When it came to the media’s coverage of last Friday’s murderous rampage near the UC campus in Santa Barbara, California I was amazed at the media’s fixation on the alleged killer’s automobile….Pray tell what the car brand Bavarian Motor Works had to do with the slayings? Yet the cables news shows had a field day reminding everyone that Elliott Rodger carried out his acts in a BMW..
USA TODAY put it this way: “The chilling video that Rodger recorded white seated behind the wheel of his BMW….”
Of course no mention was made of camera brand or phone used in the the recording of his manifesto. So we’ll never know whether a Samsung or Motorola unit aided Mr. Rodger.
Or the AP story that ran in the KC STAR which pointed out that “Authorities found three semi-automatic handguns with 400 unspend rounds in his black BMW.”
Again no mention of the GUN brands here.
Had Rodger committed the crimes in a Kia Rio, Ford F-150 or Chevy Malibu one wonders whether the media then would have been all over Rodger’s ride?
Anyone recall the make of car alleged serial killer James Eagan Holmes was using during the midnight movie massacre at the Cinemark theater in Aurora, Colorado? I sure don’t, but you can bet it wasn’t a BMW or we would have heard about it.
Like it or not but the BMW association just makes it a sexier story to report as my friends in the news business like to call it.
The sad state of today’s news….
Sorry Jackie but nine out of every ten homicidal a-holes unfortunately drive beemers. And drive them like they are formula 1 cars- which means usually well beyond their driving skills.
Fact of life.
And they did mention the gun names and model numbers that he cited in his blog.
And people who drive Beemers wonder why everyone thinks they are douches…..wow.
How about we don’t blame any of the things this deranged kid used? How about we blame a society that does not give a crap about anyone.
Patrick Bateman had a BMW in the parking garage.
Jackie: Hollywood director’s son who drives a bmw from his dad
goes on rampage thru small college area and kills/slaughter people because
his social life isn’t correct.
that’s the story Jackie. Juicy…interesting….high society.
Remember the menendez brothers…same thing…big money…insurance
policy…high times…and 2 sons kill their parent.s
this isn’t a gun issue…its a mental helth issue. Why couldn’t the police
go in an checkthis kids apartment when the parents called them about
his manifesto.
All the gun legislation couldn’t change what this kid did (and I’m for
background checks like 90%of America.
all the laws couldn’t stop this kid. its juicy alright…except to the families
who lost kids and who could care less what this kid drove while he
butchered his victims.
Jackie..its Hollywood. That’s your schtick. You’re the expert.
fast cars..violence…killings…maimings…court dramas…big cash…that’s
your world bubby.
But we forget the real world. Where kids on these computers get messages
of hate 24/7. Think the way out is guns. Wasn’t that way when I grew
up. And we cut mental health services by billions…forgetting that it might
be the final game changer when a kid like this goes over the cliff.
Jackie…its Hollywood…your operandi…your home.
And the more they glorify the death and destruction..the more they
glorify the way to being famous…the way they put out movies where
the only way to “get even” is with a gun or violence the more we see
crap like these young kids getting butchered.
Jackie…this is your world. Not mine.
Maybe if the politicians realized that mental health is as important
as physical health…that they’re related…maybe kids like this one wouldn’t
have killed all those other kids.
pray for those families…we let every person with a problem down…
because the “old folks” have f*cked things up so bad…wheterh you’re
a veteran…a senior citizen…a kid needing some mental help….truth be
known is that we’re all at risk when there’s no place for help for
anyone who suffers from these problems.
take care Jackie…tell your buddies to keep rolling out those pics.
It makes a difference.
HH—-After reading this and IF I were Catholic, I’d be heading to confession right now 🙂
sorry jacki p….you don’t need to be catholic…
you need to be human…that’s all.
pray as the pope did for all of us. this isn’t about
religion.
its about where we’re headed.
the torah/Koran/bible all spell it out pretty well.
Little Spoiled Rich Kids drive them. Geez do I have to draw ya a frickin’ diagram?
the ultimate leasing machine has a high depriciation rate
Word association time. If I say “white Ford Bronco” what individual or event comes to mind?
Fairly or unfairly, the detail is included because it works to build the narrative of a privileged psychopath. The reputation of BMW owners feeds that nicely.
rkcal is right. I think the point of reporting what kind of vehicle he drives is that few college students enjoy the privilege of driving a BMW and this one doesn’t seem ever to have had gainful employment that would have paid for it. This is a telling detail, and most people understand its cultural context. Most if not all students have cell phones, which are hardly in the expense category of Beemers. I think the other point is that this person had all of the best of everything given to him for his entire life, with no personal effort on his part required, and yet felt the need to take the lives of others.
nice post Lydia.
Very nicely said, Lydia!
This angers you, Jack? I can muster much more outrage over movie theaters charging $10 for $.25 worth of popcorn. Let’s face it, Beemers have a well-earned reputation for transporting countless numbers of douche-bags, major tools and rich-daddy’s offspring. Stereotyping? A little. Sure. The media just played into it because they understood the implication and opinion of Joe-Public.
Jim, I kinda agree with you on the high cost of concessions at theatres. But keep in mind that’s what keeps the doors open and ultimately pays for these very expensive complexes.
The major portion of your movie ticket goes to the film’s distributor while the rest barely pays for operating expenses and payroll.