Murder in American pop culture

Murder. The word itself inspires fascination and fear in the average American.

According to Professor David Schmid, who presented on the topic during the Cutting Edge Lecture Series at the Center for the Arts on Saturday, that average American has always been interested in crime.

The lecture examined American culture and the media's influence on violence. The forum was open to the community, and many local high school and UB students filled the screening room in the CFA.

During the lecture the timeline ranged from the era of the Puritans, when thousands of men flocked to execution sites to watch criminals being hanged, to present day television.

Professor David Schmid is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in UB's English Department. He grew up and received his education in England.

"When I came here for the first time, my parents were very worried for me. In England, the number one stereotype of the U.S. is that people were killing each other," Schmid said. "That is why I am so fascinated to study and analyze the influence of murder in American pop culture."

Schmid has published articles on numerous subjects including crime fiction, celebrities and others, and is currently working on two books regarding crime.

In his lecture, he showed examples where murder has permeated into the music industry. He used an example from the song "Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio, which is about a condemned man about to be hanged.

Schmid lectured on all forms of media including video games, which in the past has sparked outcry.

"I am quite skeptical of the fact that video games caused young teenagers to be more violent," he said. "To me, it is more likely portrayal of the influence of homicide in American popular culture."

According to Schmid there are murders that seem to be more embedded in the public imagination than others. He used the examples of Lizzie Borden and Charles Manson.

"Media, in a sense, promoted them to a level of notoriety and fame due to the heinous crimes involved," Schmid said. "People have always been awestruck by the crime that one was always able to commit."

He stressed that it is very difficult to generalize the concept of murder in American popular culture because there are so many factors involved.

"Bonnie and Clyde were actually not as heroic as one would like to think. In fact, they were very notorious robbers," he said. "Films and traditional media have always portrayed them as folk heroes and they have fascinated America ever since."

To explain violence on television and the conjunction of ratings, Schmid used the popular show "The Sopranos," which have continued to generate huge ratings in television networks.

"Crime shows tend to over exaggerate violence in the city, making people fearful instead of cautious. People will become more distrustful of strangers as a result," he said. "I have friends from the (country) that came to UB for various reasons. They will park at the nearest parking spot, and when they leave, they will quickly drive their car back to their house."

Schmid is passionate about studying crime and hopes to continue his studies in the future.

"I do not have the answer to solve crimes. I actually study and analyze it like a scholar," he said.