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Online Media Diary #2

For this media diary, I decided to analyze and focus on the show’s lead star and center,  Lieutenant Olivia Benson. I wanted to better understand her character and how much she has grown from the first episode up until now. For the past two decades, Benson has captivated the hearts of many which led her to become America’s favorite. Mosbergen expressed in her entertainment article Olivia Benson Has a New Title that Benson “possesses a set of characteristics that female viewers see in themselves and want to see on television but that rarely show up in existing fiction” (Mosbergen, Olivia Has a New Title).

From the start, Benson has always been depicted as strong, independent, yet also nurturing. In recent seasons, she has rose from a typical NYPD cop to becoming New York’s finest and admirable Lieutenant. As of right now, she took on the role of becoming the leader of the Law and Order SVU Special Victims Unit. She earned that responsibility because of her character, her undying desire to help victims, her loyalty to her team, and her drive to always serve and protect. Before taking on that role as Lieutenant, she had a tendency to put her career above everything else which led to other parts of her life to falter. Benson invested more of her time into helping victims instead of helping herself. In her personal life, she had a desire to find love and to have a family of her own but with the lifestyle she had, she knew it would be impossible.

For the most part, she always had a male partner by her side through every trial and every case. Detective Olivia Benson worked hand in hand with Detective Elliot Stabler for about twelve seasons. Their friendship and bond was one of the main highlights of the show because of their compatibility and devotion to one another. The partnership she had with Elliot Stabler was a basic example of male vs female roles. In the show, Elliot was portrayed as very masculine which led his compassionate side to seldomly be seen. Outside of work, he had a family of his own but there was always tension due to how demanding his job was. He could never fully be present in his wife and children’s lives. Benson was illustrated as nurturing and very understanding. She was the one to lean on during hard times and she always lent out her hand to those who needed it.Their opposite personalities complimented very well because it gave them an advantage to get their job done. Through every high and low, they were there for each other which definitely both of them the support she needed. In the beginning of season thirteen, it was brought up that Elliot Stabler decided to retire due to a bad encounterment that happened in the squad room. After hearing the news, Benson locked up herself up in the interrogation room to cry. Olivia Benson has taken many blows in her life and at the end of the day, it has taught her so many life lessons.

I recently noticed Olivia’s character has definitely changed for the better in her personal and professional life. She is constantly challenging gender norms throughout every episode. Her character now is reflecting the current events that are happening in our society. Instead of being a regular detective, she is now promoted to a Lieutenant. She was chosen to taken on this role due to the skills she possessed and her years of experience she had in the field. Instead of having a set partner like before, she is the first female to now be in charge of an entire unit. Benson now has the say of what goes and what doesn’t.

What is most remarkable about Olivia Benson is her overall character. Her character embodies inner strength because is unapologetically not afraid to be herself and she always chooses to follow what she believes is right. She decided that she doesn’t have to follow society’s expected role as woman. Instead of having children of her own, Benson got the opportunity to foster and adopt a victim’s son due to her incapability of raising him. At the end of the day, Olivia Benson got everything she could hope and dream for but it didn’t necessarily mean that she had to follow the path society has paved for her.

A lot of women like myself can relate to this because there is this enormous pressure to follow society’s rules and expectations. Her character is something women look up to because she is constantly going against all odds.

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Online Media Diary #1

For this assignment, I decided to blog on the latest episode called “Info Wars” that aired a few days ago. Law and Order Special Victims Unit is known for its drama and captivating storyline that always keep their audience on their toes and wanting more. I’ll admit, I am a die-hard fan of this show and have been following it since I was a teenager. I came across this show on USA one random morning and after the first show I watched, I was instantly hooked. It was easy at that age to watch this show so passively. It also started a nasty habit that if I found out there was a marathon about to be aired, I would completely waste my entire day away binge-watching from morning to night.

 It is quite amazing that this show has been around for almost twenty seasons (since 1999) and as I continue to analyze this show, I hope to find out the reason “why?”

Why is it so addicting? What is so special about this show?

I also noticed that each episode starts with quick message saying “the following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person, entity or event.” It made me wonder if that is actually true. 

Does this show use the issue of "rape or any assault" women face for part of a story line just for the sake of entertainment?

This episode begins with a woman named Martha Cobb who is a proud Conservative exercising her right of freedom of speech at Hudson University. She asks the mob why people still glorify former President Thomas Jefferson even though there are allegations that he was a rapist. Martha then continues on about how liberals want to put Susan B. Anthony on money even though she would rather cut her arm before helping somebody who was black gain the right to vote. Her words angered half of crowd and it made them barbarous. Other groups of people were willing to defend Martha and trying to protect her from those who wanted to give a piece of their mind or cause harm to her.

 Unfortunately, Martha becomes a victim of sexual violence. She is found by the garbage disposal, unconscious and badly injured. As she comes to, Lieutenant Olivia Benson tries to console her and ask her if she has any recollection to what has happened. Olivia Benson is a woman who lives for her job and is willing to fight for those who feel like they don’t have a voice.

Martha on the other hand is very stubborn woman set in her ways. She is not afraid to speak her truth and wears her pride proudly on her sleeve. She isn’t like most typical victim displayed on this show, she shows no fear and refuses to let it get the best of her. Throughout the show, Olivia Benson tries to get in touch with Martha’s humanity and fails multiple times. She doesn’t agree with anybody Martha has to say but her values as an individual and the oath she made to her job, keeps her going.

 There are two suspects that have been narrowed down: a vain male supremist or a contemptuous liberal. Unfortunately, none of them are charged due to a dismissal in the case made by ADA Rafael Barba. Martha couldn’t make a solid decision and ADA Barba felt it was a better decision for all parties. Lit Olivia Benson expressed her empathy towards Martha about how they always can’t catch the bad guys.

This show ironically talks about the underlying issues that are currently happening right now ex: making America Great Again, President Trump, the ban on the wall, the Dreamers and so on. Law and Order SVU is using its platform to open a dialogue that allows people from all over to come together and help find solutions to these reoccurring problems of abuse or unfortunate events. The power of people simply coming together for the common good can lead to incredible acts. Yes, I do agree this show use the media to get the message out loud and clear. Sometimes it’s not used in the best way, but at the end of the day it is television.

I hope to learn more as I continue to watch Law and Order SVU.