157. Documentary Review: The Thin Blue Line

This week the docs do a double-subject tackle of THE "OG" true crime documentary from 1988 AND the term "Thin Blue Line." The documentary guides the viewer through a truly mind-blowing miscarriage of justice in the Texas judicial system that put a spotlight on law enforcement, district attorneys and judges, leading to nation wide reform. We also start off with an extensive history of the term "thin blue line" and the associated problematic interpretations.

Resources

• “2.11: Symbols and Culture.” Social Sci LibreTexts, 6 May 2018, socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Anthropology/Cultural_Anthropology/Cultural_Anthropology_(Evans)/02%3A_Culture/2.11%3A_Symbols_and_Culture.

• Buono, Alexander, et al. “The Eye Doesn’t Lie.” IMDb, 10 Sept. 2015, www.imdb.com/title/tt4686380/?ref_=ttep_ep4. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

• Chammah, Maurice. “The Short, Fraught History of the “Thin Blue Line” American Flag.” POLITICO, 9 June 2020, www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/09/the-short-fraught-history-of-the-thin-blue-line-american-flag-309767. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023.

• Chow, Vivian. “LAPD Chief Bans Police Displays of “Thin Blue Line” Flag.” KTLA, 22 Jan. 2023, ktla.com/news/local-news/lapd-chief-bans-department-displays-of-thin-blue-line-flag/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

• Morris, Errol, et al. “The Thin Blue Line.” IMDb, 25 Aug. 1988, www.imdb.com/title/tt0096257/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520think%2520blue%2520line. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

• “Thin Blue Line.” Wikipedia, 6 Sept. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_blue_line#:~:text=History. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

• Tolson, Mike. “Effect of “Dr. Death” and His Testimony Lingers.” Chron, 17 June 2004, www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Effect-of-Dr-Death-and-his-testimony-lingers-1960299.php. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

• Wikipedia Contributors. “The Thin Blue Line (1988 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Blue_Line_(1988_film). Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.