How the Woke Turned a Suspected Killer Into a Cultural Icon

[Social Media]

 

In a digital age where the lines between news, entertainment, and activism blur, the case of Luigi Mangione offers a striking example of how online narratives can warp the reality of a tragic event. Mangione, suspected of shooting and killing Brian Thompson, a 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, outside a New York hotel, has become an unlikely internet sensation. The ensuing frenzy has not only overshadowed the gravity of Thompson's death but also highlighted the strange ways social media magnifies and distorts public perception.  

Taylor Lorenz loses her job after saying something so UNBELIEVABLY stupid on Piers Morgan... Luigi Mangione pic.twitter.com/zmX12QyL3Z

— KEVIN247 (@KEVIN247YouTube) December 10, 2024

 

Initially, the story centered on Thompson, a father of two, who was fatally shot in cold blood. However, as Mangione’s name and images began circulating online, the focus shifted. Social media erupted, transforming the suspected killer into a divisive figure. For some, Mangione became a romanticized anti-capitalist hero, while others fixated on his appearance, hailing him as a "hot felon" and bestowing nicknames like "Vigilante Daddy."  

Photographs of Mangione, particularly a CCTV image showing him grinning with his hood up, fueled the fascination. Influencers rushed to capitalize on the viral moment, posting memes and tagging him in their content. On platforms like Instagram, commenters indulged in absurd fantasies. “This man was running from the law and stopped to flirt,” one user exclaimed. Comparisons to Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet emerged, and a lookalike competition was even held in New York’s Washington Square Park.  

 

Merchandise celebrating Mangione flooded online marketplaces, with items like mugs and tote bags featuring slogans such as “Mama, I’m in love with a criminal.” Tasteless Spotify playlists included tracks like *Do You Hear the People Sing* and *Licence to Kill*. Meanwhile, Mangione’s privileged background, including his upbringing in Maryland’s elite circles, was conveniently ignored by those championing him as a working-class rebel.

 

A second wave of supporters framed Mangione as a symbol of resistance against America’s healthcare system. Speculation grew after it was reported that bullet casings left at the crime scene bore words like “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” interpreted as a critique of health insurance practices. Many on social media argued that Thompson, as a healthcare executive, represented an exploitative system, and some even condoned the act as a form of retribution.  

 

Journalist Taylor Lorenz articulated this sentiment in her newsletter, explaining that many younger Americans, particularly Gen Z, had rallied around Mangione due to their disillusionment with the healthcare system and the political establishment. “They’re rallying around the shooter because he seems like the only man right now willing to do something about all of it,” she wrote.  

 

However, the glorification of Mangione has sparked sharp criticism. Piers Morgan, in an opinion piece, decried the "woke left’s warped morality," contrasting their reaction to Mangione with their condemnation of Daniel Penny, a former serviceman recently acquitted of charges related to a fatal incident on the New York subway.  

 

As social media debates raged, Thompson’s legacy became an afterthought. UnitedHealthcare’s social media posts about his death were bombarded with laughing emojis, and his Wikipedia page was vandalized with cruel edits. Some commenters dismissed the tragedy entirely, claiming the shooting was an inevitable consequence of systemic injustices.  

 

The absurdity and moral ambiguity of Mangione’s online idolization reflect broader cultural dynamics: the fetishization of crime, the desperation for relatable heroes, and the internet’s penchant for sensationalism. In the process, the humanity of both victim and suspect is often lost, leaving only the noise of an endless digital spectacle.  

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-12-12

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

Who and who ?

[OneMoreFarang]

The woke?

Good that all those right wing MAGA boys are healthy and never need a health insurance and for that reason never have a problem with such insurance.

Obviously, the guy should not have been killed, but the fact that many (most?) Americans are angry at their health insurance companies and the bosses and owners of those companies is not too difficult to understand. 

[lordgrinz]

They have a habit of hitching their wagons to the wrong people, this guy is nothing more than one of the privileged Elite, and a murderer. 

[KhunLA]

59 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Americans are angry at their health insurance companies and the bosses and owners of those companies is not too difficult to understand. 

Unless you hold stock in some of the healthcare providers.   I did nicely as soon as Obama pushed ACA through.  Spikes in healthcare stocks were a given, as when ever anything is mandatory, price & profits go UP 😎