LogFAQs > #940976253

112. COPS - StartTheMachine
https://youtu.be/d3i7ndJL9YQ

Unique: 1
Story: 0.5
Music: 3.75
Animation: N/A
Personal: 0
Average: 1.3125

Admittedly, Im finding it impossible to watch this intro and not feel disgust, with the knowledge of what happened to George Floyd (and many other victims). Of course, this isnt meant to be a political topic, but a ranking of TV intros. But Im explaining in a roundabout way why I hate a sequence designed solely to glamorize the police, while completely glossing over any corruption (which is hardly a new thing, even if America did just wake up to it).

In a more objective sense, the intro also kind of sucks. Whats the story? That there are cops who catch criminals and tackle them to the ground? Everyone already knows that without watching this intro, and this might as well just be a series of news clips. Perhaps thats unfair to a non-fiction show that isnt trying to tell a story, but every show has at least something resembling a narrative, COPS included. It just happens to be a very superficial narrative here.

Theres also little in the way of novelty to this intro. While there arent an abundance of shows depicting footage of actual cops on the job, the premise of the show doesnt make the presentation of this intro novel. This is not that different in presentation than the many intros for sitcoms or cartoons that cycle through random clips from the show during the intro.

As for the theme song, I know its a famous one, perhaps because there are so few reggae songs used in TV intros, but Ive never been a fan. Its plodding and tedious, and all I can say for it is it does have an undeniably catchy melody (in the same sense as an annoying TV jingle).

I also have a lot of problems with the song lyrics in the context of this intro. After we repeatedly hear the lyrics bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do when they come for you, clearly intended to mean the shows about a bunch of obviously guilty criminals getting caught, the intro ends with the disclaimer all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty, which is completely at odds with what the theme song just told us. Worse still, the portion of the intro designed to show cops dont just tackle people or slam them against car hoods, by showing them providing medical assistance and interacting with a little kid, is accompanied by another round of bad boys, bad boys, which is completely at odds with the visuals on screen at the time.

But hey, at least they finally cancelled this show just recently (I was surprised to learn it was still on the air).

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