In general I hate when the media focuses on sensationalized "news" stories that, in the grand scheme, have nothing to do with anyone's life. The "missing blond kid du jour" kind of story and that sort of thing. But every once in a while, against my better instincts, I fall off my high horse and get completely sucked into one of them. For the past week, I've been really digging the "Craigslist attacks" stories coming out of Boston.
At first, it was a drag - a woman who was either a legit masseuse or a prostitute is shot in a fancy hotel, and we should care not because a desperate woman died but because of the sophisticated locale. There's nothing there except a garden variety murder and the kind of unnecessary fixation to stir up the class warrior inside me.
But then things got real interesting when the suspect turned out to be a young medical student. Who was engaged and had a wedding website. And who may or may not have had a gambling problem, and who may or may not have pronounced mood swings. And who, of course, definitely has the unswerving and potentially misguided support of his fiancee and family. (I can only hope that, if I were to ever be accused of a horrific series of crimes, my loved ones don't throw me under the bus and say something like, "Oh, yeah - he was always such an asshole. I'm not surprised one bit.)
Throw all that in with the details of stakeouts and email traces, and this is just a winner all around. It's like watching an episode Law & Order, except someone actually died and a few more people's lives were totally ruined in order to bring it to me. So, news media, while I normally hate you for blurring the line between news, entertainment and voyeurism, I just can't be mad at you this time. I'm too busy staying fixated on the latest developments to lament the death of journalistic integrity.
Why I Am Awesome: I'm a wonderful boy, just absolutely wonderful, and couldn't be better.
Why I Am Not Awesome: I'm just not right in the head, and you knew it, and probably other people did, too.
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The thing that freaks me out is how the media (the Globe specifically) has been right on top of every detail of this case (just this morning they're reporting that his gun is a match to the killing). There is absolutely no "innocent until proven guilty" aspect to this case at all. This guy did it, end of story, and we're putting it out there for everyone to see.
ReplyDeleteOh, and they'll never catch you as long as you don't get careless.