Jodi Arias

There are two main reasons for the public’s interest in the Jodi Arias trial. First, and foremost, is the obsession with all things court related in recent years. Numerous trials such as Scott Peterson, Amanda Knox, Casey Anthony among others have fully captured the attention of the American people. The second reason is the image of the femme fatale. Our attention is glued to such cases where beautiful, young women are accused of murder, it is a concept that seems completely foreign to us. 

It often takes a perfect storm of intriguing events to capture a national audience such as this did. As details leaked out, we began to see the sordid nature of a woman who was seemingly obsessed with her boyfriend, Travis Alexander. This has a Jerry Springer, car wreck-can’t turn away nature to it which cable shows and viewers eagerly devour. The nude photos minutes before his death added to the twisted nature of the murder. One moment, two lovers are caught up in passion quickly followed by a brutal murder. This also seemed to add to the narrative that Jodi was deranged, which makes for a great story. 

The case reached a crescendo as she took the stand in her defense. The lurid nature of their relationship was fully disclosed, albeit likely exaggerated for greater effect and to portray Travis as an abusive, sexual deviant. Jodi seemed distressed, panicky and rather incredulous. As her testimony continued, it seemed as if many people had found her utterly maniacal and began to actively root against her. The inanity of the whole situation peaked with her TV interview where she pined for the death penalty after her conviction. It had officially become a three ring circus, which is what cable television yearns for.