Ep. 161: The Real Life Implications of Pop Culture's Fascination with the Dubious Science of "Criminal Profiling"
Citations Needed11 Maj 2022

Ep. 161: The Real Life Implications of Pop Culture's Fascination with the Dubious Science of "Criminal Profiling"

Criminal Minds. Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer. Inside the Criminal Mind. Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez.

Each of these is the title of a series, fictional or otherwise, or documentary that relies on the work of so-called criminal profilers. They're all premised, more or less, on the same idea: That the ability to venture inside the mind of an individual who's committed a horrific act of violence–say, serial murder, rape, or kidnapping–is the key to figuring out why that crime happened in the first place. This theory may sound promising at first blush; after all, the highest echelons of law enforcement in the US continue to use criminal profiling tactics to this day.

But the reality is that, despite their prevalence in law enforcement both onscreen and off, criminal profiling techniques are largely ineffective, and in many ways, dangerous. Failing to consider institutional factors such as a culture of violence and easy access to weapons, patriarchy, austerity and other social ills that contribute to and reinforce violent crime, criminal profiling focuses almost exclusively on individual experiences and psychological makeup. Meanwhile, it categorizes "criminals" not as people who've been shaped by this social conditioning, but as neuro-deviants whose psychological anatomy is just different from yours or mine.

On this episode, we examine the history of the practice of criminal profiling in the West; how the FBI and entertainment industry work in tandem to glamorize the profession, despite its harms; what the actual effectiveness of profiling is; and how it serves as yet another form of Hollywood copaganda.

Our guests are Thomas MacMillan and Chris Fabricant.

Avsnitt(367)

News Brief: NPR Asks Starving Palestinian Living On Rubble to Denounce Hamas, Co-Sign His Own Ethnic Cleansing

News Brief: NPR Asks Starving Palestinian Living On Rubble to Denounce Hamas, Co-Sign His Own Ethnic Cleansing

In this News Brief, we we break down an object lesson in racist US-Israeli national security state toadyism, double standards, and runaway condescension.

22 Maj 202523min

News Brief: Baltimore Uprising 10 Years on: PR Co-option vs Genuine Reform

News Brief: Baltimore Uprising 10 Years on: PR Co-option vs Genuine Reform

In this News Brief we are joined by Taya Graham and Stephen Janis of The Real News Network to discuss their new documentary, "Freddie Gray: A Decade of Struggle" about the lessons, pitfalls and genuin...

7 Maj 202536min

Episode 220: The Power of Thought-Terminating Bad Guy Labels

Episode 220: The Power of Thought-Terminating Bad Guy Labels

"American Extremists Aiding Radicals Across Border," trumpeted the Detroit Free Press in 1919. "707 Illegal Aliens Arrested in Checkpoint Crackdown," reported the Los Angeles Times in 1987. "87 Bronx ...

30 Apr 20251h 21min

Ep 219: How Elites Concern Troll 'Waste' to Gut Social Welfare and Divide the Working Class

Ep 219: How Elites Concern Troll 'Waste' to Gut Social Welfare and Divide the Working Class

"Poverty plan hit for fraud, waste," reported the Associated Press in 1966. "Study says government waste is unbelievable," insisted United Press International in 1983. "Beneath Trump's Chaotic Spendin...

23 Apr 20251h 15min

Ep 218: The Siren Song of Rallying Around a 'Common Enemy' to Promote Progressive Causes

Ep 218: The Siren Song of Rallying Around a 'Common Enemy' to Promote Progressive Causes

"Senate Weighs Investing $120 Billion in Science to Counter China," trumpeted The New York Times in 2021. "A New Economic Patriotism Can Help Unite Our Divided Congress," argued Newsweek in 2023. "US ...

16 Apr 20251h 13min

News Brief: Dem Leaders, 'Free Speech' Warriors Mostly Shrug as Trump Disappears Political Dissidents

News Brief: Dem Leaders, 'Free Speech' Warriors Mostly Shrug as Trump Disappears Political Dissidents

In this public News Brief, we discuss the media and high-profile Democratic Party leaders and 'Free Speech' crowd's muted—or, in many cases, completely silent—response to the greatest attack on free s...

2 Apr 202528min

Episode 217: A.I. Mysticism as Responsibility-Evasion PR Tactic

Episode 217: A.I. Mysticism as Responsibility-Evasion PR Tactic

"Israel built an 'AI factory' for war. It unleashed it in Gaza," laments the Washington Post. "Hospitals Are Reporting More Insurance Denials. Is AI Driving Them?," reports Newsweek. "AI Raising the R...

26 Mars 20251h 3min

News Brief: Trump's Hollow Working Class Aesthetics and How Unions Can Lead a Real Resistance

News Brief: Trump's Hollow Working Class Aesthetics and How Unions Can Lead a Real Resistance

In this Citations Needed News Brief interview, we're joined by Rutgers professor Eric Blanc to discuss his new book "We Are The Union," and lay out how any meaningful resistance to Trump and Trumpism ...

19 Mars 202533min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
aftonbladet-krim
fordomspodden
spar
flashback-forever
motiv
aftonbladet-daily
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-sanning-konsekvens
krimmagasinet
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-klubbland-en-podd-mest-om-frolunda
sydsvenskan-dok
rss-aftonbladet-krim
politiken
blenda-2
grans
svd-ledarredaktionen