# Dixon of Dock Green vs the new cop show

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-tv-violence-after-seven-years
- Themes: sensuality, media, violence, humour
- Life situations: media consumption, children and TV, desensitisation

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Visiting his mother in London after seven years without TV, he watches a half-hour cop show with her and counts about a dozen people shot dead. He can't believe it: the police show of his childhood was Dixon of Dock Green, a London bobby without a gun, whose burglars said, 'Ah, Sergeant Dixon, it's an honour to be caught by you, sir', and anyone hit just went 'ooh' and fell down without any gore.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

I went to visit my mother in London about 15 years ago, the first time I'd seen TV in about 7 years. It was like a copper movie show. I forget what it was called - not Defenders, or something. Anyways, half an hour TV show, repeated every week. As I was watching it with my mother, for giving her company, I couldn't believe how many people died in about half an hour. I was actually counting them. I got to about a dozen or something got shot and killed. I couldn't believe this because before, when I was... before I became a monk, the TV was so tame. Because I had 7 years I hadn't seen the actual progress of violence on TV, the contrast was so strong inside of me because the police show I remembered as a kid was a police show - anyone old enough might remember this - Dixon of Dock Green. Dixon of Dock Green was this London bobby in the days when they didn't have guns. If he caught a burglar, the burglar would say, "Ah, Sergeant Dixon, it's an honor to be caught by you, sir." [Laughter]. And apparently they don't do that anymore. [Laughter]. Things have changed. And no one got shot, and if they did go ever get hurt, if there was a bullet, they'd go, "Ooh, ooh, ooh." You wouldn't see any blood at all. And they'd just fall on the floor without any gore or anything.

## Teaching point

Sensory intensity creeps up unnoticed; stepping away shows how relative it is.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

After seven years without television, Ajahn Brahm counted a dozen killings in one half-hour cop show; the policeman of his childhood never even carried a gun. Intensity creeps up unnoticed. Rather than banning things, ask whether this harms me or someone else, and encourage that wisdom in your children, without guilt trips.

## Source

- [The Buddhist Attitude to Sensuality | Ajahn Brahm | 19-01-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV1f4G-hiDw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:39 to 43:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV1f4G-hiDw&t=2499s