Entry 5 - One more Primary Research Method

Questionnaire

in order to discover what the viewing public think of the way that criminals are glamorised in the media, i have devised a questionnaire in order to not only capture the way they feel, but also how they are effected and influenced by it.

I asked them:

1. on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being that u vigorously agree, would u say that crime was glamorised in the media?
2. Does the way crime is glamorised in the media influence u to want to break the law yourself?
   
3. Do you agree that fictional crime drama sensationalise issues in the news. on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being that u agree strongly
4. Who would you rather be, a Mob leader or a Supreme court Judge?
   
5. Do you believe that the main characters in games such as GTA and Saints row show criminals in a positive light?

Results

my results have shown that 70% of people vigorously agreed that crime was glamorised in the media, this shows that my topic was well chosen and that people will be interested and able to relate to my findings.

65% of people also believed that they themselves had been tempted to break the law after watch criminals on tv. the general consensus was that this was due to the wealth and power linked with the "criminal" in the media

50% of people believed that crime dramas sensationalised issues in the news. this shows that up to half the people we interviewed thought that crime in the media is an example of art imitating reality, making the glamorisation of criminals in fiction more exceptable.

When asked weather they would like to be a supreme court judge or a mob leader, in order to show weather the law or those breaking it are portrayed as more appealing and weather or not viewers are effected by this, 90% of people said they would rather be a mob leader, showing that the status thought to come with being the "criminal" is worth the risks conveyed in films.

When asked if the main playable character is violent crime based action games such as GTA were portrayed in too much of a positive light, 60% responded that the answer was no as they believed the games were only reflecting other perspectives throughout the media, comparing films and dramas to the games.

Conclusion

That although the public seemed to take an analytical view on criminals in the media rather than being influenced, i believe it is clear from my results that, if criminals are portrayed as more appealing than the law itself, there is clearly an issue either in society or within the media of how to entertain the masses with protagonist villains without being hypocritical.

Entry Four - One more Secondary Research.

• Layer Cake

2004,Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Based on a novel of the same name by J. J. Connolly.

www.Layercakefilm.com

I have chosen this film as i believe it shows the lives of criminals as glamorous yet incredibly delicate and risky, an alternative view to those of my other sources. As well as this, it is the only one of my sources which is a blockbuster movie, so it should give an international view of the criminals levels of glamour rather than one from a micro audience base.

Entry Three: Primary Research,

Detailed Analysis of Hustle

Aired Tuesday 29Th March 2005

The episode that I will be analysing is I believe a prime example of the ridiculously glamorous nature of the portrayal of the "criminal" in media. in this episode Mickey, Danny, Albert, Ash and Stacie return from a well-earned break (as they could afford this) to discover that old time grifter Harry Holmes (played by Ronald Pickup) has been arrested (you later discover due to breaking the "con man's moral code".

After attempting to con ruthless property developer, Howard Jennings (played by Charlie Creed Miles), Holmes may be in for a long stretch. Jennings is now made to seem the obvious choice for the happy go lucky cons next "mark". The use of specific lingo throughout the series as well as this episode in particular, draws the viewer further into the programme itself, immersing them in the "fact" that being a Con man is like being in a cool gang that the viewer should want to be a part of. This "team" ethic is presented to the viewer through out and actively takes steps to encourage copycat behaviour. This is a perfect example of the effect of the glamorisation of criminals in the media on the public.

The scene that calls for the most analysis is the meeting before the "con". This is due to the location as well as the circumstances of these criminals. The scene opens with pop music playing over the top, in a pent house over looking the river Thames. The criminals are equipped with several laptops as well as expensive looking equipment around them. This shows that not only does crime pay, but it pays well. glamorising the criminals to the extent that there plans can reach extortionate new heights, including a rubber face mask surgically attached in order to evade recognition as well as an assortment of other anti-spy technologies.

It is at this point that it becomes apparent that the con men have numerous moral rules which must be followed in order to retain success in there criminal activities. This glamorises the criminals in the worst possible way as doesn’t it show them as opportunists but instead, so successful that they can afford to chose when to work, a luxury that most can't afford. This (weather intentional or not) is a ridiculous idea and completely contrasts the representation of the criminal in the BBC article I have read, which talks of a 72 year old woman being robbed of £700 in the middle of winter.

Entry 2 - Secondary Research.

• A very British Gangster

Produced and Directed by Donal MacIntyre
©Dare Films 2006

www.averybritishgangster.com

I have chosen this as one of my sources as i believe it is an invaluable insight into the reality behind the lives of the stereotypical "criminal". With out this view my research would be useless due to the fact that this is the only video footage included in my research opposing the view of the glamorised criminal.

• Hustle

Produced by BBC

www.bbc.co.uk/drama/hustle

I have chosen this source as it shows the ludicrous glamorisation of a criminal profession often thought of as dire and scummy. It will also offer a healthy contrast to that of the BBC's articles on Con Men robbing old ladies in late 2007.

• BBC news article on "old woman robbed by Con Men"
  

www.news.bbc.co.uk

I have chosen this source as i believe that not only does it show criminals in a negative light, but also battles with the ethics behind a programme like Hustle, also produced by the BBC. contrasting with the thousands of pounds being earned by the fictional characters in Hustle with the £700 con featuring and elderly woman, reported in the news.

Entry One - Your topic and question

Explore the glamorisation of the "criminal" across various types of media.

Why i have chosen this topic:
I have chosen this topic as i believe that the glamorisation of the stereotypical "criminal" in the media is due to current political issues such as teenage crime and robbery, this is therefor an extremely interesting topic to be researching. the way that the extent of glamour differs between film and documentary will also offer insight into the reasoning behind the portrayal of the modern day criminal.

Why i have chosen this question:
I came to this question as it is interesting as well as relevant in our crime infested modern society. I believe this question in particular is specific enough to cover micro issues, such as the creation of stereotypical and repetitive antagonists in blockbuster cinema, yet could be inclusive of the bigger picture such as the effect this has on the public (the macro issues).

My first steps of research:
my first steps in researching the topic in order to be able to draw conclusion from the question will be to watch the Layer cake in order to see how the modern day "Criminal" is shown in film. I will then watch the BBC drama Hustle in order to show the brutal glamorisation of the lowly con-man.
In order to contrast this i will then be reading several articles written by BBC journalists on a new wave of Con-men that have been robbing from the elderly, taking advantage of the current financial crisis. As well as this i will be watching Gangster NO 1, a fictional film that i believe shows the glamorous exterior yet dark and saddening interior of the criminal in film.
I will also be watching Donal MacIntyre's "A very British gangster", an all access film inside one of Britain's most dangerous crime families. featuring a gang of contemporary criminals opening their lives to reveal a brutal world and an underclass which relies upon gangsters for justice, rather than police. i will be watching this as i believe it shows the head of a gang organisation as unglamorous. as well as this it is an example of the criminal in real life which means it will give an insight to the darker side of crime, perhaps not portrayed by other forms of media.

As for my primary research i will be writing a detailed analysis of one of the above, as well as doing a questionnaire in order to convey the viewing public opinions on the subject, seeing not only what they think about the portrayal of criminals as glamorous in the media but also how they are influenced by this.