Crimesploitation: Crime, Punishment, and Pleasure on Reality Television in Bloomington, MN

"Due to the graphic nature of this program, viewer discretion is advised." Most of us have encountered this warning while watching television at some point. It is typically attached to a brand of reality crime TV that Paul Kaplan and Daniel LaChance call "crimesploitation": spectacles designed to entertain mass audiences by exhibiting "real" criminal behavior and its consequences. This book examines their enduring popularity in American culture. Analyzing the structure and content of several popular crimesploitation shows, including
Cops
,
Dog: The Bounty Hunter
, and
To Catch a Predator
, as well as newer examples like
Making a Murderer
and
Don't F**K with Cats
, Kaplan and LaChance highlight the troubling nature of the genre: though it presents itself as ethical and righteous, its entertainment value hinges upon suffering. Viewers can imagine themselves as deviant and ungovernable like the criminals in the show, thereby escaping a law-abiding lifestyle. Alternatively, they can identify with law enforcement officials, exercising violence, control, and "justice" on criminal others.
Crimesploitation
offers a sobering look at the depictions of criminals, policing, and punishment in modern America.