It’s beneficial that TV creators are becoming more attuned to societal issues and systemic oppression, despite criticism of Hollywood “wokeness”. A look back at early episodes of the Law & Order franchise illustrates this point.
The first few seasons of Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit included episodes that would likely not pass NBC’s standards and practices department today. Some of these problematic elements persisted throughout the shows’ runs. Here are some of the most problematic instances:
1. Depictions of police brutality
The Law & Order universe often portrays police brutality, particularly in SVU, where characters like Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Benson (Mariska Hargitay) have been shown assaulting suspects. The NBC website even acknowledges Stabler’s propensity for being abusive towards suspects in order to elicit confessions. There is a clip on the NBC website titled “Benson Beats Up a Pervert During Questioning.”
2. Racial controversies
Episodes like “Rotten” from Law & Order: SVU Season 4 sparked outrage from groups like the Dominican-American Anti-Defamation League due to lines of dialogue that perpetuated negative stereotypes. Similar issues arose in the Season 11 episode of Law & Order with “Sunday in the Park With Jorge,” which upset the National Puerto Rican Coalition for its portrayal of a real-life event in a sensationalized manner.
Early Law & Order episodes also reportedly used racial epithets frequently, creating further controversy.
3. Homophobic slurs in dialogue
The Law & Order franchise has featured homophobic slurs in dialogue across several episodes, including the original series and SVU. This type of language has persisted throughout the shows’ history.
4. Transphobic slurs and content
Instances of offensive language directed towards transgender individuals have been present in Law & Order episodes. Viewers have expressed frustration and discomfort with the portrayal of these themes.
5. Assorted other offensive language
Various episodes of SVU have included offensive language targeting different groups, such as outdated and pejorative terms. These instances have been criticized for perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
Law & Order Season 24, Thursdays This Fall, 8/7c, NBC
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 26, Thursdays This Fall, 9/8c, NBC
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