It's not hard to find pictures of hardened criminals and wanted men on TV these days. Turn on any news channel and in any given minute mug shots of Osama bin Laden, the alleged snipers and various other felons will flash by repeatedly. These pictures, however, are somewhat of an oddity on channels outside CNN, Fox and others in the news business. VH1 is changing that perception, and not for the better, with their new show "Music Behind Bars." This latest addition to reality TV is a blatant display of disrespect toward crime victims and their families and a shameful glorification of criminals.
"Music Behind Bars" has a simple premise. Every week a new prison is featured and VH1 "reveals the incredible true stories of bands behind bars and explores the redemptive power of music" (www.vh1.com).
Some defenders claim "Music Behind Bars" is just the same as any documentary detailing prison life or even a specific prisoner. Although the healing power of music is a great subject for a documentary, "Music Behind Bars" is a far cry from this sort of program. It's more like a mix between "The Real World" and "TRL." The show is all about the drama factor, with music the main constant between each show. It has no integrity or value as a news show or an expose because it does not present facts about prison life or how music actually helps inmates. Instead, it deals with silly, trivial story lines such as a prison talent show and "surviving" solitary confinement.
One of the key problems with "Music Behind Bars" is that it opens new wounds for victims and victims' families. The inmates shown are not just petty criminals and tax evaders. As VH1 likes to promote, they are "murderers, rapists and thieves." Murderers, rapists and thieves who destroyed lives and families. The loss of a family member to murder is hard enough, but being subjected to the animal who killed your loved one performing on TV is just adding salt to an open wound. According to Time Magazine, one Pennsylvania woman even went as far as to call her governor to express outrage after seeing the man who killed her daughter promote the show in an advertisement.
Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker responded by promising that from now on the department of corrections "will notify victims' families if an offender will be seen on TV." Notification is not enough. These men should never be on TV, period.
Not only do their TV appearances affect the crime victims, but they also work against the whole concept of prison. Dangerous men are in jail for a reason: to be punished. Granting these felons airtime simply enhances their prison experience and grants them unwarranted rewards. Prisoners are given notoriety, their own show, and publicity -- something normal, law-abiding citizens can only dream of. They are given media attention and fans they don't deserve.
David DiGuglielmo, a deputy warden at the Pennsylvania maximum-security prison SCI Graterfored, argues that "Not giving inmates things to do is dangerous. They need outlets. They need ways to occupy their time." Thus, the prison band system is beneficial to the prison system as a whole.
There's no arguing that prisoners must be occupied to keep them controlled, but there is no reason for it to be broadcast on national television. It's just the latest way to attain high ratings by showing a darker side of life. What's next? The alleged snipers'premier performance as a singing duo? The Unabomber's greatest hits?
VH1 is getting a clear message from its Web site. Message boards are crammed with angry fans demanding the show be pulled from the air. Those who support the program are by far the minority. Hopefully, VH1 will get the picture. But if all else fails, let's hit the network where it hurts: ratings. If no one watches the prisoners on parade, the show won't last for a second season.
(Maggie Bowden's column appears
Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily.
She can be reached at mbowden@
cavalierdaily.com.)
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