Law And Order Star Agrees That The Show Is Propaganda?
Diane Neal from Law & Order agreed with comedian John Oliver in his stance that the show is propaganda.
This article is more than 2 years old
NBC’s Law & Order might be the most well-known series on the network, primarily because of its popular spin-offs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the recent addition to the franchise, Law & Order: Organized Crime. The franchise has included incredible performances from celebrity guest stars like Martin Short, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Banks, and Julia Roberts, but its series stars Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Sam Waterston, Anthony Anderson, and S. Epatha Merkerson have made viewers tune in to the franchise’s varied shows for more than 30 years. However, it was recently revealed by comedian John Oliver that the shows might be built upon an idea of propaganda within the US legal system, and former Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Diane Neal may agree with that sentiment considering her unique perspective as an actor on one of the long-running shows.
According to a report by The Washington Post, actor Diane Neal has confirmed that she doesn’t believe that Law & Order and its subsequent spin-offs tell an accurate picture of the legal system in the United States, particularly because the shows highlight situations where every case is solved and prosecutors send criminals to prison. Neal’s thoughts on the matter are a direct result of a recent episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where host John Oliver went on a tirade of sorts discussing how Law & Order is propaganda that creates the illusion for its loyal fanbase that police officers work with victims to find suspects, that they hardly ever arrest the wrong person, and that most cases are resolved in a timely manner. Unfortunately for most Americans involved in the justice system in this country, Oliver may be correct in his thinking that Law & Order does not depict how the system actually works and that real life is simply not a television drama.
HBO’s most recent episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver had host John Oliver spew out information about Law & Order for close to 30 minutes of airtime as he dissected the reasons why the franchise should be reviewed. The British comedian proposed the idea that the series franchise has propagandized police officers, detectives, and prosecutors by lifting their achievements rather than reflecting what the actual legal system looks like for minorities and people of color. The clip from Oliver’s show has been uploaded to YouTube and has been viewed more than 3.3 million times since it appeared online earlier this week.
Law & Order initially ran on NBC from 1990 to 2010, but it has seen a revival of the series starting with a 21st season earlier this year. The show spawned several spin-offs and has been a springboard for many New York and Broadway actors looking to beef up their resumes by starring in the Dick Wolf production. Famous faces that have appeared on several iterations of the franchise have gone on to bigger film careers, but got their start on the shows, which have included Jennifer Garner, Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons, Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo, Vera Farmiga, and Emmy Rossum.
