Does Miami focus too much on upper-class citizens?

Finch

Finch

Funnier in Enochian
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Adorelo brought this up and I decided to make a thread about it.

So what do you think? Does CSI:Miami focus too much on the rich and famous latey? I personally think they do and it's quite disturbingly been a trend with the entire franchise but Miami more specifically glorifies this to the umpth degree because the city is well-known for glam and sun. What saddens me is there's a lot more going on and a lot more diversity between people than just 'celebrities' and for some reason, the show has shyed away from this.

I've been counting the amount of episodes dealing with the rich and famous and it's getting a bit absurd.

-Just One Kiss
-Simple Man
-Blood Brothers
-The Best Defense (case A)
-Extreme
-Stalkerazzi
-Invasion
-Hell Night (case A because of the football player)
-Rap Sheet (case A)
-Lost Son
-Pro-Per (sort of)
-After the Fall (sort of--it dealt with a judge)
-Cop Killer (little rich girl)
-Identity (Clavo)
-Money Plane
-Going, Going, Gone
-Backstabbers
-Murder in a Flash
-Vengeance
-Blood in the Water
-Felony Flight
-Manhattan Manhunt
-Shattered
-Silencer
-Free Fall
-Shock
-Death Pool 100
-If Looks Could Kill
-Broken Home (since they were upscale)
-Triple Threat
-Rush
-Open Water (luxury cruise)
-Cyber-lebrity
-Deep Freeze
-Chain Reaction
-CSI:My Nanny
-Raising Caine
-You May Now Kill The Bride
-Tunnel Vision
(I may have missed some)

My definition of 'rich and famous' might be different from others' but there's a surprising amount of episodes dealing with those in an upper-class level. Do TPTB believe that showcasing the rich/famous/high profile make the show more interesting? Do they feel this is the 'real' Miami? I feel that the veil is over their eyes on this one. While there are plenty of episodes dealing with those in a middle to lower-class level, lately, there has been episode after episode of rich folks. In season one, almost the entire season dealt with regular every-day people but nowadays as the show goes on, I'm a bit tired of seeing the finicky rich/famous/goody-two-shoes skinny women/pretty boys commiting murders or being the victims of these murders. Because of this, I find it harder to relate to the show/characters. I feel they may continue the trend into next season and we'll recieve less and less 'regular' folks.

What about you guys?
 
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There has been a definite change. The earlier seasons focused more on 'real' communities within Miami. Remember Wet Foot/Dry Foot? Remember Eric getting too involved with cases? Remember the race debate sparked by Frank? All those things made Miami, Miami but suddenly, that's no longer controversial enough.

It used to be about that, you know. About the real people of Miami. The communities, the religious groups. The heated debate and the racism provoked, the confrontations and realistic disagreements. It made for interesting watching. I actually can't recall the last time a Hispanic person was part of an investigation, aside from being a criminal of course. What was it Delko said, 'if you want any real attention in this world you have to have blond hair and blue eyes.'

Sadly, Miami, that's become too true.

I don't know why Miami has decided to change tune. I personally loved the old Miami, the cases, the character interaction. Suddenly, all that's changed. It's now a case of 'who can kill the richest person in the city'.

And when was the last time we had a real...psycho. I know that sounds really strange, but if TPTB are going to have a murder every episode for dramatic effect then they should at least vary the motive. It's rare a person isn't killed out of jealousy, out of lust. I remember the days we had to get inside the mind of the killer, when we had to think about victimology and try and do some profiling of our own. It seems to be all rich women killing their love rivals; models killing competitors.

Things aren't as fun as they used to be.

I miss the old days.
 
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I agree 100%. The Miami of seasons 1 and 2 compared to these episodes lately is like night and day. It's funny how I can remember several episodes in detail from the 1st and 2nd seasons, but I cant even barely remembered what happened on last week's show or last year's show. That's because Miami now follows the same formula almost every week and it's become extremely predictable! Rich man gets killed,his wife may or may not have anything to do with it,but she is probally having a affair. He'll have some rich teenage kids and they'll be snotty during questioning...(I've probally just described about a half of a dozen Miami episode follwing that same formula). I remember when the cases had real,ordinary,lower or middle class people as victims and there was a REAL story behind the case,and the killers had some sort of meaning behind why they killed.Those episodes made you think about those cases long after the show went off. I really do wish the writers would revisit the CSI:Miami of about 3-6 years ago,but I doubt it thought...it's all about the ratings and as long as rating are high,we'll continue to probally see this predictable and dumbed-down version of this show that is still entertaining to watch,if only now as a guilty pleasure
 
In a word, YES. Oh wait, more detail... You all have nailed it as far as the culture shift since the early seasons, and while I like escaping into the glitz and glamour every Monday, the shows were better when they were grittier. Perhaps that's the difference between Miami's 6 seasons and Law and Order's 18 seasons.
 
I completely agree with you all.

The truly tragic thing about this is that in losing those more realistic, "grittier" stories, we lost a lot of the main characters as well. We use to see so much interaction with the main characters that was heart warming. Now I feel like all they do is be the good guys fighting the bad guys. I didn't actually watch back in the earlier seasons, but I have since seen many of the episodes, and they are much more realistic and emotional than the ones we have now.

Also, something I just noticed that I wanted to point out. In "Dangerous Son," when Kyle is still a foster kid, he's wearing these kind of "punk" clothes. You know, the skinny jeans, wrist bands, and studded belt. But several episodes later after Kyle has learned his lesson and moved in with mommy, he is wearing sweaters and khakis. I just thought that was so strange. Why would moving out of foster care change his sense of style? Grant it, he now belongs to a wealthly family, but still...it just feels strange.
 
Maybe CSI: Miami isn't paying attention to this topic, but the Miami tourism campaign is changing their style.

Miami tourism pitch moves from skin to art
By Douglas Hanks
The Miami Herald
May 12

Art replaces skin in Miami's new tourism campaign, part of the destination's push for more affluent and sophisticated travelers.

Centered around the catchphrase "Miami: Express Yourself," the print campaign features prominent local artists in surreal interpretations of Miami-Dade locales. The aim is to move away from the sculpted and slinky young models in the current campaign and reintroduce Miami as a refined destination awash in culture.
 
Hurricane Anthony, Kill Zone, that one with the developmentally disabled guy, Dead Woman Walking, that one with Wally, I think it's called Wannabe are episodes that helped get me addicted to the show last summer. I'd like to see more interesting cases-- more human-interest type cases. I'd like to never again see an episode about some sports dude, unless it's a jockey. I like the truly interesting cases like Dead Woman Walking and I also like the Dirty Harry gunporn eps too. But I don't like the overabundance of razzmattazz rich people cases.


R.
 
Since the end of season 2, it seems the writers have forgotten the "roots" in which made CSI Miami such a great series.
 
Man, I was thinking of this earlier this year! And remembering those coold s1 days, like WF/DF etc. there was normal people - I mean ordinary people, not so rich families, different kind of people. Of course it's said before that in CSIM world there is not even normal looking women. there is only pretty, model-type women. And yes, this "rich and pretty" shit is annoying the hell out of me. Could we get bit back down to earth, thank you!
 
DaWacko said:
Could we get bit back down to earth, thank you!
Click to expand...

Down to earth? Cherie, you're talking about a show who's main star continually takes his shades on and off in that obsessive manor and is unable to say a line without a ridiculously over dramatic pause in the middle.

I think back in our galaxy would be a start.

But to get back on topic, I agree with you :lol:. I remember when the people were real, not plastic. Emily Proctor said it herself, the show has the best looking suspects/victims (and cast, in my opinion). I remember Wally, when Horatio formed a bond :)eek:) with a victim, when he showed empathy, when the characters had a chance to develop and matter. I can't empathize with a stick thin model who's greatest worry is running out of pink nail polish.
 
I liked it better when it was both. Yes, there is a lot of people in Miami that are rich and famous, but this is not all that is there. I wish they gave us both sides again. I get sick of seeing rich girls in bikinis, okay, mainly in bikinis, but the rich part too. I know not everyone lives in mansions and hangs out at the beach all the time. Where are the working people. There has to be some, otherwise, that city would have died along time ago.
 
wow i couldn't agree more with all of you.
nearly every episode i watch i think 'what ever happened to the regular folks in miami?' it's not like it's a small village with only the rich and famous... in reality, every city has more 'regular, ordinary people' than pretty, fancy rich folks.
guess the writers think it's more appealing, but i think seeing episodes about people like ourselves is more 'close to home'. You can recognize yourself or your own environment in what you then see on t.v. :) I liked that about the first seasons, you could relate to the victims, but now those rich people feel more like shells. and it doesn't really help that the csi's too wear such luxurious clothing haha;). But to get back on topic: I hope they'll kill more regular Miami citizens ;););)
 
Couldn't agree more! I'm getting bored of watching plastic bimbos killing their husbands, or rich sports-players killing other rich sports-players because they were on the bench. Or Rich handsome men killing their partners for some stupid reason, or rich-plastic-handsome people killing for more stupid reasons.

I want to see real people, real cases and that touch of empathy and compassion that Miami used to have. Alexx used to provide that in the earlier seasons, before she got under-used and boring and became a robot. And then left...
 
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