The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 7A
cOURTESY OF G
Gotta taze 'em all.
To protect, serve
.and breathalize
'Campus P.D.' tones down the
debauchery with realistic look
at college policing
By JAMIE BLOCK
ManagingArts Editor
With the obligatory girl-on-girl kiss, scream-
ing bikini-clad party-goers and wasted bros, the
opening theme for G4's "Cam-
pus P.D." doesn't bode well for ***
the rest of the show. But then,
against all odds, the program Campus P.D.
turns out to be a toned-down, WSe two
light-hearted look at the daily
* grind of campus police. This Wednesdays
kind of show might not appeal at 8 p.m.
to the more boisterous, drunken G4
college student, but it will be an
entertaining way to pass some time on Wednesday
nights for those students content to chill in the liv-
ing room.
* The show leaps from college to college with
each commercial break, showing us a wintry
party at the University of Cincinnati before leap-
ing to a tow truck full of half-naked men at New
Mexico State. The nature of the crimes depicted
varies from location to location, but the one con-
stant is that all the cops are incredibly poised and
restrained. With a clear demographic of college
students, "Campus P.D." could have taken the
easy way out and made the cops look like abusive
power-mongers. But this isn't a show to appease,
justify or avenge the partying magses - it's just an
honest look behind the scenes of campus police.
That isn't to say the show is only for shut-ins.
There are scenes that will entertain everyone,
regardless of usual sobriety or weekend social
plans. Who doesn't love a drunk girl explaining
to the police that they should be patrolling poor
neighborhoods where everyone is "murdering
people and raping people and snorting drugs"?
The show's got everything from intentional,
out-of-pants outdoor urination to unintentional,
in-pants outdoor urination. See? Something for
everyone.
One of the featured police officers in "Campus
P.D.," while talking about why he enjoys his job,
stumbles upon why this show succeeds in areas
"COPS" doesn't. What that officer says he enjoys
most is the personal interaction, and crazy college
kids are going to interact with the police more
than they probably should. "COPS" is often full
of blurred, silent faces trying to avoid self-incrim-
ination. But "Campus P.D." is full of enthusiastic
youths, perfect for entertaining banter.
Unfortunately, not all the segments feature that
level of enthusiasm. While the first half of the sea-
son premiere had it's fair share of fun, the second
half slumped into the classic "COPS" formula of
stupid people not saying much or muttering lies to
the police, then getting caught. It's important the
segments not all be the same, but there's no reason
for "Campus P.D." to pick downright boring clips.
Still, there was enough promise in the pre-
miere to make "Campus P.D." worth a second
watch. Just don't expect to be yelling "Yeah, you
show those pigs, bro!" at the TV screen.
"For the last time, no. I'm not talking to you."
FESTIFALL
From Page 5A
going to quote random studies or
pull data out of my ass to tell you that
doing something artistic every so
often will help you manage college.
I'm just going to say it worked for me,
and if you let it, it will work for you.
But maybe participating in the
arts just absolutely, positively isn't
for you. I won't hold that against
you. Arts activities aren't for every-
one, and if you aren't enjoying them,
they're pointless. Still, I don't think
there's a single one of you who can
honestly say, except in a hipster-
ironic way, "I don't like movies, music
or visual art." So make an effort to
experience something artsy. Prefer-
ably see a local band or a University
performance or art exhibit. Or go see
a show at The Ark or Blind Pig. You
could start out attending a digital
music performance, try taking a class,
and before you know it you're a Per-
forming Arts Technology major. Or if
you're not quite that inspired, it will
make you seem indie and mysterious
at parties. But I predict the arts will
do you wonders.
Art affects everyone in different
ways because it serves so many pur-
poses. Art can make you think, raise
awareness for social issues or simply
be a form of self-expression. But alot
of art exists solely to make you happy,
and a lot of people seem to forget
about that in the bustle of the college
transition. Even jaded seniors who
know the ins and outs of the Univer-
sity probably haven't heard of more
than a third of the arts groups on
campus, which could be easily fixed
with a little stroll through the Diag
today. The new year is a chance to
reinvent yourself. When you do, make
the arts a little part of your life. It will
make you a happier person.
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