For many decades, American culture has placed gangsters on a pedestal. America was, to a large extent, founded and built by criminals and its national psyche the most rabidly and unabashedly Capitalist in the world, so this was understandable to an extent.
Over the last twenty years, Britain seems to have assimilated this fascination with gangsters into popular sentiment.
But has this gone too far?
Do we now look up to and admire career criminals?
Gangster speak - that is, vernacular adopted by criminals, is more popular than ever amongst our young people.
During last Summer's riots, an Olympic ambassador was caught looting. On her phone she was discovered to have sent the following text:
Pigs shouldn't ov killed that guy last nite innit. Den dey wouldn't get blown up. Girlz going to steal Wiis. But stealing dooie, da shopkeeper ain't fuck dere! Mugz!
Did anyone see 'At Home with the Noonans' on Crime HD this week? It's the first of a new six part series about the notorious Manchester crime family. It shows the head and members of that family pretty much boasting about committing serious crimes and saying they had put bodies in every cemetery in Manchester.
Last year there was 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings', which, among other thing, showed gypsies having organised fights, it gave a pedestal to a known gypsy gang ring leader who then went on to win Celebrity Big Brother!
There is a growing 'bad boy' culture among our young men, I have worked with many over the years who aspire to the gangster culture and express themselves through use of language, certain types of music, and pretending they are hard and that they go cruisin' for bitches at the weekend.
I was a huge fan of Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen is a genius, not only was he incredibly funny, but aspects of Ali G's character were polemical.
We're not talking about Robin Hood and his merry men here, we're talking about groups of people who steal, kill, run protection rackets, and exploit others for personal gain.
There are some seriously nasty people out there who should, logically, be considered the absolute bad guys in society, but they are not, and I do wonder why this is.
Over the last twenty years, Britain seems to have assimilated this fascination with gangsters into popular sentiment.
But has this gone too far?
Do we now look up to and admire career criminals?
Gangster speak - that is, vernacular adopted by criminals, is more popular than ever amongst our young people.
During last Summer's riots, an Olympic ambassador was caught looting. On her phone she was discovered to have sent the following text:
Pigs shouldn't ov killed that guy last nite innit. Den dey wouldn't get blown up. Girlz going to steal Wiis. But stealing dooie, da shopkeeper ain't fuck dere! Mugz!
Did anyone see 'At Home with the Noonans' on Crime HD this week? It's the first of a new six part series about the notorious Manchester crime family. It shows the head and members of that family pretty much boasting about committing serious crimes and saying they had put bodies in every cemetery in Manchester.
Last year there was 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings', which, among other thing, showed gypsies having organised fights, it gave a pedestal to a known gypsy gang ring leader who then went on to win Celebrity Big Brother!
There is a growing 'bad boy' culture among our young men, I have worked with many over the years who aspire to the gangster culture and express themselves through use of language, certain types of music, and pretending they are hard and that they go cruisin' for bitches at the weekend.
I was a huge fan of Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen is a genius, not only was he incredibly funny, but aspects of Ali G's character were polemical.
We're not talking about Robin Hood and his merry men here, we're talking about groups of people who steal, kill, run protection rackets, and exploit others for personal gain.
There are some seriously nasty people out there who should, logically, be considered the absolute bad guys in society, but they are not, and I do wonder why this is.