Over the line?

Some time ago (and many times now subsequently) E! ran a program called Going Postal: 15 Most Shocking Acts of Violence. The show counts down 15 horrific mass killings in U.S. history complete with file footage (some of it quite grisly) and survivor stories as well as attorney and psychologist commentary.

A commentary on one of the websites I frequent barked about how inappropriate and tacky and tasteless this type of programming is. I totally disagree. We can pretend to be all above it when it comes to entertainment shows using real-life stories to fill their schedules, but Law & Order and CSI aren't popular for nothing. Both shows take true stories (traumatic events in the lives of real people) and twist them and turn them (so's to avoid lawsuits) for entertainment purposes. On occasion, they don't even wait for the body to get cold before whipping up their own version of events. (Sidenote: Does anyone besides me remember Rescue 911--a CBS show on during the family hour in which survivors of horrible incidents reenacted their own traumatic experience for entertainment purposes? "Yeah, we want you to relive that experience of being stung over 100 time by a hive of bees." That's healthy.)

Let's face it: ain't nobody looking at E! to get educated. I hope.

I want to get all high-horsey about this, but being a true crime junkie I can't really. I am excited that the slow summer programming makes way for extra episodes of Dateline and 48 Hours Mysteries (even though they're often reruns). Were it not for shows like this, I'd probably be reading more or something lame like that, and what fun would that be? (Well, I'd probably be reading something true crime anyway...like the book I just finished about a jet-setting Austrian serial killer. Also, I heart Ann Rule!) We can balk at the notion of violence being entertaining, but that doesn't change the fact that we are drawn to them.