The Death Penalty in Popular Culture Kenneth Mentor J.D., Ph.D. Criminal Justice Department New...
-
Upload
augustus-moore -
Category
Documents
-
view
222 -
download
0
description
Transcript of The Death Penalty in Popular Culture Kenneth Mentor J.D., Ph.D. Criminal Justice Department New...
The Death Penalty The Death Penalty in Popular Culturein Popular Culture
Kenneth Mentor J.D., Ph.D.Kenneth Mentor J.D., Ph.D.
Criminal Justice DepartmentCriminal Justice DepartmentNew Mexico State University New Mexico State University
Previous Research:Previous Research:
Austin SaratAustin Sarat
Movies as replacement for public Movies as replacement for public executionsexecutions
Key ThemesKey Themes
Clean - MechanicalClean - Mechanical
Error Free - EfficientError Free - Efficient
Murder is Dirty in ComparisonMurder is Dirty in Comparison
ObserversObservers
In Film, Death Penalty is CleanIn Film, Death Penalty is Clean
Mechanical Mechanical
Antiseptic Antiseptic
Scene from “Dead Man Walking”
Orderly Orderly
Respectful Respectful
Caring guide Caring guide
Morality play - Good vs. evil Morality play - Good vs. evil
Puts viewer in juror role Puts viewer in juror role
ERROR FREE ERROR FREE
Hollywood vs. reality Hollywood vs. reality
Goes wrong only through Goes wrong only through evil evil
Goes wrong only through Goes wrong only through evil evil
Media seldom discussed error Media seldom discussed error or shows real images or shows real images
too distasteful too distasteful
Murder is Dirty Murder is Dirty Death penalty is respectful and Death penalty is respectful and
clean, especially when compared to clean, especially when compared to heinous acts of the condemned heinous acts of the condemned
Clean murderers are especially Clean murderers are especially crazy crazy
HannibalHannibal American PsychoAmerican Psycho Ted BundyTed Bundy
OBSERVERS OBSERVERS
Movie depiction of viewers Movie depiction of viewers
Film viewers - voyeur Film viewers - voyeur
Televised executions Televised executions
Little real understanding of Little real understanding of process process
Move to lethal injection - Move to lethal injection - orderly and clean, just like the orderly and clean, just like the
movies movies