AMW is one of my favorite shows (surprise!). I stood a few feet away from John Walsh when he and his film crew came to Sacramento a few months ago to film the segment on the NorCal Rapist who struck in Natomas Park in 2006. Mr. Walsh is an extraordinary citizen, and his compelling show has done miracles for public safety.

But one aspect of the show that has troubled me for a while is the fact that almost every time the producers do a segment on a black perpetrator(s), they use a gangsta-flavored style of hip hop or rap as the background music. In my opinion this is not a good idea for a number of reasons, and I think the formatting should be changed.

First, playing rap music while showing a black person committing a crime may offer dramatic embellishment to make a story more compelling and relevant to viewers, but it also enforces negative stereotypes that perpetuate racial disharmony (i.e. “Look at them kids and their rap music killing people, Martha.”)

Second, and most importantly, I think AMW needs to remember their show is watched by both law abiding citizens, AND the “element” committing the crimes. Hence, I believe they have a social obligation to ensure their depictions are always clearly ‘crime re-enactments for the purpose of apprehending criminals,’ and NOT ‘music videos hollywood-izing violent crime.’

Music videos? Not literally, I’m talking implications here. Think about it: Most rational adults watch AMW and can easily separate fantasy from reality, but studies have proven young, at risk kids sometimes can NOT. What might be a scary crime re-enactment to you and I, might not be seen that way to an at-risk kid who is smoking a bowl and bobbing his head as some deranged idiot knifes a human being for a cell phone on his TV set.

Forget about how YOU perceive AMW for a moment, and think of it from the perspective of at-risk young people. These kids are often searching for a blast of ANYTHING to give them some sense of power over their lives–or worse, someone else’s. Why do you think video games like Grand Theft Auto are so popular with them? Why should AMW give them yet another outlet to associate violence with hip hop?

On AMW they see a gangster rolling down the street to the sound of 808 bass booms, driving a luxury car on 24’s, wearing fat jewelry, three girls in the car.. with John Walsh narrating his every move. To you and me that’s a sad commentary on the erosion of family values in America, BUT to one of these kids, it’s potentially an enticing alternative to their present lives.

I’m not saying AMW should play Hannah Montana when they are showing a gangster in a Cutlass “rolling real slow with the lights out,” aiming his bandana-wrapped AK47 into a crowd of teens, I’m just saying the sonic soundscape should be a little more–shall we say–less provocative and entertaining? Maybe a little less.. Hollywood? For instance, why not some dark sounding string movements? You can create dramatic flare without the Roland drum machines.

Let’s agree it is challenging–if not impossible– for us to control the proliferation of violent movies and video games, music videos, and so forth having a quantifiable negative impact on our youth (check out this story), but we CAN control the presentation of shows like AMW to ensure they can never be construed as “entertainment” for criminals and would-be criminals who also watch the show. Granted, this one change will not eradicate youth violence, but it is yet one more small step that can positively change the message we want to send to our youth.

I personally feel the use of rap music in AMW re-enactments inadvertently may glorify the acts to impressionable youth who lack morality and good judgment, AND potentially re-enforces a dangerous stereotype that associates black crime with rap music and vice versa–which is not doing racial tensions in this country ANY favors.

Finally, I’m not blaming AMW or anyone else for crime so don’t even try to some back at me on that bulls#@. I’m saying AMW can make the show even more effective than it already is by making it less like a video game, and more like an all points bulletin. Don’t feed the monster. Starve it.