David Spates "Therefore I Am" Published June 15, 2004

Like it or not, murder is fun

Go ahead. Deny it if you can.

You love a good murder. So do I. Murder is interesting. Murder is entertainment. We can dance around without ever saying it, but let's stop fooling ourselves. Murder is downright fun.

You don't believe me? Just take a look at the top-rated TV shows each year. Murder, murder, murder, murder. The lineup is a who's who of Emmy Award winners and nominees -- "CSI," "CSI: Miami," "24," "Cold Case," "NYPD Blue," "The Practice," "Crossing Jordan" and Dick Wolf's McHomicide menu of "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Crime & Punishment." I, for one, can't wait to see Wolf's newest addition this fall: "Law & Order: Jaywalker Patrol."

And that's just on TV -- network stations, no less. I could list dozens of cable shows, and if you've been to the movies since, well, ever, you know that murder is a box office staple. It's nothing new. The Hollywood morgue is chock full of fictitious victims.

Is this necessarily a negative thing? Is it desensitizing us to murder? Is it forever corrupting the "yutes" of America? I doubt it. There's really nothing novel about murder. Murder has always been a vital part of dramatic entertainment. The master storytellers, the ones who we call by one name only, have long used murder as a major theme in their works -- Homer, Shakespeare, Hitchcock, Spielberg and, yes, even Tarantino.

But it's odd, isn't it? Something so terrible and horrid and unthinkable as murder is a hugely popular theme in entertainment. I can't even imagine the horrific impact a murder in my family would have on me, and yet we usually don't think about those "trivialities" when we're watching murder-tainment. I've often wondered if murder victims' families feel differently about shows like "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order" and "CSI" after going through murder's horror. How could these poor folks possibly enjoy a murder mystery ever again?

But I don't feel guilty when I watch an episode of "NYPD Blue" or "Law & Order," do you? After all, it's interesting to see how police investigate suspects and how prosecutors prove their guilt, and behind it all are intriguing characters and well-written scripts. Anyone can throw together a police drama, but it takes a real talent to develop and portray engaging characters. The fact that each show revolves around a murder (or two or three) simply provides dramatic weight, consequence and urgency. Quality characters thrive under such circumstances.

It's the oft-told tale of good vs. evil, and it doesn't get much more evil than murder. Shows like these score well among viewers because we want to see how good will triumph. Sure, evil may notch a few victories here and there, but you can count on good winning out eventually. We know the good guys will prevail, but how they get there is the drama. It's not the destination, it's the journey.

Justifying dramatic murder aside, I can't help but wonder what I'll tell my kids when they're old enough to ask why people kill one another. The birds and the bees will be no sweat compared to that conversation. How do you explain evil to a child? I'm nearly 34 and I don't understand it myself.

Before I wrap this up and hand in my verdict, I thought I'd pass along this tidbit. I normally don't repeat "email jokes" because they're usually so lame, but this one is definitely on point.
In case you missed last night's "Law & Order," allow me to summarize. I don't care which episode you missed. This covers them all.

Someone found a body. The police were initially stumped and followed a false lead. Lennie Briscoe made a wisecrack. They arrested a suspect -- he denied it. Jack McCoy found a crucial piece of evidence and offered a deal. Deal declined. The judge threw out the evidence. They found a way around it -- in a somewhat shady manner. Serena and Jack argued about ethics. The evidence was let back in. A second deal was declined. The jury found the defendant guilty. Serena has a bout of guilty conscience. McCoy doesn't. Characters in this story do not represent actual people, places or events.

There, now you're caught up. See? Isn't murder fun?

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David Spates is a Knoxville resident and Crossville Chronicle contributor whose column is published each Tuesday. He can be reached at davespates@chartertn.net.