Genie Wiley. The name known nationwide during the 1970’s (Liam, 2016). Genie, being her pseudonym to protect her privacy, is a girl who was neglected to the point of no return, literally. Genie’s father, Clark Wiley, physically, mentally, and emotionally abused his daughter for reasons still unknown to the world today. Some of the abuse included strapping Genie to a potty chair or a sleeping bag strapped to her bed for hours on end (James, par. 2). Clark also forced Genie’s brother and her mother to never socialize with Genie, intensifying her abuse. She was locked away for 13 years with maximum isolation and minimal socialization. One day, Clark went to town, and Genie’s mother saw her chance to help her daughter. This was the day Genie was finally released to the world for the first time.

James states, “After her emergence from that torture, the waiflike child became a cause celebre among researchers and do-gooders who wanted both to learn from her and save her. For doctors, her case is like that of the three children recently released from years of isolation in an Austrian cellar,” (James, par. 3). Genie’s case was something the world had never seen before. The psychologists and scientists at this time ate this up. Because of the rarity of this severe case, Genie could be seen as a science experiment more than a child in need. The TLC documentary takes this inference and uses it as a platform when showing this story of Genie's life to catch the eye of any caring person watching.

Pulling at Those Heart Strings

Any loving, caring parent would be astounded by the events that are reported in this documentary about Genie, and the television network TLC put that fact to their advantage. By showing this heart jerking documentary on their well-known happy, family orientated network, they would surely catch some eyes, as well as pull as the heart strings of their viewers. The first fact presented in this story that would emotionally catch the audiences’ attention is when Sgt. Linley compares Genie, found at age 13, to his healthy 7 year old daughter. He states that Genie was no bigger than his daughter, and continues with saying that he had the hardest time believing she was actually 13 (ApolloEight Genesis). The choice to include this fact, along with the personal story of Sgt. Linley, and the personal camera angle all allow for the audience to agree that yes, this was a shocking fact and yes, that it should not happen to any child.

Continuing with the personal view of the ride along with Sgt. Linley, the audience pulls up to the house where Genie grew up. Sgt. Linley tells the audience that the house looks exactly the same, and nothing has changed. This statement lets on an eerie feeling, accentuated by the music playing along in the background. Knowing the story of Genie is enough to have someone shocked by what occurred, but taking viewers back to that place of violence allows for an even more real experience to creep on. Furthering this experience, Sgt. Linley takes the audience around to the window of what used to be Genie’s bedroom.

Images and Videos

Hearing about a horrific crime can be accentuated by showing images and videos of the assailant themselves. The choice made to show images of Clark Wiley, Genie’s father and ring leader of Genie’s abuse, gives the audience a chance to put a face to the man who they are being told of (ApolloEight Genesis). Being able to give the man a face makes the experience for the audience all the more personal. It also lets the audience know who to blame.

The buildup in a law related television program is trying to figure out who has committed the crime. The show starts of showing just the limbs of someone committing a crime, setting up a suspenseful feeling for the audience. This feeling is what makes law shows so successful. The audience feels as if they are part of the team and want to put a face to their assailant. This documentary does that right away for the audience, which seems to be a beneficial tactic. Because the audience is being thrown information left and right about a child abuse case, they will most likely want to know who to blame. Having that face to blame is very helpful to the audience, a well-made cinematic choice. Clark Wiley is pictured right away, in a villainous manner, and rightly so. The documentary includes videos of him ignoring any claims of him abusing Genie. The audience already has evidence of child abuse, so seeing this man deny that only involves the viewers even more. They want to prove that Clark Wiley is guilty.

Genie Wiley. The name known around the field of psychology for her ability to further their studies in the area of critical points. This documentary places Genie in the spotlight for being targeted and manipulated by those in the psychology field. However, this being the case, Genie’s life, though it be unfortunate, has allowed for studies to be done and knowledge to be obtained from her. She did break through barriers, doing things psychologists said she could not do. Likewise, she did validate some theories her psychologists had.

The documentary allows for viewers to feel as if they were involved personally with Genie’s case by putting them in the scenes as they were being filmed, allowing them to feel as if they were replaying the past event when Genie was discovered. This cinematic effect gives viewers an almost superhero complex, giving them the ability to feel as if they have helped save Genie from her horrific childhood home. Snapping pictures along with the rest of the media, viewers act as paparazzi as Genie takes her first steps back into the real world. Viewers also get to act as another one of Genie’s psychologists as they video Genie walking around, and hearing her verbalize short phrases, knowing she cannot comprehend language. All these factors intertwine to make the viewer a part of Genie’s story.