Why I Watch Law and Order: SVU

One of my favorite shows on TV is Law and Order SVU, and the biggest reason I respect them is the way they blend education, information and entertainment. Their last episode was titled Girl Dishonered and it shone the spotlight on rape in college campuses around the United States. As much as the episode was scripted, it was also real. No other show is able to do that.

Jezebel had a compilation of the plot points in last night's SVU episode and the corresponding real life events on which they were based.

SVU: Lindsay is gang-raped by three frat guys who later claim she's crying rape because she's embarrassed about her slutty behavior.

Real Life: Four University of Montana football players allegedly gang-raped a drunk female student; charges were dropped because it was unclear whether she was "just embarrassed" about what happened.

SVU: Lindsay Snapchats her rapist the next day, leading students and administrative officials to doubt that she was actually raped.

Real Life: Woman allegedly raped by Mizzou basketball player Michael Dixon Jr. texts him the next day, leading students, officials and cops to doubt that she was actually raped.

SVU Predicts Tragedy For Chris Brown and Rihanna

One of my must see shows on TV is Law & Order: SVU (NBC), and after last weeks episode, they showed a preview of today's show. A beautiful young hip-hop star is beaten up by her boyfriend and it becomes a media circus when her crime scene pictures make it to the papers and blogs. Sound familiar?

I knew immediately they were referencing the Chris Brown-Rihanna saga from some years ago, and looked forward to seeing what they come up with. This is not the first time they're basing their episodes loosely on real life characters or events. In this case, I was intrigued by the timing with Chris Brown and Rihanna recently back together and talking about how much in love they are with each other.

So how did their episode go? Micha confronts her hip-hop star boyfriend when she sees him flirting with another woman and he beats her up. The witnesses all refuse to testify against him, either afraid to lose their jobs, or losing face. After her wounds heal, so does the assualted Micha. According to her, she's receiving tweets that are either calling her a ho or begging her to forgive him.

Even their producers are in on the cover-up, and play all cards including the race and hip-hop card to get the police to drop the case. Bottom line, they want Micha and Caleb Bryant to keep making money for them. And of course, there is the love card, the two young people are in LOVE. "Their relationship, it's complicated," one of them says.