A Gender Studies Investigation of Criminal Minds

     Season 5 features episode 4 titled “Hopeless”. Within this episode, the BAU works together to solve the murder of four individuals in an area that has been showing recurring cases of vandalism in Southeast D.C. During the ongoing investigation, more people are being attacked by what the BAU Agents suspect as being three men with low income jobs that can easily blend in. Throughout “Hopeless”, one of the victim’s sisters comes to the BAU to ask how the case is progressing and can be seen interacting frequently with Derek Morgan which does bring a concern for Penelope Garcia. The vandalism that occurred was in a home that was just recently remodeled and so by finding the dead body of a contractor, the team finds that the unsubs are construction workers and therefore were able to put the body into the wall. This finding allows the profilers to narrow the unsubs identities and finally capture them near their home.

   After investigating the stereotypes of Criminal Minds found through identities such as race, gender, sexuality along with concepts concerning politics and representation, the portrayal of profiling directly impacts viewers’ outlooks on these topics. The BAU depends on statistics and stereotypes of individuals, which then narrows their scope as to who the unsub(s) could be. By doing so it pushes the idea that these stereotypes are present and correct. Furthermore, the show’s choice of who they portray as victims and suspects can affect public opinion by showing which identities are dangerous or vulnerable. Coupling this with the statements by YouGov on how Criminal Minds is the 9th most popular contemporary TV show, this further increases harmful stigmatization because of the widespread popularity. Despite all this, Criminal Minds does touch upon subjects that are less seen on mainstream television as seen in the politics section. The show does not hold back on showing the...

In season 8 episode 9 of Criminal Minds that I watched and evaluated, it was based around different people attending a life coach's television show. We see several different people wind up dead following interactions with this life coach and following him along. Later on, throughout the episode, we see that the unsub is actually a person who has visions and believes that they are doing the right thing when they are killing their victims, almost like human sacrifices. The sacrifices were claimed to have been ignited by inspiration from the life coach. We see the main cast of the show take on this new case that is based in Seattle, WA where they meet the life coaches manager along with several other people who attend the show. Upon watching this episode you are revealed the identity of the unsub as well as the victims, and how all of the events tie together.

  Race Olivia:        In season 10 episode 15, like almost every other episode, the characters are predominantly white with the exception of Derek Morgan. In this episode however, they work alongside the local detective Davenport who is also a person of color. This is one example of how the show does bring in people of color but they are usually only brought in as side characters one episode at a  time.  Dima:      In season 5 episode 4, the pattern of the majority of characters being white still holds. While “Hopeless” still involves some Black victims, most victims are white and most of the unsubs are white as well. For the unsubs especially, white men dominate these positions, especially in the case of the three unsubs that “Hopeless” uncovers. Criminal Minds does a poor job of representing a diversity of races and ethnicities as almost all of the cast is white as well as cisgender and heterosexual. Harper: When it comes to race with...

          “‘Criminal Minds’ Scream.” IMDb , Amazon, 11 Feb. 2015, www.imdb.com/title/tt4382826/.  “David Rossi.” Criminal Minds Wiki , 2018, criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/David_Rossi. Davis, Jeff. “Criminal Minds S4:E16 'Pleasure Is My Business.’” Netflix , CBS, ABC Studios and CBS TV Studios, 30 Aug. 2015, https://www.netflix.com/watch/70189663?trackId=200257859 . Davis, Jeff. “Criminal Minds S5:E4 'Hopeless.’” Netflix , CBS, ABC Studios and CBS TV Studios, 30 Aug. 2015, www.netflix.com/watch/70189677?trackId=200257859 . Davis, Jeff. “Criminal Minds S8:E9 'Magnificent Light.’” Netflix , CBS, ABC Studios and CBS TV Studios, 30 Aug. 2015, www.netflix.com/watch/70291446?trackId=14170289 . Davis, Jeff. “Criminal Minds S10:E15 ‘Scream.’” Netflix , CBS, ABC Studios and CBS TV Studios, 30 Aug. 2015, www.netflix.com/watch/80066878?trackId=14170289.  “Jeff Davis.” IMDb , IMDb.com, 2020, www.imdb.com/name/nm1471491/.  YouGov. “Criminal Minds Popularity ...

     In Criminal Minds season, 10 episode 15, “Scream,” the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI travels to California to help Dt. Davenport in a criminal investigation into multiple dead women found in dumpsters. The BAU determines the Unsub, or an unknown subject is a man who is “a classic misogynistic sadist.” Upon interviewing the victim's family they found that the women were insecure and often searched for a man’s validation and attention. They figured out that the unsub found the women at a local women’s center where he works. Peter Folkmore, the unsub, blamed his mother for not leaving his father and getting away from the abuse they both faced and puts this same resentment and anger on those women. He had a recording of the moment his father cut his mother’s throat and then shot himself in the head but when the tape was burnt in a fire he started his search to try to recreate the tape which is what sparked his “need” to start abducting and killing women. In the en...

In Criminal Minds season 4 episode 16 titled “Pleasure Is My Business,” the BAU flies to Dallas, Texas, to investigate a series of murders where corporate businessmen were poisoned in reserved hotel rooms. The unsub’s profile describes a high-end call girl who is most likely white. The case’s secretive and hush-hush nature was apparent from the very beginning when the detective in charge called Agent Hotchner in person and asked that he come and be briefed alone as the details of the case are “highly confidential.” The rest of the team joins Agent Hotchner later as they follow leads from former prostitutes. The team eventually discover that the unsub is Megan Kane, Hotcher realizes that he has run into her before during his first visit to the crime scene. Megan Kane is a prostitute of high price and is proficient in getting into the minds of her clients and gaining their trust before she kills them with poison. Megan grew up in a wealthy household. Her motive to kill stems from a long...

  The show focuses on several key characters, some of which are added throughout the show and some of which progress to different positions during their time at the BAU. Agent David Rossi (BAU Senior Agent) Presumed gender: Male - Member of the first founding BAU team. The show portrays him as a stereotypical Italian, one who tends to speak without a filter and talks in a New Jersey/Italian accent. He joins the series later on in the third season. Agent Emily Prentiss (BAU Agent) Presumed gender: Female - Was an undercover agent, who is active in the field with a level headed and independent personality. She later on becomes the Unit Chief. Emily is not present in every season and the only characters without a steady romantic interest. Agent Kate Callahan (BAU Agent) Presumed gender: Female - Comes into the show late to become the intended replacement of Agent Emily Prentiss. Before coming to the BAU, she used to work in the sex crimes division of the FBI, specializes in undercov...

This blog will focus on the show Criminal Minds . We have decided to look at this particular series because it is a popular American television show, one of which many young individuals can say they have binged from one time or another. Another reason is because the show revolves around profilers, people that use stereotypes and statistics to solve criminal cases, thus the show comments on impactful negations that can have a negative effect on viewers. Therefore, the analysis of Criminal Minds will offer some forms of deconstruction of the many harmful issues that relate to categorization of people in criminal incidents. Criminal Minds is a CBS show that focuses on the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) that is part of the FBI. The BAU includes individuals that work on criminal cases to solve criminal investigations in order to find the unknown subject, or “unsub”, who committed the crimes. The show was created by Jeff Davis, an American show writer and producer. Davis has also created...