includedmiddle

Jewish Transbian (Greater Seattle)

Frantically pantomiming behind a one way mirror



nex3
@nex3

I think there's a lot to say about the connection between the increasing visibility1 of police violence over the past decade culminating in the 2020 rebellion and the following resurgence in popularity2 of detective fiction as a fantasy of humane justice. I think there's a real risk here of limiting our imaginations to possibilities of justice that still rely upon the context of a carceral state, but on the other hand I think it's also worth noting that of the three most popular fictional detectives among my generation:

  • Benoit Blanc's targets are the generationally (Knives Out) or exploitatively (Glass Onion) wealthy, always on behalf of those who got fucked over to uphold their status.

  • Columbo similarly exclusively goes after people who are so wealthy and powerful they can't imagine not getting away with murder, because they get away with everything else. In addition, he's set up as a schlubby everyman in direct contrast to their elitism, imbuing the show with a more pointed class analysis than most American media.

  • Harrier du Bois exists in part to show how the liberal construct of professional police are primarily a force for violent reinforcement of the state. (It's not too surprising that this is the most radical of the pop cops given that the creator is explicitly communist.)

I hope as this trend continues, it'll move in a more Disco Elysium direction of attacking the structures that have given rise to detective fiction historically. Art is how we teach ourselves to imagine better futures, and justice without cops and prisons is one of the most urgent futures we can strive for. And I firmly believe there's plenty of room in that world for complex and fascinating stories with lovable fuckup investigators.


  1. In communities I spend time in, which is to say generally-left mostly-non-Black anglophone communities.

  2. Again in communities I spend time in.


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