Disappointing Differences In Dexter?

I freaking love the Showtime series, Dexter. I've read all Jeff Lindsay's "Dexter" books and, for the first time ever, a show is better than the books...and the books are awesome!

Here's the synopsis:

Dexter is a blood splatter analyst who works in forensics for Miami Metro Police Department. With cop blood in his own veins, Dexter is the expert's expert when it comes to blood splatters at a murder. He can draw a virtual picture, simply looking at the angles in which the blood has been thrown from the victim's wound. Kinda cool.

Here's the thing, though: Dexter himself is a serial killer. Crazy as this sounds, though, he only kills bad guys. Serial rapists, neo Nazis, pedophiles...those who've continually hurt others, yet who've managed to escape the law. Dexter follows a strict code taught by his cop father: The Code of Harry. In essence, it allows ONLY for the killing of guilty individuals. As you watch the show (which has fabulous actors, BTW) you really begin to root for Dexter. Then, I have to kinda catch myself...I'm rooting for someone's murder? Well, sure I can get caught up in the moment...and it's all fictional on the TV screen, right?

Well, in the DVD case of season #3 of Dexter, there's a coupon for products based on Dexter, including jewelry with tiny blood splatters, as well as a necktie with police tape and blood droplets. Hey, I like Dexter, but...is this going too far?

See, I have to throw some empathy out here. There are thousands of Americans murdered every year. If I were the parent of a murdered child, I don't think I could enjoy watching Dexter. And I wouldn't have to because that's the power of the remote control. If it offends you, turn the channel. Or, better yet, turn it off. But, if I buy a necktie and have a long conversation with someone while wearing said tie, do they have the right to be offended? Frankly, I think they do. Could it feel like belittling their loss? Or worse, glorifying it?

This is kind of how I feel when I've gone to some comedy clubs. Let's face it, at most comedy clubs, it's a comedian trying to get a start in the entertainment biz. By all means, do so. And by all means, get laughs however you can. Yet, because comedy clubs most often are just bars with a stage, as you can expect, there's lots of drinking going on. Well, when the audience is drunk, the comedian is on pretty safe territory to do drinking jokes. Fair enough. Yet, on more than one occassion, I've heard those drinking jokes go into drinking and driving jokes. I don't really find drunk driving so funny.

I realize this is "my issue." It's hard to be benign enough AND funny enough to stay in the limelight. But, if a comedian got up and started making serial killer jokes, yet the audience had members who'd had a family member murdered, no one would think it's out of bounds for those people to be offended and walk out.

I'm an opinionated person. I know that, from time to time, my viewpoints are going to piss some folks off (see? Someone probably got offended by my use of the word, "piss.") I just want to be cognisant enough to know if I'm offensive. And I hope others would be, too. And because of this desire, I won't wear a tie promoting a serial killer...even IF he's fictious and only kills bad guys.