Excerpt:
Last weekend, millions of Americans (and I) tuned in to watch the premiere of the sixth season of Showtime's Dexter. The show's protagonist is a serial killer who follows a personal code of harming only those who have harmed others. Fans of the show identify with him, wondering who his next victim will be and hoping he doesn't get caught by the police.
It doesn't matter that Dexter is a lying murderer. All that matters is that on some fundamental level, we share certain values with him. To just lump him in with other serial killers - well, that would be prejudicial and downright un-American.
It seems that the American entertainment industry can get us to connect with just about anyone.