• Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    Blackbeard, Colonial Revolutionaries, Jesse James, Billy the kid, Butch Cassidy, Wild Bill Hickock, Guy Fawx, Al Capone, John Dillinger, Bonnie & Clyde, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffery Dahmer, OJ Simpson, Mike Tyson, Donald Trump.

    • otp@sh.itjust.works
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      14 days ago

      I don’t think Manson, Gacy, or Dahmer are idolized.

      Simpson and Tyson are idolized for their non-criminal activities, not because they’re criminals. They’re not famous for being criminals, whereas most of the others are.

      Trump is definitely an interesting one though…lol

      • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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        14 days ago

        Dahmer is one of those who had prison groupies. As do the Columbine shooters, Harris and Klebold. Apparently there’s a certain kind of chick that gets lubed up for mass murderers.

        • otp@sh.itjust.works
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          14 days ago

          That’s a good point. I wouldn’t call that mainstream, though.

          I’m not sure if Al Capone gets support the way that Walter White does or if he’s more of a Robin Hood…but a lot of the “heroic criminals” in US folklore (especially the criminals of the “wild West” who robbed banks and supported the poor) are purely the Robin Hood types.

          Dahmer’s fans are crazy. As are the Columbine Shooters’ fans. But Robin Hood-types could generally be supported by the general person without raising an eyebrow these days.

      • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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        14 days ago

        I was thinking about that as I was typing them up. It’s really hard to draw a line on how criminal they are, or fame vs infamy, etc.

        • otp@sh.itjust.works
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          14 days ago

          Yeah. The serial killers are definitely infamous, but nobody normal is thinking “Boy, we could sure use someone like that again”.

          …but someone who goes around stealing from big banks and insurance companies while also destroying people’s mortgages (so they don’t have to make payments on their houses)? I’m sure some people could get behind that.

          Especially with the reaction we’re seeing to the murder of the health insurance company CEO. I’m sure people have been coming up with lists of other deserving CEOs.

          • Hawke@lemmy.world
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            14 days ago

            That would be “time”… you go through history and eventually you get to 1990.

          • ccunning@lemmy.world
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            14 days ago

            I think it crossed over with Manson which was 60s/70s but I think your point stands.

            Some of the criminals after the crossover were cult leaders though…

            • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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              14 days ago

              Came back around with Tyson and Trump (depending on your preferred political party).

          • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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            14 days ago

            I noticed that too. And I think it has to do with WW2. Hitler and his allies were the bad guys, and it seems there was a period going into and after the war where didn’t pay much attention to any other criminals. During this time we saw the birth of Super heroes, and we rallied around the good guys.

      • vzq@lemmy.world
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        14 days ago

        I mean, yeah. The whole outlaw bit sort of implies crimes.

        What did you expect?

      • PoopSpiderman@lemmy.world
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        14 days ago

        I think George Floyd is mentioned by people to highlight how out of control the police in America are. They are thugs with badges, and they need to be reigned in, but that’s not likely to happen due to America leaning more toward “bootlicker” these days. George Floyd was murdered by shit cops. He should be remembered so we can hold bad police actions accountable. Fuck the police.