The Gabby Petito case fascination? Murder is entertainment.

[Sympthsical]

I came across this SNL sketch from a year or so ago. Given the pandemic and the rise in streaming, I laughed my head off because of how true it is.

People are really into real life murder shows and mysteries. From the Carol Baskin question in Tiger King to the entire Making a Murderer phenomenon. Shows about true crime have always had their niche, but they seem to have exploded during the age of streaming and people being stuck at home. On my personal social media, I don't see too much about politics. However, I damn well know what murder shows my friends are all watching.

It's engaging and entertaining for a lot people, and they watch them at a remove.

I'm not following the Petito case super closely. But what I see of it on social media, how every clue and excruciating detail is shared and discussed. A lot of it isn't about solving the case - not really. So much information comes out that is less "Hey, help us find this guy, figure out what happened, etc," as it is, "Hey, come rubberneck at this human car crash this week. Don't worry, next week we'll have a new one!"

The media does this with a lot of things, of course, but the Petito case just really struck me with how many people are kind of . . . preoccupying themselves with it. It feels almost like unseemly entertainment at this point.

One of the predominant questions about this case in the past week is, "Why is this getting so much attention?" And a lot of things have been discussed. But I haven't seen one obvious answer noted in the articles I've seen in passing:

This whole thing looks like a Netflix show.

No judgement. I disappear down these rabbit holes, too. For example, I know way more about Andrew Cunanan than anyone ever needs to.

Just seems like kind of where we are as a culture these days.

[Celerity]

1. It's tragic she was killed, and I feel for her family, but I really don't give a toss about the case

[underpants]

2. I agree completely

I had no idea who she was until a few days ago on DU. Tragic though.

[Celerity]

5. Another irritating AF thing is the false meme that they were YouTube stars

11 days ago they had 326 subs.




12 days ago their video had 1080 views

[underpants]

7. Yeah that's what I'd heard

“Oh she was just starting out” I was told.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

10. Youtube, lol. Her #Vanlife Instagram, Tiktok accounts had a million followers, 1000s of pics

Last edited Fri Sep 24, 2021, 10:37 AM - Edit history (1)

Itsa thing with the younger nomad crowd

Overall there have been over 2 billion Tiktok views under the hashtag Vanlife

[Celerity]

13. no they did not, almost all the subs are post disappearance/media frenzy

Her #Vanlife Instagram, Tiktok accounts had a million followers, 1000s of pics

Not before the fame, they certainly did not.

BTW, #Vanlife is simply a hashtag, not account specific

here is her Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/gabspetito/



it NOW has over a million subs, BUT

On September 14th she only had 13,511

https://socialblade.com/instagram/user/%20gabspetito

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

18. Yeah, she's famous in death now

[Celerity]

14. vanlife is a hashtag, it references thousands of accounts

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

17. I know, Google 'Tumblr, Tiktok, sex for weed', there are many blog girls under #Vanlife, its a thing

[Sympthsical]

4. It's fine to get it out there to find the fiance'

But the number of side bar stories all over the place (that I will never read).

Aspiring streaming documentarians are taking heavy notes.

[jimfields33]

11. I don't care about day to day

But I’ll watch the movie next year. Sadly I’m not kidding.

[underpants]

3. Early 90's Bill Curtis (Wait Wait don't tell me announcer) had an American Justice series

Mostly about serial killers. All the rage back then. I remember me and my buddies sitting around and watching it. It is enthralling.

[Sympthsical]

6. Unsolved Mysteries in my childhood

And that little bent guitar note that seemed to be so pervasive in those shows at the time.

I remember Bill Kurtis. I think he was the channel 2 news guy in Chicago. Just checked, and he is still kickin it.

[honest.abe]

8. The interest in the case started long before she was found dead.

The fascinating part was how bizarre the boyfriend acted upon returning home. Plus the fact there was so much information and video and photos of both of them and of course she was young and attractive. I think it was a very strange missing person mystery that captured people’s attention. In fact if she was found alive the mystery would gotten even more mysterious.

[Maeve]

9. Murder has always been entertainment

And the more shocking, the more fascinating. Look back to the Ripper murders, the Police Gazette, H.H. Holmes....shoot, look at Cain and Abel!

Vicarious excitement will always be interesting. It's human nature.

[Iggo]

12. Everything we do is human nature. And a lot of it is disgusting.

Including murder porn.

[treestar]

15. True enough. People like a mystery, too.

And someone at large is a draw.

Also there can be the hope they will be found alive.

One of those things that fascinates people.

[Tommy Carcetti]

16. June 1994-October 1995 pretty much confirms that.

There was one story that dominated the news during that time period, and one story alone.

Seems almost frivolous in retrospect for the country to have been caught up in a story about the death of two people, but that's how it was.