The Shield

At the recommendation of a couple of people, I checked out The Shield. I really wish I hadn't. In the very first episode, the lead character, Vic Mackey, kills another cop because he was cooperating with an Internal Affairs investigation into Mackey's illegal activities. On a side note, another character compared homosexuality to pedophilia.

I wanted to see what others saw in this show, however, so I watched the second episode. I'm not sure what I expected. I mean, they couldn't have the lead character actually be punished for his crime, or the show couldn't continue. But I was sure they could work out something. I was sure they could come up with some sort of resolution for a fucking cold blooded murder of a police officer by another police officer.

I was wrong. Mackey got off scot-free. Oh, and there was also a scene with another character complaining about "those goddamn wetbacks taking my job."

The third episode? I didn't bother watching. Who greenlights this shit? More importantly, who watches this shit, and enjoys it? The Shield is the kind of show that conservatives watch while furiously masturbating. "Oh yeah, Mackey, stick it to those fucking niggers, wetbacks, and faggots. You show those lily-livered IA fucks who's boss."

I've seen the character of Mackey described as "morally ambiguous." Bullshit. He's a dirty cop, an asshole, and a pathetic excuse for a human being. He's not a goddamn hero, yet the show insists on portraying him as one. I didn't appreciate having to explore "moral relativism" in my philosophy class, I'm sure as hell not going to do it on my own time. The Shield sucks, and so does anyone who likes it.