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Post by brennapayne on Nov 1, 2014 20:10:38 GMT
Society today is fascinated with true crime because of our need to feel included and involved. We wish to know everything that goes on around us. Take social media for example; we can know what our friends are up to practically every waking minute. Plus, we can learn what our favorite celebrities and idols are up to as well. The news is another example with its constant updates on government, politics, celebrities, international crisis, crimes, etc... We can also take into account how all of these updates- for both social media and news- are on our technological devices, making them easy to access. Today's society wishes to always feel like they are a part of something. They never want to feel 'out of the loop'. However, they also only wish to hear the exciting news. They want to be entertained by this information. This need to be excited and intrigued by news and social media causes authors to stretch the truth a bit to make these stories more interesting and attention-grabbing. As a result, society really knows very little about the world they live in. They think they know everything, yet, they know only the dramatic facts- the ones that are stretched to seem more appealing. The members of society are living an illusion. While they think they know all, they really only know what the media allows them to.
In Cold Blood offers insight into the nature of American crime and how we react to it through the characters' reactions to the Clutter shooting. One instance in particular truly illustrates this human need to feel involved- the anonymous calls to Al Dewey. Dewey is kept up all night by these phone calls from people offering their opinions on the case, such as, suggesting possible suspects, connections, motives, etc... Most of them have little affiliation with the crime, expressing this nature of humans to include themselves in the affairs of others. They feel it necessary to offer their insight because they think that they thoroughly understand the subject thanks to everything they heard in the news or from the talk around town or the rumors that have spread. In reality, they know very little. They know only what the police have let them. This reinforces the idea that humans are living an illusion-their view of the world is narrow and one-sided.
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Post by graciefettig on Nov 1, 2014 21:31:51 GMT
I completely agree with Brenna on the topic of true crime. People feel as they are constantly "in the loop" and they think they know everything about their favorite celebrity's life. In actuality, if you recall the last time you saw a magazine at the store, most of the headliners on the front cover were probably negative. You know when people are getting divorced, getting married, adopting another child, etc. You don't know the little things in life such as internal struggles with their jobs, or what they are having for dinner. You're not in the loop, and you never will be. Even with all of the technological advancements that have occurred in today's world.
The anonymous calls to Dewey justly serve as an example of insight into the nature of human crime because of the need for people to feel involved in each others lives and make a difference in today's world. Everyone wants a time to shine. By nature, we think we need to prove ourselves to the people around us. In the novel, the anonymous callers are trying to prove themselves by "helping" out the crime of the murdered Clutter family when they don't understand the half of the mystery.
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Post by sophicalhoun on Nov 1, 2014 21:43:24 GMT
I think that the answer to the question about the fascination with true crime in America, I think it has to do with society's fixation on the ideal that a person or thing must be inherently good, if not inherently evil. There isn't/shouldn't be an inbetween. True crime novels allow us as an audience to explore our uncensored thoughts on this subject, making up our own minds, and rooting for the underdog (in the case of Perry in ICB). Truman takes advantage of our perversions of crime in order to create a new kind of story in which the criminal becomes the victim in fresh eyes.
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Post by beckyhopee on Nov 2, 2014 22:47:23 GMT
In my opinion the reason that America and people all over the world are interested in crime is because 1.) It's a distraction for others. It their way to forget about what's happening in their lives. 2.) in these days we use crime as a form on entertainment. With all of the T.V. shows on, it's hard not to find some sort of 'entertainment' in the television shows.
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