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Fascination with Crime

Why the media and viewers are obsessed with crime

By Haley DPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Collection of true and fictional crime movies and shows

In today’s society some people are fascinated with sports, others with technology, and some even have a fascination that one might say could lead them down the wrong path, this fascination is with crime.

People binge watch fictional and nonfictional crime shows, movies, and even documentaries about mobsters and criminals throughout history. If one was to take a closer look into the minds of these people fascinated with crime in the things they watch they would see that this obsession comes from the fact that the person has a desire to break the norms and be above the law, but they have much better self control than these criminals that they're watching. In a way it's like these people are living through the criminals that they see on TV and in movies.

For example, some people are fascinated by the rise and fall of James “Whitey" Bulger, South Boston’s most notorious gangster. He used manipulation to get what he wanted with no remorse for any of his actions. He rose to power with his Winter Hill gang through means of murder and money. Then he managed to disappear without a trace until he was caught in 2011. Many people seem to only focus on the power and money he had before he disappeared, which is probably exactly what the people watching the numerous documentaries and movies about him want.

Many people want what Bulger had: power, money, respect, the ability to disappear, and the power of psychological warfare, so they fascinate themselves with Bulger to basically live through him. Some see him as a vigilante of Southie, while others see him as the cold blooded criminal he was, which shows the vast difference in people’s mindset and desires that lead to obsession with crime stories like the one of Whitey Bulger.

People are more than likely fascinated with true crime stories due to their desire to be above the law and break the norms of society, but the only thing holding us back from doing so is our Superego outweighing our Id.

Our Superego is basically our self conscious that contains what we learned as kids from our adult figures. It uses these lessons of what is right and what is wrong to keep us out of trouble. Our Id is the part of us that is there to help us live out our secret desires, urges, and needs, it is usually stopped by our Superego reminding us that what the Id wants us to do is more often than not wrong or dangerous.

Our desire to be above the law is just our Id screaming at us to do what we’re seeing these criminals do in order to get what they have, while the thing preventing us from doing so is our Superego telling us how it would be wrong to do what these criminals do. Some people completely ignore their superego and run strictly on their Id, these people are the criminals that we're watching the stories of. Being fascinated with crime shows and movies is our Superego giving in to our Id just a little bit to give us the pleasure of instant gratification that we all want.

Being fascinated with crime shows and movies doesn't necessarily mean that the person watching them is going to get up and commit murder or rob a bank, it just means that our Superego is allowing us a bit of pleasure. It means that we’re finding ways to satisfy our Id without breaking the law or hurting others. Crime shows and movies are entertainment for our Id and satisfaction for our Superego by letting it know that we have great self control because of it.

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About the Creator

Haley D

New England girl navigating her way through a Southern Art School.

Life experiences are the greatest knowledge one can have, so here are mine.

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