February 4, 1996
Web posted at: 5:00 p.m. EST
From Correspondent Jill Brooke
NEW YORK (CNN) -- On television and in the movies, police characters often push the limits.
Off the screen, some citizens say they've lost faith in the criminal justice system. Put the two together and you get fictional portrayals that reflect the desire to see criminals suffer.
On "New York Undercover," police threaten; on "Homicide," they bully; on "NYPD Blue," they shout and intimidate; and on "Law and Order," they shove. These are the good guys?
Yes, answers Mark Harris of Entertainment Weekly magazine. The most popular shows feature police who don't go by the book, he said. "It's a reaction to some public perception that criminals have too many rights." (230K AIFF sound or 230K WAV sound)
Despite the beating of Rodney King and revelations of racism in the Los Angeles Police Department, the public still wants to see TV cops portrayed as heroes. The same holds true in movies such as "Devil in a Blue Dress" and "Strange Days," where audiences did not object to police using excess force.
"Hollywood will continue to explore and exploit anything that holds the interest of the audience," said "Law and Order" actor Benjaminn Bratt.
The trend doesn't surprise Ken Lipper, a former New York City deputy mayor who wrote the film "City Hall," which emphasizes a heroic portrayal of police.
When criminals are pushed around by police, it fulfills the viewers' fantasy and removes the possibility that the justice system might set criminals free, Lipper said. (230K AIFF sound or 230K WAV sound)
"It ends right there with (criminals) being roughed up."
Portraying police as tough on crime reflects public frustration, providing the kind of payback that doesn't always happen off the screen.
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