But what is it about the poor choices of the characters that intrigue us? From the way I see it, the shows act as a sort of escape. One of my favorite shows, Dexter, revolves around a character that constantly kills others in the name of justice. I can tell it's not Dexter's (the main character's) good intentions that draw me to the show; I find myself uninterested with CSI or Law and Order. Instead, I think producers play off of the cautious, orderly, and monotonous nature of day-today life for many viewers. Murder is immoral and illegal in our society (as well it should be), but of course this creates a curiosity in many people of what it would be like in another world. A television show is almost a perfect substitute, allowing us to live out crazy events without actually having to partake in them (let me reiterate that murder is morally, legally, and universally WRONG). Besides, would you rather watch an hour-long account of a day job in a science classroom, or an hour-long thriller about a teacher who spends their time making methamphetamine and dealing with drug cartels (the plot of academy award-winning show Breaking Bad)? Would you rather watch a man analyze blood patterns or take vengeance for his wife's death with a syringe and a dozen sinister-looking knives? By watching a couple of episodes of Dexter, I can essentially pretend to be a violent, vigilante blood-spatter analyst who has some pretty bad*ss lines. In this way, the producers have me hooked.
Often, TV programs use immorality as a form of comedy. Most of us have heard of or watched the widely-successful sitcom Seinfeld. The four protagonists in this comedy partake in questionable actions, often lying and bending the rules to get what they want. This always leads to tragedy on their behalf, something we can laugh at because their poor decisions make it acceptable (the "they deserved it" complex). Shows like Seinfeld with multiple immoral characters will usually use the poor choices of one character to wrong another character, who in turn will return with a worse action. Often, the spiraling of their fortunes causes unrealistic situations to come about, further adding to the humor. Seinfeld is nearly fifteen years old now, but in terms of the use of immoral protagonists, it is fairly new. Remember Leave it to Beaver? I Love Lucy? The one-panel comic strip Dennis the Menace? They all became popular because of the antics of the main character.
Nowadays, this comical application is used very often. Watch Comedy Central for an hour or two and you are sure to stumble upon a few characters who are breaking multiple laws and ethical codes. It's Always Sunny, South Park, and Workaholics are just a few of the many. I think producers also play on this genre because it makes viewers feel good about themselves. It must be satisfying to reassure yourself that you are far from the violent, immoral, promiscuous, and often criminally insane characters that appear in today's leading shows. I'm glad I don't drink excessive amounts of alcohol, assault the innocent, or fill my reality with lies. I can see what it's doing to these characters, and it's not good.
Although I will say it's incredibly fulfilling to watch.
If you have any favorite shows with unethical characters, feel free to post them in a comment below. Thanks!
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