Greedy Billionaires Not Named Elon Megathread

[Syt]

Isn't it a common phenomenon that some folks are drawn to "dangerous boys" or "dangerous girls"? Plenty stories of murderers in jail getting "fan mail" or getting hitched with a fan.

Here's Charles Manson and his then 26-year-old wife in 2014:

[Norgy]

Don't think Fritzl's getting much fan mail anymore. Well. That he can read and remember at least.

[garbon]

Isn't it a common phenomenon that some folks are drawn to "dangerous boys" or "dangerous girls"? Plenty stories of murderers in jail getting "fan mail" or getting hitched with a fan.

Here's Charles Manson and his then 26-year-old wife in 2014:

How are you defining common?

[Syt]

Maybe better to phrase it: "oft reported" though maybe not overly common.

[garbon]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/13/florida-woman-health-insurance-threat

A Florida woman has been arrested and charged after allegedly using the same language associated with the suspect in the murder of a top health insurance executive while on a phone call with her healthcare firm.

Briana Boston, 42, had just had a medical claim denied and was talking on a phone call with a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Lakeland resident then allegedly said: "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next."

[HVC]

The healthcare revolution is starting!

[Sheilbh]

Mangione moved to New York today and was then escorted, publicly, with a huge team of people in various sorts of uniform holding all sorts of guns - and even the mayor was there:


It feels like everyone almost deliberately performing a scene in a film (not to get all Baudrillard but did America make Hollywood or vice versa) in ways that I'm not sure is necessarily sending the message it's intended to.

If you're concerned about sympathy for this guy, which I would understand, I'm not really sure that posing him like a comic book villain is necessarily helpful. It seems very, very weird.

Edit: Also Mangione is not a mass shooter, but I can't help but think of this Charlie Brooker piece on mass shooters. Especially the last bit from 1.45:

[Grey Fox]

They are going to have such a hard time finding a jury for this.

[Syt]

They are going to have such a hard time finding a jury for this.

Plus, the insurance companies probably won't want him using the trial as a pulpit. Maybe they get lucky and he meets an unfortunate accident or suddenly hangs himself.  

[The Minsky Moment]

Edit: Also Mangione is not a mass shooter, but I can't help but think of this Charlie Brooker piece on mass shooters. Especially the last bit from 1.45:

"Make it as boring as possible" is not advice likely to be followed by rabidly competitive, ratings-starved media outlets.

[HVC]

They are going to have such a hard time finding a jury for this.

Plus, the insurance companies probably won't want him using the trial as a pulpit. Maybe they get lucky and he meets an unfortunate accident or suddenly hangs himself.  

If he wanted to end on another FU he should put out a "I'm not suicidal" statement and then off himself . I mean, he killed a rich dude, he's not leaving prison in anything but a body bag, either now or in fifty years.

[Tamas]

Mangione moved to New York today and was then escorted, publicly, with a huge team of people in various sorts of uniform holding all sorts of guns - and even the mayor was there:


It feels like everyone almost deliberately performing a scene in a film (not to get all Baudrillard but did America make Hollywood or vice versa) in ways that I'm not sure is necessarily sending the message it's intended to.

If you're concerned about sympathy for this guy, which I would understand, I'm not really sure that posing him like a comic book villain is necessarily helpful. It seems very, very weird.

Rich and powerful people are still just people, if something truly scares them they are bound to make mistakes.

[Josquius]

I have seen many likening this photo of him being lead away to being like they just caught the joker.
Really does seem like they want copycats.

[Sheilbh]

"Make it as boring as possible" is not advice likely to be followed by rabidly competitive, ratings-starved media outlets.

I know - but I think that does have a bodycount. Although in this case it's not even the media you'd blame - it's the NYPD and the Mayor deciding to make it a maximum show for some reason. Maybe I'm wrong and it is normal for criminals from other states to be brought in on a helicopter with 20 heavily armed NYPD people around them and the Mayor there for some reason.

[celedhring]

I suppose the NYPD can make the case that given Mangione's notoriety and how the murder has been celebrated online they wanted to dissuade possible rioters.