“Hannibal” – What you place before your eyes ….

By: American Decency Staff

In post-Sandy Hook America, there has been a lot of debate about what can be done to ensure that so heinous an act is not committed again. Most of the conversation has been about regulating the tools that were used by the killer. Some has centered on restructuring our mental health system. But, perhaps the most important aspect has been the least discussed – a culture which devalues life and over-assesses the value of "tolerance."

A perfect example is NBC's new crime drama, "Hannibal," which is based on the books by Thomas Harris. A trilogy of horror movies also based on the books is likely better known – "Silence of the Lambs," "Hannibal," and "Red Dragon." The title character of the series, as well as the subject of the movies and books, is Hannibal Lecter, a psychologist who is also a cannibalistic serial killer.

Take action now.  Click here to send a message to the advertisers empowering this truly repulsive show.  (See advertiser list below.)

In the movies, Lecter is imprisoned and is consulted by the FBI as they pursue other serial killers. The television series, however, takes place before his imprisonment and puts the cannibalistic psychologist in a more central role as he actually counsels a homicide detective who is working the goriest of cases.

The premise of the show is that the detective being counseled by Dr. Lecter requires the counseling because he empathizes with the killers. The first minute of the first episode displays this with gory detail. The main character, Detective Will Graham, is seen in the role of the killer, walking through a house and shooting a woman  in the head and then her husband in the chest. The director is not shy about gore as blood flies from the wounds in slow motion and splatters on the wall. Only after ensuring that the audience has seen where every drop of blood landed, do we see that the detective is not actually doing the killing; he's just reliving the emotions and actions of the killer.

The left-wing "Daily Beast," of all sources, does a better job of describing it, "…in the opening moments of Thursday’s premiere, Will used his super-sensitivity to put himself in the position of a killer as he slaughtered a husband and wife in their home. This is (the director's) stylistic flourish, one that will recur throughout the series: Will goes all woozy, a golden hue suffuses the screen, and crimes are reenacted—in this case, a gunshot to the chest of the man and a convincingly horrifying skull splattering of the woman as she frantically tries to call her home-security company. Will, who is said to have “pure empathy” with killers, speaks what he thinks are the words the killer probably spoke as he did this: “This is my design,” he intones, detailing how he “expertly” shot the woman so that she would not die quickly but feel maximum pain."

The audience is then supposed to be entertained as this detective is counseled through these experiences by a brilliant man-eating psychiatrist. How clever Hannibal the cannibal is! I will again refer to the "Daily Beast's" take: "(the director) has to make his Will quirky yet resilient enough (he’s like Tony Shalhoub’s Monk as a wry, depressed neurotic) to remain an engaging protagonist week after week in an ongoing TV show, and his Lecter charming enough that you’ll want to keep going to the table for his weekly cannibal-menu meals with various dinner guests. This last element is what I find, for all of this production’s skill and talent, most tedious and unlikable about Hannibal."

When we find out the Sandy Hook shooter was influenced by video games, and wanted to get a "higher score" than the shooter in Norway, it is an irresponsible response to elevate the importance of the psychotic logic of why people do horrible things.

As I viewed this one hour show, I couldn’t help think about how the Obama Administration is so hell-bent upon gun control to the point of threatening American citizens rights to bear arms as provided in our founding documents.

Keep in mind that even Obama insiders are quick to say that nothing within the proposed gun control measures would have prevented the Sandy Hook killings. 

In the meantime, while all the Obama administration finger pointing is aimed at gun owners, gun sellers, and the National Rifle Association (NRA), nary a word of alarm or warning is issued to Hollywood, the violent video game industry, network TV or Cable TV or the producers of television programs and movies that depict violent imagery and themes displaying blood and gore often with a psychotic, demented twist as was evident in the first episode of this disgusting “premiere” episode of Hannibal.

Hannibal is demented. It is indicated in this episode that he took out the lungs of a person while that young lady was suffering and yet alive.  He is shown eating portions of her for breakfast with no emotion.

The premier closed with a tease for the next episode. Following the twisted logic of a killer, Dr. Lecter advances television's favorite theme – misrepresenting God and His people. "Killing must feel good to God, too. He does it all the time, and are we not created in His image?"

Blasphemy is not likely to be a continued theme of “Hannibal,” but it does depict exactly how Godless the show is. The empathetic element along with the gore and the expectation of the audience to be delighted with the cleverness of Hannibal Lecter make this show disturbing and dangerous.

The advertisers which sponsored this show need to hear from you now!

Take action now.  Click here  to send a message to the advertisers empowering this demented show.

Advertisers include: 

Olive Garden
Kohl’s
Macy’s
Subway restaurants
Farmer’s Insurance
Dr. Pepper
Chevrolet
Fiat – Chrysler
Toyota
Suave – Unilever
Allegra – Chattem
Act Total Care – Chattem
Revlon
Capital One
Breathe Right
Motorola
Warner Brothers
Paramount Pictures
TriStar Pictures
Redd’s Apple Ale
Honda – local ad
Charter Communications – local ad
Sam Bernstein Law Office – local ad

Lastly one other disgusting and concerning note:

How sad it is that so many, many Americans have lost the ability to know the difference between what is right and what is wrong.  This deadening of our moral/spiritual sensitivities has been going on for a long time. 

Not that I’m surprised, but take note how some of America’s leading entertainment magazines rate this demented show:

People Magazine gives "Hannibal" a glowing 4 Star rating.

TV Guides rates "Hannibal" 9 out of 10.

Entertainment Weekly puts "Hannibal" #1 on their "must" see list.  

==========================================================

To support our efforts please click hereor mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.  

 American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---