The Long Broomstick of the Law: The Regulation of Social Dirt in Crime Reality Television

• In Event: Portrayal of Criminal Justice Procedures on Television Shows

Abstract

Crime reality television is frequently criticized by scholars for its sensationalism: constructing an image of crime where danger is constant and violence is ubiquitous. This is achieved through both media content, e.g. statistical overrepresentation of violent crime compared to official statistics, and show format–rapid-fire, reactive policing. This style, however, is not universal. Based on a content analysis of sixty-five episodes of the Canadian crime reality television show Under Arrest, this study finds that depictions of crime in Under Arrest instead focus on policing minor crimes such as public intoxication, drug consumption, nonviolent domestic disturbances, and so-called “street checks.” I argue that Under Arrest’s depiction of crime serves two functions: entertainment of viewers and physical regulation of the underclass. In line with traditional crime RTV, suspect-officer interactions are selected to maximize entertainment value. However, Under Arrest also serves a regulatory purpose which can be traced to wider trends in reality television. Drawing from cultural and visual criminology, I posit that Under Arrest’s in-depth portrayal of minor nuisance policing serves to construct the police as social cleaning agents, addressing the problem of crime caused by “social dirt”–hedonistic, uncivilized, poor, and racialized groups.

Author

• Ethan Pohl, Queen's University