My Le S
Language Arts
July 11, 1995
"Did you kill him?" yells Perry Mason, the world famous lawyer. "I, I, yes! I did it! It was me!" The witness breaks down on the stand, unable to hold up under the scrutiny of Mr. Mason's spider-trapped questions. The cops come and take the witness away as the accused hugs Mr. Mason, while exclaiming their everlasting gratitude. Just another day's work for Perry, star of his own television show. "Perry Mason" is one of the more popular lawyer shows that ran from the '60's to the late '80's which gives an overview of the typical images of lawyers. They are depicted as clever, witty, male versions of Mother Teresa who fight for the right side. Surprisingly enough, they always win.
Perry not only gets his client off the hook, but he also solves a case that has been bugging the police for ages. He keeps beating the same prosecutor and the victimizer always breaks down on the stand. Star lawyers on television are depicted as supermen in suits. There's nothing they can't handle, no case too tough, that they can't solve in an hour.
In this exaggerated depiction of a lawyer, many other court room jobs seem trivial. Cops become obsolete, except when they are there to get in the way of the lawyer's detective work. The jury is only there for decoration, and the people sitting in the rows are only there to mask the real killer. And the judge, well, he's just there to tell the prosecutor that Mason can do whatever he wants. We occasionally find that he puts in a warning or two to Perry stating that he'd better make a point fast. Of course, there is nothing that Perry can't handle.
Not only does the whole courtroom revolve around Perry, but the writers also give him "god like" qualities as well. Perry can see a lie from a mile away, regardless if it's from witnesses, corrupt cops, or even if it's his own clients. He's so good, he might even make Santa jealous. His vision for "covered" clues might lead someone to believe that he received an eye transplant from an eagle or bat. He escapes death with pinache and not even a single strand of hair is out of place. Incredible!
But, if you've been keeping up with the O.J. Simpson trial on almost all the channels, we all know that this typical television image isn't close to real-life court room drama. We've spent months and millions on this one trial alone, and we still haven' t seen a dent in the case yet.
The two different versions of court-room drama are almost like yin and yang. They each have many differences, but in many ways, they are also similar. For example, Mason and the prosecutor never stumble over what they want to say. On the other hand, Marsha Clark and Simpson's attorney deliver improve versions, where they know what they want to say, but just can't find the right words. Both trials, however, have the same share of drama and exaggeration, maybe even more so in the Simpson trial, due to the attention they are receiving from the media.
Even though most of the courtroom shows depict lawyers as cops, judges and Einstein all rolled into one, I believe that people don't expect that in real life. Even though not all criminals get caught in the end, as they do in television shows, it's better to send out the message that if you commit a crime you will be punished. For example, when the killer finally admits the crime, it is safe to presume that he goes to jail for his crime, which sends out the message that, "If you do something bad, in the end, you'll get caught." If the criminal just gets off scott- free, then that's like saying, "It's okay, you won't get caught." So, even though Perry Mason's skills are exaggerated, he still sends out a positive message to the viewers. Good job, Mason.