I believe that the Jodi Arias trial became such a spectacle because it was so different and unique from normal cases, and not in a good way. We are drawn to abnormal behavior, it entertains us, and Jodi Arias did just that. Her actions were unbelievable, always contradicting herself, and causing a scene in court, but this was the drama that glued the public to their televisions, intently following the trial. She changed her story multiple times. She said she was there and then wasn't, she did it and then she didn't, things like this brought great suspicion, giving media a edge to talk about the case even more. It was no longer just a court trial rather than a TV drama. In our society today we thrive on drama, and that's a big reason this case became so popular, it was entertaining.
"Jodi Arias boosted cable ratings by being photogenic and bizarre.." Joe Coscarelli said, in an article from the New York Magazine. Until I read that statement by Coscarelli I never thought that Jodi, being photogenic and pretty, played a role in why the public became so interested in the trial. As all the pictures of Jodi scattered across the Internet like wildfire (some model like and many very provocative), I believe that the public was curious as to why such an attractive and "sweet" looking girl was being accused for murder. In our culture today we do not hear of many murders being committed by women, so that seems to spark our interest when it does happen. Also, in general I think that if someone is considered "good looking" they seem to grab attention easier. Now, I still believe the main reason the public latched onto this was because of her very bizarre testimony and statements, but I also believe the pictures and her looks also brought some attention to it as well.
I agree. Her looks and the fact that she was a woman brought more attention to the case. It is sad that this was the case. Why did the media have to make such a big deal out of this case when it truly was a very vicious crime. Jodi kept the medias attention my her changing story and her changing looks through out the case.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree any more. The public is so attached to irregular performances. It could be on TV, in a book, anything. it was a very long four month trial, but each time there was something going on and people just kept getting involved into their television screens. I’m not going to lie when I saw her pictures I did not believe that this lady was the one that murdered her husband, but then I remembered something I learned in like 1st grade and that is “don’t judge a book by its cover.” I do not think that the cameras should have been rolling the whole time in the courtroom because she was a pretty female. I do not think that she should have had some slack in her case because she was a good-looking lady. I was just a little shocked and then got over it real fast. So the people that are so drawn to that and not the crime that she commit have issues.
ReplyDeleteExactly Kathleen...the Jodi Arias show is right. Even one of the videos had her singing Christmas carols from prison. Good Lord... The public is indeed drawn to abnormal behavior and the public loves to eat this stuff up. The more bizarre the better. And agreed on the pretty face. Fr whatever reason this sucks people in. I guess people think if you're pretty there's no way this could have been done, but if you've got a scar and a scowl...you're the #1 perp. Just a big painful show. Great post Kathleen, thank you.
ReplyDeleteWe always expect criminals to have that certain look and you are right, in this case Jodi didn't. She indeed was a pretty girl who committed a horrible crime but look back at all of the nursery rhymes from your childhood. We need to remember that most of the time the wolf is hiding in sheep's clothing. It would be much harder for a stereotypical killer type to lure in unsuspecting prey. The fact that a person is attractive and a killer should not come as too big of a surprise.
ReplyDeleteI never thought to put gender into the mix. I guess I are just not used to a women to be on the stake and now that I look at the musical Chicago it really show how women can make anything different. I feel she really tried to play her card right to try and get a jail free card but it was to no avail. I personally hear nothing about it and don’t really care about this. To me she is just another celebrity that got caught and I try not to stay up to date with entertainment tonight.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post completely. She had a way of grabbing the attention of the public by making it as dramatic as possible. There are moments in some of the videos that I felt like she was faking the tears rather than being sincere about what truly happened that day. Regardless of what did happen, she committed a brutal crime and people were shocked that a woman had the capability of doing that. Like you said, we are drawn to the unknown and not having all the answers to the case and what happened that night made the public want to watch and follow the case even more. This became so huge that people forgot about Travis and his family and focused on the person that caused the harm in the first place. People have formed schemas around what a cold hearted murderer looks like and Jodi Arias does not fit that category. That drew people in and gave the media every advance they needed to make this trial bigger than it should have been.
ReplyDeleteOne key component to the absurdity of this trial is the rise of the legal pundits. No longer are political talking heads enough, now we have celebrity lawyers eager to opine on such trials, lending a bit of their celebrity persona to these trials, which in turn bumps up demand for their services in future celebrity trials. It is quite a self-feeding cycle.
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