Majoring in TV: Anthropology Majors Dig Bones

When asked what he thought of the FOX show Bones in relation to his anthropology major, one CC ’11 student, who wished to remain anonymous, responded, “I would go gay for David Boreanaz. And then straight. And then gay again.” While that wasn’t quite the answer I had anticipated, I certainly agree that Boreanaz’s hotness can make anyone watch any show, even one about forensic anthropology.

Emily Deschanel and Boreanaz star, respectively, as Dr. Temperance Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth in Bones, a show which is equal parts The Odd Couple, Law & Order, and The X-Files. Dr. Brennan is a world-renowned forensic anthropologist who works at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and she partners with Agent Booth to solve crimes with her brains and his brawn.

I appreciate that FOX was willing to feature a female protagonist (who, in this case, happens to be the smarter and often more dominant character) as the lead in a procedural. Although the CSI and Law & Order franchises often pair a lead male and female together, they often feel one-dimensional because their emotional resonance comes from the cases under investigation, not from the relationships among its characters.

Another part of Bones is a little more ideal than real: the anthropology. Not to say that what they do on the show is not forensic anthropology—it is just more like the TV adaptation of an anthropologist’s padded resume than the real thing. Everything is just a little more dramatic, a little exaggerated.

Yes, forensic anthropologists run blood tests and do insanely detailed analyses of dirt and bugs. But those kinds of tests don’t actually come back the same day. Yes, they can help guide an investigation by reporting that a dirt sample came from a specific location. But they do not participate in FBI field work and certainly not in interrogations. Despite these creative exaggerations, BC ’11 anthropology major Amanda Himmelstoss noted, “It’s nice to see the field represented in something so mainstream.”

If you are aiming to become the next Dr. Temperance Brennan—or, rather, the next Kathy Reichs, on whom the character is based—then you’d better get used to the idea of graduate school. According to the American Board of Forensic Anthropologists, you need “a Masters Degree or Doctorate in Physical or Biological Anthropology, which usually takes between six and 10 years” to become a professional in the field. Those thinking they can get a Bachelor’s degree after 10 quick anthropology classes and start solving crimes will find it hard to find a full-time job. The ABFA even warns in its student section of the website that there are “very few opportunities for persons with a Bachelor’s degree to practice forensic anthropology.”

So before you declare an anthropology major, take the time to think about what it is that you want from your major. Bones may get the science right, but it idealizes a job for which few will ever be paid. There’s no bones about it: Bones is realistic fun, without all the realism.