Krystle Cline English 1103 Ms.

Caruso 22 October 2012 Peer Review 1 In the world of television, so many stories capture our attention for a variety of reasons. Law & Order: SVU is a show that has entertained millions for over a decade and is still going strong. Fans of this creation appear passionate, dedicated, and enthralled with the tales of detectives Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler, and the rest of the crew of Manhattans Special Victims Unit. It seems that you cant turn on your television without seeing one of the many current crime dramas, but what is it about Law & Order: SVU that is so special? In this paper, we will explore several reasons why society is captivated by these tales of such monstrous extend and in what ways our devoted viewership may affect our everyday lives. Is Law & Order: SVU so successful because the public has a desire for this type of content or is the show, as those shows like it, the product of the state of our world today? For those unfamiliar with Law & Order: SVU, a brief summary may be necessary to help you understand some of the later topics that will be discussed. The opening credits of the show provide a pretty straight forward description of what the viewer is about to experience. In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories. (enter citation? Is this considered widely known? ) Each week we follow the lives of an array of NYPDs finest and representatives from the district attorneys office as they investigate, charge, and attempt to

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:37 AM Comment [1]: Reviewed by Alex Barlow

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 12:12 PM Comment [2]: So, Im going to answer your questions here instead of at the end of the paper. This seems like a good start. I like how you added information about the show into your paper. However, I am a little confused on what your topic really is? How is this show effecting pop culture? I already commented on your in-text citations, just minor changes are needed.

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:44 AM Comment [3]: It may just be me, but Im pretty sure we are not supposed to be using personal pronouns in this type of paper. Maybe try and limit the amount of times you use you and we. This maybe something you need to ask our teacher about first, though.

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:44 AM Comment [4]: Yes, you would need a citation, since I have no idea where this quote came from.

convict criminals of some of the more atrocious acts that you can image. The opening credits call these acts heinous and viewers are presented with graphics and descriptions that may be hard to stomach, including rape, molestation, incest, human sex trafficking, related murders, and so much more. The bulk of the stories underneath the police procedure involve the relationship between partners Benson and Stabler. The pair act as a support system for one another as they both try to cope with the mental strain of the work they do. It is widely known that the departure of Christopher Meloni, who portrays Elliot Stabler, has upset many fans who believe his character and his characters relationship with Benson was the foundation of the story. In the Fall of 2012, the first episode of Law & Order: SVUs fourteenth season debuted on NBC. Lisa De Moraes reported in her blog, The TV Column, for The Washington Post that the show has an average of eight million viewers, making Law & Order: SVU the major networks sixth most watched program and is just trailing behind Sunday Night Football in the ratings. (De Moraes par. 1) This success has not been a recent development for the network. Moraes goes on to say, Law & Order: SVU is so old it harkens back to the day when Friends and Fraiser and ER were still part of NBCs lineup, and the network was a ratings force to be reckoned with. ( De Moraes par. 2) Some insight into why the public has a large interest in SVU can be found online through blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. By exploring these avenues, we can find the true opinions of the fan base, but typically without in-depth explanations. One exception can be found in a blog, humorously titled, Five Ways Law & Order: SVU Ruined My Life. Erin Long explains how her obsession with the show has impacted the ways she acts and views situations in everyday life. As a New York City resident, Erin is living in actual setting where the fictional crimes of Law & Order: SVU take place and now sees herself as a potential victim or witness to similar crimes. Well, Im now convinced that Im
Alex Barlow 10/22/12 12:01 PM Comment [7]: Quotes are wrote like this:
Quote here with no punctuation at the end (site/source). period after ending parenthesis

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 12:02 PM Comment [5]: Why are such awful crimes incorporated into these shows?

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 12:02 PM Comment [6]: ConfusedWhat is this supposed to mean? Who is this person and what did they contribute? Why was it so upsetting to the fans? This just seems slightly out of place. Add more detail.

going to find a hand every time I look over a railing into the water or a coarpse in an alley or something. Grim, I know. But these are the images SVU has put into my head. (Long par. 9) Even with such fears. She is an avid viewer and admits that she sometimes will waste an entire day watching marathons. It would seem that a program that produces such emotions would turn viewers off. So why doesnt it? In a study conducted by four researchers for the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, eighty-eight subjects were given a questionnaire to find out their reasons for watching this genre. Responses ranged from watching out of curiosity, to relax, because the viewer identified with the police, to have something to talk about with others, and to fill time. 89.9% of the participants stated that they watched crime dramas from one to seven hours weekly. (Brown 51-52) The results found that the viewing frequency was significant in relation to curiosity and information seeking. (Brown 57) But why are audiences curious? One answer may come from the way in which Law & Order: SVU incorporates true stories into the plot lines with a ripped from the headlines approach. With an abundance of news coverage of high profile crimes and major trials flowing across the air waves, Law & Order: SVU is reflecting the state of society. Numerous articles and books have been written pointing out the similarities of specific SVU episodes and the crimes they are based on. While none of these crimes have been completely transformed into an episode, key points are used with a twist. One of the most obvious and memorable examples comes in a season ten episode titled Selfish in which a young mother is charged with murder once her childs body is found. Most can easily parallel this with the highly publicized trial of Casey Anthony who was suspected of killing her daughter, Caylee. Law &: SVU used images of the child in pictures, video, and on t-shirts much in the same manner as the images of Caylee Anthony were used by the networks. Imagery was also used in another important way in regards
Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:58 AM Comment [14]: Add more detail about how this relates to the show and what happened in real life. This is an awesome way of showing how the show bases its episodes off real-life events. Alex Barlow 10/22/12 12:00 PM Comment [9]: Sounds like a direct quote. If you use the information from this source, I think it would be a good idea to add more direct quotes from the article. Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:54 AM
Comment [10]: Sounds like a direct quote? Unless you paraphrased, shouldnt this be in parenthesis?

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:51 AM Comment [8]: Nothing to change here really, just maybe add another quote by her. Seems very odd that someone would spend so much time watching one show that scares them.

Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:53 AM Comment [11]: Make sure the periods come after the in-text citation. Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:55 AM Comment [12]: What does this mean? Im slightly confused. Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:59 AM Comment [13]: Talk more about how SVU adds real life events into its show. Maybe people get so into these shows so much because they are better than reality?

to the cinematography and editing. The realism that these techniques provide could confuse a viewer into thinking they were watching the evening news. (Blue 2) [to be continued.]
Alex Barlow 10/22/12 11:57 AM Comment [15]: Okay, a lot of information in this paragraph. I feel like there should be a direct quote in here somewhere. It sounds like you are adding your own knowledge mixed with the research you have done. Maybe by adding a few direct quotes, you can make the paper sound more research based than based off your own knowledge.