When torture becomes a sickly source of entertainment

One things that has set my blood boiling is depicting torture or attempts at torture on TV crime dramas. Or as CIA calls them, "enhanced interrogation technique". I am adamantly against all such depictions and find it horrid that people would use such a serious thing as a sickly source of entertainment and suspense. Torture is a serious human rights issue and is to be treated as thus. Never, ever should it be depicted on TV or in film or used as a disgusting source of entertainment. I know the phrase "depicting does not mean endorsing" but still. Such a serious violation of human rights must be treated with the greatest care and seriousness possible. 

Then there enters a series like NCIS:LA which at times loses its footing and all sense of respect and seriousness at times. Scenes of torture or attempts at them have now been depicted occasionally. In no case was it ever necessary for the show to use such scenes. It was just a sick, disgusting way of adding suspense and drama. I find myself staring in disbelief at the screen when such things happen. I get angry. I am going to be absolutely clear in stating that I do not believe in any way that the people involved in the show are endorsing such an act in any way. But the fact that they use such scenes sickens me. It serves no purpose and in my opinion belittles the series, turning such a serious human rights violation into entertainment on TV. 

There are certain scenes I cannot watch from NCIS:LA. I was terrified when I saw in episode 3x14 that Sam was about to waterboard  a suspect. He had a cloth and a water bottle ready. Waterboarding is a known "enhanced interrogation technique", a terrible torture device that is known to have been used in Gitmo to interrogate suspects. I couldn't believe I was seeing this on the show. Why on earth did they decide to include this scene? How on earth did they believe it was okay to show Sam to be willing to torture someone?

And I ave already mentioned my sheer disgust with the torture scenes in episode 4x24. 

NCIS:LA is a show that works on steroids, it embellishes and twist and turns reality. So naturally, boundaries are going to be broken, things are going to be controversial. But there are certain lines that should never ever be broken in my opinion. Shows should have a moral regard for certain things and be careful how they treat them. Because while TV is not reality, it is based on reality and depicts it in a certain way. And reality demands and needs to be treated with respect, sensitivity, care. Because in reality, real human beings are inolved and their suffering should never be made light. 

It worries me that perhaps we have become immune to the terror, human rights and moral  in regards to torture. It has become a source of entertainment, aimed at scaring the viewers and making them react without any regards to making them aware of the incredible seriousness of it. 

It is sickening.