Interpret
5. Read Jooyoung Lee’s quotation below. Paraphrase his statement in your own words, and then write a one-sentence summary of his statement.
Quotation: “It’s this double-edged sword where on one hand, [true-crime shows] raise awareness about a serial killer like Ted Bundy who targeted young women. But on the other hand . . . when we are so used to consuming these images, when lesser forms of violence occur, it doesn’t bother us in the same way because we’ve seen the most extreme examples.” (paragraph 25)
Paraphrase Summary
Evaluate
6. Is the entertainment value of true-crime stories worth the negative effects people may experience from consuming violent content? Explain your response.
Paraphrase: True-crime shows bring attention to notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy, but they also desensitize us to lesser forms of violence due to our frequent exposure to extreme examples.
Summary: True-crime shows raise awareness about serial killers but can lead to desensitization towards violence.
Evaluate: The answer to this question will vary depending on individual values and perspectives. Some may argue that the entertainment value of true-crime stories is worth the negative effects because it educates and informs the public about real-life crimes. Others may argue that the negative effects, such as desensitization to violence, outweigh the entertainment value and therefore it is not worth it.