Veronica Mars Cops in the Media

Veronica Mars is a show about a young woman and her ability to help her father, Detective Mars, solve cases. In this case, she is trying to figure out who killed the dean of her school, and will stop at nothing until she does so. Her strong female force and her outside-of-the-norm characteristics prove that not all television series involving cops can be ruled as the same, despite the opinion of Stuart Kaminsky in his article “The History and Conventions of the Police Tale”. Although certain concepts and stereotypes are found in the show, such as representation of race, Veronica Mars proves to be a “cop show” that breaks free, or at least attempts to, of the definitive idea of many shows in the media.

Veronica Mars and her father seem to be of the middle class. They live together and it seems a maternal figure is missing her life. This could explain her almost masculine persona. The majority of the people in the show seem to be middle class as well. This may just be a simple part of the storyline, but it also may be a strategy to attract the viewer. Logistically, many lower class families are unable to afford a television, or they do not have enough leisure time to do so. Middle class families are sure to own at least one set, if not two or three more. The show is also on the CW, a channel that people are able to view without cable. Many upper class members of society although not all, are known for looking down on television and choose instead to get entertainment from fine arts such as opera and theatrical events instead. It is therefore safe to say that the majority of people who would watch this show are middle class and would inevitably recognize the connection between their own and Veronica’s family. However, in the real world, all three classes exist and should be displayed in order to make a more believable setting.

The episode opens in one of Veronica’s college classes, a room filled with Caucasian young adults and being taught by a Caucasian male. By close observation, one may notice that there is exactly one African American male who, ironically, ends up sitting in the last row all by himself, while all the white students sit together in the rows ahead. In enters Veronica Mars, the main character, whose father is a detective investigating the very professor teaching the class.

Veronica does not portray what a typical main character, especially a female, does. Granted that she is blonde, thin, and not bad on the eyes, she is not dressed how a typical female on television would be expected to. This is where the idea of the “midriff”, seen in “Merchants of Cool”, a PBS Frontline documentary, comes into question. This is a term used to explain the image of women portrayed by the media. The “midriff” is typically an attractive, thin, suggestively dressed female. Using this female image is an attempt to engage the audience, particularly young women, to an image they can associate with and strive to be. The midriff gets all the attention, especially from men, and because of this, is seen as a powerful force until, of course, she ages, gains weight, or says something of intelligence.

Again, the role of minorities is once again seen. Only this time, it is not the lonely black student in the last row, it is one of Veronica’s close friends, Wallace. While trying to do analysis of his character, I was actually unable to recall his name. This is significant because when I realized