Looking for help from Criminal Minds fans!

[tohisbackpack.livejournal.com]

Name: Jenny
Age: 21
Location: Indiana
Favorite TV Show: I like to watch reruns of CSI and Law & Order :X
Other Shows Watched: Jeopardy and Heros! ;)
Favorite Quote: "..what foul duest floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men"
Favorite Color: green
If I was a criminal, I'd be... a psychotic animalnapper? The person who lets the animals go at the petting zoo and lures them into the white van and let them lose on a farm.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but I tried to post on a Criminal Minds message board but I had a lot of trouble with it (log in issues/posts showing up). So I came back to LJ after a few years, made a new account, and I'm looking for help. If this isn't accepted I understand but if anyone is willing to help me with an essay it'd be appreciated.

A section of the paper is going to be over criminal profiling in TV/Movies (Criminal Minds, Silence of the Lambs, etc.). A requirement for the paper is to have a primary source (interview, survey, observation) and I feel that it would fit in the most in this section. Since I'm unsure of how many people at my college watches Criminal Minds, the best chance for a helpful response would be at a community of Criminal Minds fans! Below will be a survey with a few questions. I appreciate any contributons. Any contributions are helpful. If you don't feel comfortable answering a question, you can skip it. If you would rather email answer you can email me at eukaryotics@msn.com. No names, email address, usernames, or any other information will be included in my essay (unless a quote is used and persmission is granted). Thank you! 

Please give a brief description of the TV show Criminal Minds:

What keeps your attention the most (the storyline, the different criminals encounterred, the characters, an interest in the FBI/criminal profiling, etc.)?

How realistic do you believe the show to be? (An explanation or a rating of 1 being very unrealistic - 5 being very realistic is fine).

Do you find it believeable (that it could likely give others' the idea that it correctly portrays criminal profiling in the FBI)?

Based on Criminal Minds, how would you briefly describe the job of one of the main characters?

Any final comments:

Thank you again (and I'm sorry if my post is completely messed up.. LJ has changed a lot since the last time I've used it).

Comments

[seraphina_snape]

Please give a brief description of the TV show Criminal Minds:
Criminal Minds is about a team of FBI profilers that solves difficult crimes through the use of criminal profiling rather than common police measures.

What keeps your attention the most (the storyline, the different criminals encounterred, the characters, an interest in the FBI/criminal profiling, etc.)?
I'm a crime show fan. CM is different enough from other crime shows to hold my attention for more than a season. I like the way crimes are presented through the eyes of a profiler - the blue-screen moments where they explain and predict the behaviour of this week's unsub. The characters actually aren't that big a factor for me, but I have to admit a certain fondness for Garcia... *g*

How realistic do you believe the show to be? (An explanation or a rating of 1 being very unrealistic - 5 being very realistic is fine).
2.5 - I'd say they manage a good balance between actual profiling and over-dramatic TV show.

Do you find it believeable (that it could likely give others' the idea that it correctly portrays criminal profiling in the FBI)?
I don't find it particularly believable, but yes to the scond part of your question. As I said, they do manage a good balance between dramatic effects and actual profiling details. The writers also use real crimes as inspiration for the cases, making it more realistic than purely fictional cases. The conclusions and reasoning on the show are realistic enough to give viewers the impression that they are watching something very much like actual FBI-type profiling going on there. Especially if you take into consideration that the majority of viewers doesn't know much about actual FBI or police work and criminal profiling beyond the superficial half-knowledge of crime shows and court TV.

Based on Criminal Minds, how would you briefly describe the job of one of the main characters?
Any one of them? Well, Garcia would obviously be technical support. *g* As for the others: They are part of a unit of FBI profilers that travels throughout the US to assist local law enforcement in special cases using their knowledge of psychology and criminal behaviour in general to compile a detailed profile of the unsub(s) which should lead to his (their) eventual capture.

Any final comments:
Not really. Good luck with that paper.

~ sera

[fireness.livejournal.com]

Please give a brief description of the TV show Criminal Minds:
Criminal Minds is about a team of FBI profilers who work in the Behavioural Analysis Unit. They use their skills to get inside the heads of the unknown subjects (unsubs) who they are trying to catch and prevent from committing more crimes.

What keeps your attention the most (the storyline, the different criminals encounterred, the characters, an interest in the FBI/criminal profiling, etc.)?
The interaction between the characters (especially between Morgan and Garcia, Morgan and Reid, and Gideon and Reid).

How realistic do you believe the show to be? (An explanation or a rating of 1 being very unrealistic - 5 being very realistic is fine). I'd have to say on a scale of 1-5, about a 3 or 4. I don't know much about the FBI or profiling or such, but sometimes things seem a little too convenient for the sake of the plot.

Do you find it believeable (that it could likely give others' the idea that it correctly portrays criminal profiling in the FBI)?
I guess I find it fairly believeable, especially when considering the second half of the question. The average American (or even especially in other countries where the show airs) would not know too much about the FBI, and are unfortunately swayed enough by Hollywood that they think these shows portray the absolute truth.

Based on Criminal Minds, how would you briefly describe the job of one of the main characters?
Just one? Penelope Garcia is the technical expert of the team. She has extraordinary skills when it comes to computers and whatnot. She is always on hand when the team needs information of any kind, and she knows just where to find it (again, convenient for the plot and time limits).

Any final comments:
Criminal Minds is a fantastic show that provides a good balance between realism versus Hollywood, and a character-driven show versus a plot-driven show.