:-). I hope you’re feeling better now, though.

Nicole NA said...

@Film Fan: That's funny!

Aunt Danny said...

I absolutely love love love murder- crime solving shows. One reader said "this is what tv is all about people hurting each other." but Snapped and 48 hours, etc are real, the tv producers are not making this up. They want us to be more aware of what is happening in the world, One of my favorites was an older woman convicted of hiring a hit man to murder her husband. When they asked her why she said while smoking a cigarette, "tired of the bulls&#t."

I also like hearing the techniques detectives and PI's use in solving crimes. One detective said he can learn as much about what happened from lies the suspects tell as he can from the truth. And, I don't see anything difference psychosocially whether it's a man or a woman doing the killing but we all know it is wrong either way. Aunt Danny

Anonymous said...

I only read true crime and watch this show all the time and 48 hours and on Discovery they have another crime channel in HD. The main reason I watch these shows is because they are interesting and makes you think about your life and that your problems are small compared to them. I have seen stuff I did not want to see or know about (babies and small children killed or abused) and it brings tears to my eyes however I understand it comes with the territory.