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Post by moritz on Jan 14, 2010 2:42:45 GMT -8
I read in a newspaper today, that Mehmet Ali Agca, the guy who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981 (hitting him with three bullets), is about to be let out of prison. According to the paper, an international TV channel offered him 2 million Dollars for an exclusive interview. His memoires could bring him further 3 million dollars.
If that is true, I can only sigh and shake my head in frustration. The fact that an assassination attempt can make you a multimillionaire is pretty hard to swallow. The worst part of it is the mechanism that works behind it: The old Game Theory. The media know that such a story is likely to bring great rates because of the penchant for sensationalism of too many people. What do the media care about whether it’s the right thing to actually reward inacceptable behavior and actions, as long as the cash keeps ringing? It reminds me of the Jack Johnson tune “Cookie Jar”:
Well “You can't blame me”, says the media man
Well "I wasn't the one who came up with the plan
I just point my camera at what the people want to see
Man it's a two way mirror and you can’t blame me"
It’s disgusting. I wonder how much they would pay for an exclusive interview with Osama Bin Laden?
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Post by Josh on Jan 15, 2010 12:46:50 GMT -8
It depends what the man says and does with his moment of spotlight- and with the money.
Remember, he is the one that Pope John Paul publicly forgave for shooting him.
I'd love to see this become a vivid example of Jesus' principle that he who has been forgiven much loves much.
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Post by Alex on Jan 16, 2010 16:33:30 GMT -8
Even then, what does it say that nefarious people receive the public spotlight so energetically? I lean towards Mo's reaction; perhaps I see it as a reward countering the ethics.
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Post by Josh on Jan 16, 2010 17:23:55 GMT -8
Well, let's say refused or gave away all the money and gave a sincere no frills interview.
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Post by christopher on Jan 16, 2010 17:28:14 GMT -8
The saddest and most disgusting part of that is that the media is only appealing to what is already a dark side of the human condition...voyeurism and obsession with scandalous sensational subjects.
It wouldn't be valuable if it didn't sell newspapers.
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Post by moritz on Jan 27, 2010 9:20:32 GMT -8
It depends what the man says and does with his moment of spotlight- and with the money. Remember, he is the one that Pope John Paul publicly forgave for shooting him. I'd love to see this become a vivid example of Jesus' principle that he who has been forgiven much loves much. You're giving him the benefit of the doubt, that's fair enough. It doesn't change the truth behind why the media are interested in paying so much money though. I read he wants to publically convert to Catholicism in front of Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome and then preach the one true gospel whos only prophet is.... himself. |
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Post by Josh on Jan 27, 2010 11:10:21 GMT -8
"Judge not lest you be judged" is all I have to say at this point  |
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steve
Advanced Member
Advanced Member
Posts: 93
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Post by steve on Jan 27, 2010 12:04:50 GMT -8
"The saddest and most disgusting part of that is that the media is only appealing to what is already a dark side of the human condition...voyeurism and obsession with scandalous sensational subjects.
It wouldn't be valuable if it didn't sell newspapers." Said Christopher. (I still don't know how you all do those quotes!)
I agree that that is the most insidious aspect of this whole thing. Thanks to a voyeuristic society, we now reward evil.
I think the film "Natural Born Killers" portrays this well. If you can stomach it, it makes a good point.
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Post by moritz on Jan 27, 2010 14:49:38 GMT -8
"Judge not lest you be judged" is all I have to say at this point I hope your faith in him won't be foresaken... In a statement released through his lawyers, Agca, who claims to be a second messiah, declined to clarify the mystery.
Instead he used the statement to "proclaim" the Apocalypse.
"All the world will be destroyed in this century. Every human being will die in this century," he wrote
"The Gospel is full of mistakes. I will write the perfect Gospel," he added, signing the paper as "The Christ eternal, Mehmet Ali Agca".
In rambling letters from prison, he has fed suggestions he is mentally disturbed. www.whatsonxiamen.com/news9785.htmlMr. Agca is reported to be considering an array of lucrative offers to tell his story. But there have long been questions about his mental condition. A statement he distributed outside the prison at Sincan on the outskirts of Ankara on Monday said: “I proclaim the end of the world. All the world will be destroyed in this century. Every human being will die in this century.”
He said: “I am the Christ eternal. The Gospel is full of mistakes. I will write the perfect gospel.” www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/world/europe/19pope.html |
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Post by Josh on Jan 27, 2010 18:25:18 GMT -8
 You know I didn't know anything about him, right? (except that the Pope forgave him) I just thought you were being sarcastic about the "himself" thing. 
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Post by krhagan19 on Jan 27, 2010 18:43:52 GMT -8
I can promise you the media would pay almost anything for an interview with Bin Laden. It is basic market principle. Humans are curious what this guy has to say because of the horrible thing he did. Media markets want exclusive access to his story, it is incredibly intuitive that they would pay him handsomely. How else would they determine who gets the interview.
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