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 😎

[wombat]

bubba gunna lurve him big time

[Brn2Trvl]

Like a garbage blender operator, the author of this piece says everything negative concerning anything is the terrible left’s doing, whoever this imaginary left is, we may never know. But if there is a social item the author isn’t in agreement with, the left will be responsible.

[johnnybangkok]

2 minutes ago, Brn2Trvl said:

Like a garbage blender operator, the author of this piece says everything negative concerning anything is the terrible left’s doing, whoever this imaginary left is, we may never know. But if there is a social item the author isn’t in agreement with, the left will be responsible.

Exactly. Just another attempt at culture wars when the reality is that good looking killers have always got this attention irrespective of whether the devotees are left, right or centre.

 

Case in point being  https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/shadow-boxing/201910/girls-who-love-ted-bundy

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

Mangione is a stone cold killer.

 

Extreme woke leftists are demented.

 

Insurance companies can SUCK it.

[Hanaguma]

The big irony here is that the 'alleged' killer Mangione is the scion of a very rich family. They own numerous businesses, country clubs, could pay the $40,000 a year to send him to a swish private school. And he is crying about health insurance?

 

Meanwhile, Brian Thompson, the victim. Born in Iowa, father was a worker in a grain mill.  Worked his way through Iowa University.  Small town guy who made good due to his own efforts and intelligence.  Father of two sons who now have to grow up without him.

Tell me who should be the symathetic character in this story again?

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

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. 

Alleged.

[Chomper Higgot]

31 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Mangione is a stone cold killer.

 

Extreme woke leftists are demented.

 

Insurance companies can SUCK it.

Alleged 

[Chomper Higgot]

31 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

The big irony here is that the 'alleged' killer Mangione is the scion of a very rich family. They own numerous businesses, country clubs, could pay the $40,000 a year to send him to a swish private school. And he is crying about health insurance?

 

Meanwhile, Brian Thompson, the victim. Born in Iowa, father was a worker in a grain mill.  Worked his way through Iowa University.  Small town guy who made good due to his own efforts and intelligence.  Father of two sons who now have to grow up without him.

Tell me who should be the symathetic character in this story again?

Brian Thompson was no honest Joe good guy.

 

[Will B Good]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

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

 

[Will B Good]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

Piers Morgan

555

[Will B Good]

 

 

Can someone enlighten me.......what has this got to with "the woke"?

[Hanaguma]

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Brian Thompson was no honest Joe good guy.

 

Please tell me where I said that he was. I said that he grew up very blue collar and became successful through his own efforts and intelligence. Do you deny that?

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, Hanaguma said:

Please tell me where I said that he was. I said that he grew up very blue collar and became successful through his own efforts and intelligence. Do you deny that?

No don’t deny that.

 

I said he was not honest Joe good guy.

 

Do you deny that? 

[Hanaguma]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

No don’t deny that.

 

I said he was not honest Joe good guy.

 

Do you deny that? 

So why did you quote me when you said it? Just say it on your own, without the implication.

[mikebike]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

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

 

 

 

Great job, Telegraph. Nailed the corporate spin, and totally ignored the human element and the reason why the killing actually resonated with the USA populace. Slow clap 👏  👏  👏  👏  👏 

[mikebike]

"How the Woke Turned a Suspected Killer Into a Cultural Icon"

 

Funny, so many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum understood the meaning of the symbolic murder of 1 CEO vs the tens of thousands of needless health care related deaths annually. Does the title imply that all Americans are woke 🤔

[mikebike]

57 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

Tell me who should be the symathetic character in this story again?

Uh, the one whose company isn't responsible for thousands of needless deaths a year.

[Chomper Higgot]

15 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

So why did you quote me when you said it? Just say it on your own, without the implication.

Not at all, I was simply providing a broader view of the local Joe who did well for himself, often the expense of others.

 

[Hanaguma]

5 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Uh, the one whose company isn't responsible for thousands of needless deaths a year.

His company? He owns it?

 

Love to see the evidence of your claim of thousands of needless deaths too. 

[Bkk Brian]

23 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Great job, Telegraph. Nailed the corporate spin, and totally ignored the human element and the reason why the killing actually resonated with the USA populace. Slow clap 👏  👏  👏  👏  👏 

Why not check out what what the woke Taylor Lorenz ex NYT and WP journalist said before Piers jumped in to pull her up.

 

"I felt with so many other Americans, joy"

 

"Taylor Lorenz loses her job after saying something so UNBELIEVABLY stupid on Piers Morgan... Luigi Mangione"

 

I see no spin here but direct reporting and sourcing.........

[Chomper Higgot]

18 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Great job, Telegraph. Nailed the corporate spin, and totally ignored the human element and the reason why the killing actually resonated with the USA populace. Slow clap 👏  👏  👏  👏  👏 

I don’t expect they’ll go near the bigger story of runaway corporate greed either.

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

I don’t expect they’ll go near the bigger story of runaway corporate greed either.

 

 

Maybe, maybe not, you could always wait and see.

[gamb00ler]

40 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Can someone enlighten me.......what has this got to with "the woke"?

if you add the short easy word "woke" to anything it wakes up the dimwits and off we go!

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Maybe, maybe not, you could always wait and see.

That’s the thing about expatiating, it’s not a statement of certainty, it implies waiting to find out.

 

I don’t mind waiting.

 

[Will B Good]

Just now, gamb00ler said:

if you add the short easy word "woke" to anything it wakes up the dimwits and off we go!

 

 

13:30 and we already have post of the day.....👍