SVU: it's like a train wreck
Dec. 9th, 2008 10:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
intertribalJust for the record, "Smut" is the most disastrous episode of SVU I have ever seen.
Ever. Yes, this is worse than both "Paternity" and "Pretend".
It starts off with a woman wandering naked (except she looks like an underwear model, and is wearing Victoria's Secret) through a park. It goes to a string of women who don't remember being drug-raped by some guy who looks like a skeezy beach boy perp (the kind you find on CSI) - they are identified solely and repeatedly by the porn-tastic screen shots of their rape. And by porn-tastic, I mean... really porn-tastic. It has now devolved into a discussion on whether or not porn causes men to rape. Just now we have them showing the video in court to give the perpetrator an erection, discovering that the judge watches dolphins humping people, and finally the trio of well-coiffed rape victims triumphantly popping up like Charlie's Angels (one blonde, one brunette, one Asian) in a doorway to remind the rapist that they'll testify against him, smirking when he says he's the best they ever had. We have special gems like the following:
Detective 1: That's enough to make Jenna Jameson gag.
Detective 2: And that ain't easy.
As well as a childish and ridiculously awkward discussion between the detectives about whether or not they watch porn, cue giggles and snickers, detectives calling each other prudes... Yes, this is all one episode. I don't even know what the hell SVU is trying to achieve anymore. Did I mention the dolphin porn? Like Malcolm Moran said about the 2007 Huskers, "The struggle became so bad that you couldn’t look away."
Contrast this with the Criminal Intent episode I watched after "Smut", the classic "Posthumous Collection", which explores similar themes, and it should really be obvious why Criminal Intent is my Law & Order of choice. "Posthumous Collection" is truly an astounding episode. I can't recommend it enough. It could be made into a movie directed by David Fincher - no exaggeration. And that's because it's about characters who could be real human people, characters who make decisions (even wrong ones) instead of pathetic caricatures. That and an actual story. That and actual actors.
Ever. Yes, this is worse than both "Paternity" and "Pretend".
It starts off with a woman wandering naked (except she looks like an underwear model, and is wearing Victoria's Secret) through a park. It goes to a string of women who don't remember being drug-raped by some guy who looks like a skeezy beach boy perp (the kind you find on CSI) - they are identified solely and repeatedly by the porn-tastic screen shots of their rape. And by porn-tastic, I mean... really porn-tastic. It has now devolved into a discussion on whether or not porn causes men to rape. Just now we have them showing the video in court to give the perpetrator an erection, discovering that the judge watches dolphins humping people, and finally the trio of well-coiffed rape victims triumphantly popping up like Charlie's Angels (one blonde, one brunette, one Asian) in a doorway to remind the rapist that they'll testify against him, smirking when he says he's the best they ever had. We have special gems like the following:
Detective 1: That's enough to make Jenna Jameson gag.
Detective 2: And that ain't easy.
As well as a childish and ridiculously awkward discussion between the detectives about whether or not they watch porn, cue giggles and snickers, detectives calling each other prudes... Yes, this is all one episode. I don't even know what the hell SVU is trying to achieve anymore. Did I mention the dolphin porn? Like Malcolm Moran said about the 2007 Huskers, "The struggle became so bad that you couldn’t look away."
Contrast this with the Criminal Intent episode I watched after "Smut", the classic "Posthumous Collection", which explores similar themes, and it should really be obvious why Criminal Intent is my Law & Order of choice. "Posthumous Collection" is truly an astounding episode. I can't recommend it enough. It could be made into a movie directed by David Fincher - no exaggeration. And that's because it's about characters who could be real human people, characters who make decisions (even wrong ones) instead of pathetic caricatures. That and an actual story. That and actual actors.
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no subject
Date: 2008-12-10 10:43 am (UTC)It's strange because I read somewhere that since porn became more accessible (i.e. the internet), rape crime has actually decreased per capita.
It sure has ruined some people's attitudes though.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-10 03:40 pm (UTC)I think you could make a lot of arguments about porn and rape, the data's so all over the place. I really doubt it either causes or prevents rape, though.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-11 09:16 am (UTC)There are a lot of studies that say "the number of (insert topical problem)s has risen this year". It's strange because not many of them really make mention of the population increasing every year, which it generally does, everywhere. More people = More of Everything.
Statistics can be misrepresented in a lot of ways but if I hear per capita at the end, I take a little more notice.