Deviance is defined as, the recognized violation of cultural norms. The topic of deviance is highly applicable to television, especially in today’s culture. When you look at television shows such as “Jersey Shore”, “Are You The One?”, “Game of Thrones” and “The Walking Dead”, the premises are inherently violent and sexual. Each and every individual storyline has violent and sexual undertones and overtones. This deviant behavior is so prevalent in television that you will seldom find a popular program without at least one of the two. Why is deviance so common in television? And what it is doing to change our society? People are attracted to deviance in TV for the simple fact that it is behavior they themselves would not commit to. The characters on these television shows share values and characteristics with many of the viewers, so they become highly relatable. Because of this relatability, the deviance being committed seems more real to the audience. Often times, on TV, deviant behavior is just that, deviant. Because it is TV, this behavior does not wander into the realm of crime. Crime is defined as the violation of society’s formally enacted law. Viewers are not going to commit crimes just because they saw their favorite character do it on TV, so to achieve the same feeling they got when they first watched deviant behavior on television, they return for more. While violence and sexually explicit activity seem like obvious deviant behavior, deviance is often times subtle.
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