Breaking Bad glorifies drug dealing

Anyone watch Breaking Bad? It's one of the number one television programs in the nation. A nation that is still under the thrall of the very drug that the show is about. And in this economically down trodden country, here comes a show that tells you that the fast track to lots of money is to cook up a batch of stimulants.

The consequences are outlined on the show, briefly. But because Walter White has cancer, he doesn't much care about them. He's a guy in a position with nothing to lose. We've all been there. It's like watching Scarface. When you're looking at the huge piles of money, you sort of forget all the awful things they had to do to get it. Or maybe you've got Scarface Jr. who wants to be Tony Montana, or little Walter Whites who believe they're just a few packages of pseudoephedrine from gaining their fortune.

The media has an effect on people, folks. We'd have never gone to war with Spain without the yellow journalism of the day. John Hinckley Jr. might not have shot Reagan if there wasn't Taxi Driver or Jodie Foster. That guy who shot up that theater, dressed as the Joker probably would have done it without the Dark Knight, but he probably wouldn't be calling himself the Joker. This show Breaking Bad is imprinted upon the public consciousness. It tells you a good deal of the chemistry behind the manufacture of it's centerfold product, and how much money can be made. The first episode, Walt is taken on a ride along and sees how much money can be made in one of those operations. How do you think that effects viewers?

It's a dubious claim, I'll admit. But after seeing all the kids who imitate Scarface now, I'd hate to think of the people who are going to watch the cool parts of Breaking Bad, and come away with the idea that cooking up a batch of bathtub methedrine is a good idea. My father did that sort of thing, and it did him no good. I know people have been making and using the stuff for a long time before Breaking Bad, but I can't help but feel that the show sort of glorifies the monetary aspect of it. It tries occasionally to make a little point about greed, or the pursuit of wealth, but it's understated.

Am I tilting at windmills, or does anyone else know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, it's not the seventh scourge of the world, but it's just troubling.

It's far from glorification. Did you see Walt spending his millions lavishly?

He had his family and friends torn from him as a DIRECT result of his own actions, his life so bad the only peaceful way out was to DIE!

What' so glorious about THAT?

Suuuuuuuuuuuuure, and videogames make people kill people.
Also, this just in... rock and roll is the work of the devil.
Its a great show and did not glorify a single thing.
If anything, its to persuade people from that kind of activity.

I saw Pretty Woman and now I really want to be a prostitute so that a mildly handsome man in his late 40s can sweep me off my feet. But I'm a boy, so first I'm going to have to get my genitals chopped up. I'm willing to though, 'cause of a movie.

Good and accurate post, OP.

Sadly, media-freaks and video game geeks will always disagree with you, despite peer reviewed research to the contrary.

It's naive to believe that the media we immerse ourselves in daily has no effect on our thoughts. Half of the people who disagree with you that entertainment media leaves an indelible mark on our psyche will go on to tell you that the news and the administration are constantly trying to brainwash us through careful choice of words, what news they run, etc etc.

Breaking Bad absolutely glorifies drug use and distribution. Just because the story might not be 100% peachy keen doesn't mean it's not glorification. Not all people will experience the same effects when watching the same entertainment media, but many are absolutely motivated to emulate the tv shows and video games they absorb themselves in to.

ETA: Still think media doesn't have an effect on how people live their lives? Then can you explain why Albequerque has experienced a massive influx of tourism? If media isn't effective at selling a lifestyle, then why is product placement such an effective marketing tool? Why are candy stores making a killing selling candy that looks like blue meth? Why are people always imitating what they see in the media we use to identify ourselves as people? What I mean by this, is, the shows you watch, the phone you buy, the computer you have... These have all become ways that we separate ourselves as individuals, ways that we clarify who we think we are as people.. How can you see all of this and then deny that a popular TV show has an effect on it's viewers?

I'm not saying Breaking Bad is the worst thing in the world, or that any other entertainment television is either; only that these shows absolutely DO influence the lifestyles of many of their viewers, in some way or another.

I've seen the show, never saw any drug dealing. Only drug manufacturing.

reply to post by Grifter42


I could see how an addict would have a very difficult time watching the show, but for the major audience (whom is not a recovering addict) there's very little glorification happening.

Man gets lung cancer >>> Man uses expertise as chemist to manufacture drugs >>>> Man's entire life goes downhill in possibly the most poetically dark, violent, and painful series of events ever fictionally documented.

It makes Hitchcock's movies look like love stories.

There isn't one drug user who's life in the show doesn't get seriously ruined one way or the other. Through the butterfly effect the death toll rises over half a thousand lives lost.

Trying to put myself in an impressionable person's shoes, and I still can't see them thinking meth is a good idea at the end of any of these episodes.

Of course, the Illuminati is tricky like that, ain't they:

cdn.uproxx.com...

The logical fallacies are great OP, keep them coming

Scent of a Woman was a great movie. I want to stab my eyes out so I can be that cool funny blind guy like Al Pacino played. I also loved Billy Madison when I was younger. I wanted nothing more than to be a semi-retarded 30 year old when I grew up. Sadly I never reached that goal

reply to post by Grifter42

Ah, no, I take it you haven't watched the show.

It is a drama about the collapse of a man and his morals ultimately destroying all that he once loved.

greencmp
reply to post by Grifter42

 

Ah, no, I take it you haven't watched the show.

It is a drama about the collapse of a man and his morals ultimately destroying all that he once loved.

And yet they can't make enough blue meth candy to satisfy demand.

Sure, a rational person might understand what you are saying.. And yet Walt is still the hero of the show. We still cheer him on and hope for the best for him. We empathize with his plight, and we can justify his actions by putting ourselves in his shoes. We just want Walt and his family to be alright. We now understand that not everyone mixed up in the illegal drug business is a horrible person, even if they do horrible things.

This is "glorification."

reply to post by Grifter42


The role of television is not to influence you how to live your life. It is entertainment.

Perhaps we should require a test to exclude weak minded people from having access to cable.

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by Grifter42

 

The role of television is not to influence you how to live your life. It is entertainment.

Perhaps we should require a test to exclude weak minded people from having access to cable.

And yet every single day people are influenced by something they saw on TV, or read.


Can we include all the people who believe you can immerse yourself in a fictional reality where a decidedly bad person is the hero and maintain that it has no impact on our perception of the real world?

Ever seen Weeds? They glorify drug dealing aswell. Even seen F.r.i.e.n.d.s? They glorify casual sex encounters. Ever seen they glorify criminal acts in some episodes and police brutality in other episodes. Ever seen Sons of Anarchy? They glorify organised gang crime. Ever seen King of Queens? They glorify disfunctional relationships. Ever seen TV in general? They glorify whatever the h their show is about. Because you need to relate to the star and why? Because you bloody well want it, thats why.

Would you watch a show about a guy dying from cancer, selling carpets to feed his family? No you wont, dont lie. You want action, something that you would never experience in real life, something exciting.

Where the h did the old saying go: "Its just TV". It needs a comeback, so here we go.

Its just TV, its not real, no one is telling you to watch the show or forcing you even.

reply to post by Grifter42


"Breaking Bad" glamorizes everything 'Bad' about American life ???????? (I was gonna say culture), but how foolish of me. When civilizations reach down to the depths of evil such as we, i.e., to the bottom of the barrel, spiritually - then said civilizations no longer deserve to use appellations such as "culture" to so describe themselves.

'Breaking Bad' - Everything they touch breaks and everything they do is bad. They are the "Gansta Rappers" of modern society, and they will set the tone of degeneracy for the present generation and the one that follows.

Am I judgmental? Sorry bout dat, but we 'practicing' Catholics can't help ourselves - truths (as in trooooooooooooothzes) must be proclaimed for all to hear.

TinkerHaus
And yet Walt is still the hero of the show. We still cheer him on and hope for the best for him.

It's human nature to cheer for the underdog (which he was at the beginning of the series). The underdog character is something that most of us see in ourselves because most of society is stuck with a life like he had. The stressed out, underappreciated, overworked, underpaid husband. The classic example of a beta male. A character like Walter White in season one is somebody people can identify with, because he represents a part of ourselves that we hate deep down. Naturally we are going to cheer him on as he starts rising to the top, whether he has morals or not, because most of us wish we had the courage that he does. But we don't, so we cheer on the fictional character as he does what we don't have the balls to do.

CALGARIAN
It's far from glorification. Did you see Walt spending his millions lavishly?

He had his family and friends torn from him as a DIRECT result of his own actions, his life so bad the only peaceful way out was to DIE!

What' so glorious about THAT?

Walter White made some HUGE errors..
Killing Gustavo Fring the biggest. That dude was AWESOME..
and saving Schrader from the hit that mamed his leg, just as dumb..
there are others, like Killing Mike Ehrmantroudt.

really, on OP.

SO what, IRS agents, DEA, etc they are just as bad.. Freedom.. pfft.

FREEDOM when a person can put into their bodies what they choose and do with their bodies how they please.. anyone interfering with that.. SCUM! and ANTI - FREEDOM.

wanna be a crack head? fine, your choice. act stupid on crack, you did it.

how can we have drone operators glorified for killing women and children, IRS agents existing at all.. and then whine about people manifesting destiny?

In one of the more grisly instances of criminals inspired by the series, last June Jason Hart, then 27, allegedly strangled his girlfriend Regan Jolley, 33, and tried to dispose of her body in a plastic tub of sulfuric acid. Her naked body was later found in his Nine Mile Falls, Wash., home by Hart's roommate, Dean Settle, who told local news that Hart was a big fan of the dark drama. "That was his favorite series," Settle said. "That's what he told me. I think he used it as instructions to go do what he was doing to dispose (of) the body." It's only fitting that investigators found the season 1 episode "Cat's in the Bag" cued up in Hart's DVD player, during which Walt instructs his young protégé Jesse Pinkman how to dispose of a rival drug dealer's body in a tub of acid. Hart had also purchased a chemistry book and drain cleaner before the alleged murder, according to court documents.

Walt became infamous for his highly potent strain of "blue sky" meth, so naturally, real-life cooks tried to capitalize on demand for the product as the series' popularity grew. In 2010, police in Kansas City, Mo., arrested a number of meth dealers, only to find that their product was tinted with what they believed to be blue food coloring. Were cooks attempting to put a stamp on their strain, or trying to attract a younger generation of meth users familiar with the series? Police and news media immediately questioned the Breaking Bad connection. Although the blue-hued meth sold for 50 percent more than the colorless variety, police said they didn't believe it was any stronger than other meth on the street. Instead, officers were more worried about children's safety. "Our concern is maybe a kid will get a hold of it and think it's candy," Sgt. Tim Witcig of the Kansas City Police Department's Drug Unit told local news.

Although we have no idea if these guys were actually inspired by the fictional White, played by Bryan Cranston, the parallels are undeniable. Meet math tutor Stephen Doran, then 57, who was arrested in May after allegedly receiving a package containing 480 grams of meth at a Boston middle school. He was arrested shortly after leaving campus, and police later found an additional 38 grams of the drug inside his home, along with $10,000 cash. Don't think it sounds enough like our beloved chemistry teacher-turned-meth cook? Well, get this: Doran was battling stage 3 cancer at the time of arrest and had been undergoing chemotherapy. Another uncanny coincidence is that of Cass County, Texas chemistry teacher William Duncan, then 43, who was charged with manufacturing and delivering meth after selling the drug to an undercover cop in a middle-school parking lot. Duncan was found with meth in his truck at the time of his September 2012 arrest, but was not believed to be selling to students.

More than 400 televisions have been destroyed by prisoners at the Lotus Green Correctional Center in Queensland, Australia, in the past year, after inmates used their TV electrical cables as a way to light cigarettes. Sound familiar? Walt used this very technique in the season 5 episode "Buyout," during which he used a coffee maker's power cord to burn through his plastic zip ties. According to an Aussie news site this month, which made the Breaking Bad comparison, over 425 televisions must be replaced and 131 others have been repaired within the past 12 months. Inmates can currently rent televisions for $2 per week, but prison authorities are now reconsidering this policy. Watch just how Mr. White did it right here (but hey, don't get any ideas).

Source



Life mimics art.

Xaphan

TinkerHaus
And yet Walt is still the hero of the show. We still cheer him on and hope for the best for him.

It's human nature to cheer for the underdog (which he was at the beginning of the series). The underdog character is something that most of us see in ourselves because most of society is stuck with a life like he had. The stressed out, underappreciated, overworked, underpaid husband. The classic example of a beta male. A character like Walter White in season one is somebody people can identify with, because he represents a part of ourselves that we hate deep down. Naturally we are going to cheer him on as he starts rising to the top, whether he has morals or not, because most of us wish we had the courage that he does. But we don't, so we cheer on the fictional character as he does what we don't have the balls to do.

Thanks, this was kind of my point. They take a ruthless (albeit hesitantly ruthless) hero and they write the part so we cheer for the person who is effectively the bad guy. They write the BIL federal narcotics agent as something of a bumbling fool, although he has his moments. They show us over and over again that these horrible acts are justified because someone is just doing what's best for their family.

Of course we can relate, we wouldn't be having this conversation if we couldn't relate. The problem that the OP is pointing out is that this and other shows like it are written precisely so we CAN relate. That's where the term "glorification" comes in.

TinkerHaus

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by Grifter42

 

The role of television is not to influence you how to live your life. It is entertainment.

Perhaps we should require a test to exclude weak minded people from having access to cable.

And yet every single day people are influenced by something they saw on TV, or read.


Can we include all the people who believe you can immerse yourself in a fictional reality where a decidedly bad person is the hero and maintain that it has no impact on our perception of the real world?

edit on 30-9-2013 by TinkerHaus because: (no reason given)

Every single day. You are correct.

Some folks can watch Breaking Bad and see a decent man, strapped for cash, turning into a monster in his hunt for more money. Meanwhile, others see the glory of cooking meth and killing people. Half empty/half full.....


.....but that TV show absolutely does nothing to the mindset that gives the two above viewpoints their life. A lunatic is a lunatic. You can blame Breaking Bad, you can blame GTA, or you can blame A Catcher In The Rye. There is always someone else to blame when an individual cannot control themselves.

Meanwhile, my world is slowly being Nerf Coated to accomodate humanities lowest common denominator(s).

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by Grifter42

 

The role of television is not to influence you how to live your life. It is entertainment.

Perhaps we should require a test to exclude weak minded people from having access to cable.

As consumers, it is paramount that media not only entertains- but influences.

Just wait, everyone will have a shaved head and an argyll sweater on halloween thanks to Breaking Bad.