Word: southern
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...honeymoon proved to be short-lived. I had just abandoned "The Facts of Life" during a commercial break in hopes of discovering some "Dr. Who" reruns when, after a brief stint channel-surfing, I found myself in the midst of a prostitution sting operation somewhere in southern Florida. Narration was unnecessary as I instantly recognized the genre of the program: it was a "Cops"-type show styled after "NYPD Blue" in a sick rendition of art imitating art imitating life. As usual, the setting was seedy and the cast of characters--from pot-bellied sheriffs to pouty chainsmoking whores--left...
...stuck with the show, not so much out of interest as sheer curiosity. Brother shot illegitimate brother, children stabbed wild-eyed parents and family pets went berserk in a mad freakshow frolic before my very eyes. Forget Barnum & Bailey, I thought, southern Florida is where it's at: a world where suspects get "Mirandized" and the camera never stops rolling, even when characters appear wounded or in various states of undress...
Which is when I stopped to contemplate the impact all that random violence--wrapped up neatly in a southern Florida package and sealed with the official state police stamp of approval--had on me in my cozy home in upstate New York. Why was I suddenly checking the window locks and drawing the curtains flush with window frames? Why did the rustling of trees against the back door make me stand at attention? Is this the response shows like "Cops" really hope to elicit out here in sleepy TV land...
While the show's message is clear, the public response is questionable. The country certainly doesn't live in fear because "Cops" showed a few too many sordid details about life in southern Florida, and an argument could be made that the show simply serves as an extension for the increasingly violent soundbites distributed throughout the country during the nightly news. But one thing is for sure: the sense of paranoia and dependence on law enforcement the shows induce is riveting, contagious and a cause for alarm...
...article "Spring Break brings Welcome Respite" (news story, March 21) by Emily B. Wong failed to mention the Kuumba Singers tour of various churches in cities here in the Northeast. Not only would this have added an interesting contrast to the Southern trips taken by other groups, but Kuumba is also a largely minority group taking part in spring break activity...