Looking at the
picture above, what do you think it is? Candy or crystal meth?
It seems like a ridiculous
questions, but some members of the NYPD suspected the latter. In Brooklyn, 25
year old Love
Olantunjiojo was detained for 24 hours because cops thought that the six Jolly
Ranchers he was carrying were actually crystal meth. An article wrote that his lawyer responded, “I don’t know if these
cops have been watching ‘Breaking Bad,’ but my client is not Walter White.”
I don’t watch Breaking Bad, so that line didn’t
mean much to me. However, it did cause me to think about the number of crime
shows on TV today in America. In these shows there’s usually a cop or a
detective who solves a case in a way the viewer would never expect, like
figuring out that some candy is actually crystal meth. The reason for this is
obvious: ratings. Who wants to watch a show where someone gets pulled over for
speeding or the person who committed the crime is exactly you’d expect?
I think this case shows how TV can cause Americans
to have unrealistic expectations. To assume some candy is crystal meth is
clearly a stretch, yet things like happen all the time in crime shows. If
Americans start to assume that everything that happens on TV could happen in
their lives, I think they are expecting their lives to be far more exciting and
dramatic than the average American’s.
Is a member of the 10 most wanted list going to
turn himself in and then refuse to talk to anyone but you like in The
Blacklist? Probably not. Is a mysterious person that goes by “A” going to try
to ruin your life after your best friend dies like in Pretty Little Liars? I
certainly hope not. Is your candy actually crystal meth? It’s highly unlikely.
Most Americans, including myself, enjoy watching
TV. However, it should be seen for what it is: entertainment. Does television
play too big of a role in our lives? Does it impact how we view the world
around us?
I think that television is definitely a big role in our lives. I admit, I watch a lot of television shows, including Pretty Little Liars. I think that t.v. shows are my source of entertainment. When I need a good laugh or I want to relax, I watch my favorite shows. Television has a huge impact on our lives. How we dress, what we talk about, and the actions we take are influenced by what we watch. Clearly NYPD has been impacted by the fictional shows that are popular to Americans. With so many unrealistic shows, people start to think that anything can happen. As for jolly ranchers being crystal meth, I think that the NYPD needs to take a moment and check if they're being realistic.
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