Description
Book SynopsisOver the last few decades, television programs have attempted to depict some of the more troubling elements of society with a more conscientious approach. Issues that networks were once reluctant to broadcastsuch as sexual abuse, sexual assault, and rapehave become frequent plot points for many popular shows. Narratives that portray important social issues could potentially affect the ways individual viewers understand such incidents in the real world, so it is important to pay close and critical attention to the stories about rape that are broadcast to mass audiences. In Assault on the Small Screen: Representations of Sexual Violence on Prime Time Television Dramas, Molly Ann Magestro examines the ways in which police and legal dramas on network and cable channels portray rape narratives. In this discussion, the author focuses on eight successful showsNCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI, The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, Dexter, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and The Good Wife. Each chapter of
Trade ReviewMagestro takes an in-depth look at the way eight top-rated television crime dramas—NCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI, The Closer, Rizzoli and Isles, Dexter, Law and Order: SVU, and The Good Wife—portray the undeniably heinous crime of rape. She points out that public opinion is somewhat driven by what is seen on television and some shows—Law and Order: SVU among them—present more realistic scenarios than do others. The author studied each show to see what percentage of episodes contain rape story lines, noting that some of this is dictated by the nature of the show. She analyzes each show’s development, citing differences in characters’ attitudes and empathy regarding rape and variations in rape narratives within the shows. . . .[T]he book is well written, and the detailed analysis leaves no doubt that the author thoroughly researched the topic. A solid resource for women’s studies, criminology, and sociology as well as media studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter One “She Got Herself Raped and Killed”: Victim-blaming and Silencing on NCIS Chapter Two “Don’t Tell Her She’s Lucky”: Teachable Moments on Criminal Minds Chapter Three “She’s evidence”: Becoming a Victim and Personal Experience with Rape on CSI Chapter Four “Does Anyone Think Rape Isn’t a Major Crime?”: Female Cops and Rape Narratives on The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles Chapter Five “As Damaged as Me”: Rape, Revenge, and Dexter’s Women Chapter Six “These Are Their Stories”: Olivia Benson as Victim on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Chapter Seven “Separate Yet Equally Important”: Prosecuting Rape Narratives on Prime Time Chapter Eight “If It Forces You to Prosecute”: The Good Wife and Helping Victims Take Back Their Voice Conclusion Bibliography Index About the Author
