We all want to leave behind a legacy
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Some people want to be known for their careers, their contribution to society or the impact they had on their families.
But it is bizarre to imagine an individual aspiring to be like gangstas he’s seen on television.
The Underbelly series first burst onto our screens in 2008 and has since steadily rolled out interpretations of true crimes, with the latest to depict Mark “Chopper” Read.
There have been multiple television series and telemovies, including two seasons that made mention of or reference to the Don Mackay mystery in Griffith.
They are insights, albeit slightly dramatised, into true crime unlike we’ve ever seen before.
Most of us found it appalling how people could be so deceitful, murderous, scamming and corrupt but apparently others have used it as a stepping stone to mould their own careers.
Aaron Shane Dalton, known as The Boss, ran an ice syndicate at aged 31 and imagined he would one day be the subject of a series of Underbelly. He’s in jail still waiting for that dream to come true.
We get it – the money, the women, the fame and the cars, the television shows sure made it look like an appealing lifestyle.
But appealing enough to knowingly break the law for?
Perhaps not.
So the question begs, is an abundance of true crime television shows rotting our brains?
Is it glorifying crime or are there only a handful of people who cannot see these shows for what they are – a dramatisation based on minimal facts, enhanced to entice viewers?
Not sure if viewers have been paying attention but in a majority of these shows, the criminals get caught and put behind bars, where it’s very hard to enjoy the spoils of your activities.
As far as role models on television, these are not standouts or the obvious choices.
For each career, there is a television show that those in the profession idolise as a satirical or accurate representation of their chosen field.
Underbelly might be it for habitual law breakers.
Hopefully our police officers are looking more towards Law and Order than Brooklyn Nine Nine for inspiration.