Pam, I agree strongly with your assertion that verite' techniques like those used in FOX's _COPS_ aren't politicially inert; in fact, they seem very volatile and potentially dangerous to me as hegemonic recuperation of "nomadic" video like Holliday's/Rodney King by using similar cameras/ techniques to validate police violence instead of critiquing it. Recently, I've noticed a marked increase of _COPS_-type camera work and editing in the evening news and, having watched many episodes of _COPS_, I'm sure both it and the news are trading on the emotional impact of violent voyeurism. I notice you're at Madison: I applied to the PhD program in Com Arts there and my writing sample analyzed COPS, "reality" TV and Rodney King. Have you read it by any chance? It's somewhat jumbled, but if it's still on file, you might want to skim it for ideas. ___ / | \ |/ \| Timothy Havens, THAVENS@gmuvax, [log in to unmask]