The murder of Luigi Mangione.
As has happened with other criminal cases, the victim is not the one receiving public attention and sympathy, on the contrary, for the most part, people’s attitudes towards the executive’s killing have oscillated from indifferent to downright celebratory. This does not feel like any other first-degree murder case, and the working-class people do not perceive Mangione as any average murderous Joe.
On the internet, for Mangione has been pervasive and unabashed. In his most recent court appearance, Mangione wore matching outfits with the burgundy sweater the accused wore reportedly sold out when one comes across systematic evidence that netizens have become bewitched by what some have been referring to as Mangione’s “courtroom catwalk.”
Walk, walk, fashion baby.
Social media, including TikTok more than most other platforms, has not been shy in showcasing people’s almost parasocial infatuation with Luigi Mangione. The video above, accompanied by the 2000s song “SexyBack,” demonstrates how, for a start, everything Mangione does in front of the media is and will continue to be scrutinized and dissected to exhaustion; secondly, the notoriously dubbed as the “CEO assassin” does not seem to mind the attention, considering his facial expressions as he perceives the photographers’ cameras trained on him.
Another characteristic of this Mangione fever is that it’s not limited to the borders of the United States. The phenomenon has spread to other corners of the globe, including China:
While, to many people’s eyes, Mangione carries himself with this mysterious and confident charm, particularly when synchronized with self-indulgent soundtracks, there is something far more humanizing and hilariously relatable to the video with its original, unedited sound:
Listen carefully and you can hear Mangione’s attempt at an impressed whistle – likely upon taking note of the extensive media presence – and how it’s followed by a dry “You suck at it,” from the suit-wearing law enforcement official walking in front of him.
Listening to the countless songs people have slapped on these edits, I was compelled to wonder how many Mangione-focused Spotify playlists are out there. Upon a quick search, I found out that, yes, not only are there many playlists dedicated to the murder suspect, but also quite a few individual songs have already been produced about him. Plus, there is a Spotify that appears to belong to Mangione. This ’s public playlists range from multiple “driving” and “shower” playlists, to others which more interestingly titled, such as “Grand Theft, “Suffocation,” and “Songs I experienced live.”
There is little doubt that, as the TikToker above implies, there will be no shortage of people who will get the idea of dres as Mangione for 2025’s Halloween.
All of this further proves how Mangione has acquired A-list celebrity-like status. That said, one cannot put him in the same category as convicted serial killers like Ted Bundy or The Nightstalker without why it is taking place.
Mangione’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2025. It will undoubtedly inspire another wave of thirsty edits as time alone won’t be enough to dissuade people from attentively following this case’s judicial proceedings until – and perhaps even after – their conclusion.
Published: Dec 30, 2024 11:07 am