ABSTRACT
In the real forensic sciences, individual scientists always work as members of a larger team, perhaps with other specialized scientists, law enforcement investigators, prosecutors, and the media, each contributing his or her efforts toward the bigger picture of a public trial, or an investigation capturing the public interest. The job of a forensic scientist is not one of glamorous celebrity. But the cult of celebrity is difficult to avoid. Science would seem to be at odds with the process of storytelling used in the creation of entertainment texts. Science is perceived as truth while entertainment storytelling resides in the imagination. When the armchair detective finishes his or her favorite novel starring a forensic practitioner, he or she can then switch over to being an armchair juror, partaking in the legal voyeurism afforded by reality television. Gabel alludes to the trend of forensiphilia, which she defines as the place where forensic science is itself a celebrity that captivates and enchants audiences.
