Why is Law & Order always targeting white men?
Posted by Beginning_Result_616@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 48 comments
Recently I started watching Law & Order. Almost every other episode feels heavily political, and white men are often portrayed as the worst characters. I’m neither Republican nor Democrat, but even to me the pattern feels obvious. What exactly are they trying to achieve with this?
swake3@reddit
You do the math. between 75 and 79% of all crimes are committed by men. Over 65% of crimes are committed by white people. So between 49 and 51% of all crimes are committed by white men.
Maybe we should do something about them. (yes, I am one of them)
So yeah, every other episode having a white, male criminal is dead spot on.
DueLeague4668@reddit
Law and order is about violent crime, where you know who, commit the most… so yeah it is inaccurate
swake3@reddit
Ok Maga voter.
Per the Department of Justice white people commit 59.1% of violent crimes, just about representative of the percentage of whites in America. Men on the other hand commit 79% of violent crimes.
Which means White Males commit about 47% of all violent crimes, despite only being about 30% of the population, way outstripping our percentage of the population.
Yes, so do black males. You know, men seem to be really overly violent, we should do something! Black males are about 7% of the population but commit 21% of violent crimes. But black people are also more likely to be impoverished which often leads to criminal activity.
And still, about every other show having a white male criminal is dead on realistic. About 1 in 5 should have a black male criminal.
DueLeague4668@reddit
When you actually isolate the demographic of white males in arrest and victimization data, they account for roughly 35% to 38% of violent crimes…not 47%. Because white men make up about 30% of the total U.S. population. According to BJS, Black offenders overall account for roughly 29% to 33% of violent crimes. Assuming men make up the vast majority of those, Black males account for roughly 23% to 26% of violent crime offenses. It didesnt just “seem” like they’re more violent… they statistically are… if they don’t like the facts maybe they should change. But good for you for defending them. Oh and damn right I’m maga, don’t care support your delusions
DueLeague4668@reddit
It’s the “in” thing to attack straight white males… I’d hate to be one rn
FrankDrebinOnReddit@reddit
Guarantee that you are.
DueLeague4668@reddit
Nope, I just see through the trope
FrankDrebinOnReddit@reddit
100% guarantee
montrevux@reddit
couldn't be rolling my eyes any harder
DueLeague4668@reddit
Me when I see the same/similar plot time and time again. “White guy bad” “gay or poc good….and victim….and it’s never their fault if they commit a crime…. And somehow it comes back to the white guys fault”
montrevux@reddit
this is a ficitonal narrative you're building of your own victomhood that exists nowhere but your own mind because you're mentally weak. maybe stop being so fucking sensitive, you big baby.
AgITGuy@reddit
What are you even talking about? How did you come to that conclusion?
hello8437@reddit
at least he tried to answer the question with something that fits together. what's yours?
AgITGuy@reddit
He makes a claim that it's the 'in thing' but provides no evidence to support the assertion. There is nothing but their statement to back up how low effort that response truly is.
DueLeague4668@reddit
It’s ask an American not a dissertation… it’s ok to attack the white man. If they did do perps of other backgrounds consistently it’d be some kind of bs like they’re “reinforcing stereotypes”, or they’re “affirming” historically bad portrayals of “marginalized” communities. We all know what race should be consistently arrested if they accurately portrayed crimes.
ameis314@reddit
They've been doing it for 30 years in the show. Idk about it being "in"
Dacling@reddit
Obvious "I'm not a Republican or conservative I'm a centrist but only hold right leaning beliefs and only follow right wing talking heads" ragebait. Nobody believes you and everyone thinks you're pathetic for thinking anyone would believe you. Get a therapist and talk to them about why your kids don't call you anymore instead of wasting your time doing this sad shit.
AfroSarah@reddit
The way they deleted within 10 minutes. This will keep them up tonight
GarlicEmergency7788@reddit
It is intentional that the show is trying to highlight social and political injustices but it isn't really intentional that the perpetrators are often rich white guys, it's more a side effect of trying to keep it easy to make
There was a bit of discourse around this back in 2012 after John Oliver spoke about it
SeriousCow1999@reddit
This is not a new thing. Every detective show I can think of habitually features powerful, rich, and white men as the villains. It's more interesting to see them get taken down; it usually takes more of an effort, too.
I mean, did Colombo ever investigate some poor scrub who killed his wife or robbed someone for the contents of his wallet? Where's the fun in that?
Opus-the-Penguin@reddit
It takes place in lower Manhattan which is about 60% White, 22% Asian. The Asian population doesn't tend to be nearly as wealthy as the White population, though they're substantially better off than the Black and Latino population. Law & Order tends to focus on the wealthier inhabitants and their stories, which makes the people involved predominantly White.
zholly4142@reddit
Like the bumbling, fumbling white guy who has to be corrected by the wise black female. Nothing new.
LowCress9866@reddit
Dick Wolf explained this. There are no rich white rights groups
“Another reason that we have so many rich, white perps is that there are no rich, white guy pressure groups,” Wolf told The Baltimore Sun in 2003. “You can do anything you want to rich, white guys, and nobody cares. Really.”
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/john-oliver-slams-dick-wolf-130841456.html
edgarjwatson@reddit
Who cares because it doesn't matter.
It's a fucking TV show for chrissakes.
RektInTheHed@reddit
It's a fantasy where rich white men can be held accountable for crimes they commit.
jaquan97@reddit
As I read this, I thought of our current situation in America...
Beginning_Result_616@reddit (OP)
So you mean to say that there are only white dudes who commit crimes,not others? Because I watched at least 7 episodes for now.Every one of them was about white guy committing crime and they go after him.
Broad_Tie9383@reddit
Sounds like you are purposefully misunderstanding it. These are the stories they choose to tell, because the audience wants the fantasy of accountability when they see powerful, often white men, getting away with literal crimes regularly. This show has been on for a very long time and has always been inspired by fictionalized versions of things in the papers at the time.
allflanneleverything@reddit
Yeah but aren’t the victims usually white too? This feels like it’s just a bad representation of NYC, not an intentional campaign to portray white men as villains.
RektInTheHed@reddit
Good point, NYC isn't where white men are villains, Washington DC is.
RektInTheHed@reddit
Exactly, it's the fantasy that they could be prosecuted with such vigor and determination.
theegodmother1999@reddit
there are more white men than any other racial demographic in this country, and around 60% of violent crimes are committed by white people in america (the gender isn't taken into consideration in the government statistics for crime). so statistically speaking............. you've got your answer buddy
ItsDiddyKong@reddit
I think there would be more heavily criticized outrage and implications if they showed other races/ethnicities being punished. I think the show just doesn’t want to open that can of worms.
Like I just can’t see an episode of Law and Order where they lock a black guy up for crimes well with general audiences. Or a Muslim person getting jailed by white lawyers over questionable causes.
I think it would land too close to home for half the audience or lean too heavily into a certain ideology for another.
They have to tread a fine line and I think it unfortunately landed on white men as the perfect middle ground of “believable but less outright offensive” to audiences lol.
Vanilla_thundr@reddit
"I'm neither a Republican or a Democrat"
ThreefingersupmemefromIngloriusbastards.jpg
Beginning_Result_616@reddit (OP)
Darling,first start with expressing yourself clearly,second-if you like democracy, deal that others can ask questions as well.
Vanilla_thundr@reddit
I'm not your darling, pal.
the_incredible_hawk@reddit
I'm not your pal, friend.
Vanilla_thundr@reddit
I'm not your friend, buddy.
Ken_Thomas@reddit
It's a television show. What they are "trying to achieve" is viewer ratings and increased income for the network.
Any 'agenda' you see in virtually any form of media is based entirely on reaching the demographic your advertisers want, attracting as many of their clicks and eyeballs as possible, and holding onto them as long as possible. Failing to understand that basic fact is a failure to understand how corporations function in America.
MrLongWalk@reddit
Because white dudes are a well known deeply targeted demographic in media
Donald_J_Duck65@reddit
Because white men are responsible for 90% of the crimes L&O would cover.
Eldernerdhub@reddit
Y'all only want DEI when it's to cast a criminal. What a disgrace.
beardedscot@reddit
Your argument is pretty vague; it seems like you just want people to get angry and divisive with each other. "Every episode feels heavily political." Care to expand on that? Otherwise, it just sounds like male fragility; men created a patriarchy, and we create a lot of problems in that space. Especially white men. Either way, at least someone is prosecuting white men for their crimes.
montrevux@reddit
you're imagining things, dude.
Mesoscale92@reddit
You should probably ask the writers
Beginning_Result_616@reddit (OP)
Maybe writers are here as well and they gonna answer my question?
BusinessWarthog6@reddit
They are trying to make a tv show that will stay on the air. Ask the writers I guess
mdavis360@reddit
sigh