There are some people in this world that don’t deserve the titles that we give them. Whenever a new serial criminal crawls their way out of the depths of hell, the media is quick to give them a cool, flashy name that’s bound to generate traction.
I know that it’s a tactic to bring more viewers to their article and platform, but it’s not right.
Not only do these flashy names sensationalize the horrific actions of these disgusting individuals, but they also take attention away from the justice that the victims deserve.
It’s not enough to say, “Well, they’ll burn in hell for their actions,” or “Let prison justice happen,” because no matter how these monsters are “taken care of,” we are still throwing a glamorous filter over them and the atrocities they’ve committed.
These people are often some of the lowest scum of society, targeting the weak and helpless, destroying their victims’ lives, the lives of their families and plunging fear into the hearts of the public.
These are not cool individuals. They are sick, sadistic creeps who thrive off of pain and suffering and we should be treating them as such. While we can’t get rid of the media finding ways to bring attention to news-worthy instances, we can address how we label them.
All we do when we give them appealing names is feed their ego, and I sure as hell don’t want to stroke the dick of someone who raped and/or murdered dozens of people for their own sick self-gratification.
I propose that instead of labeling them something flashy, cool or scary, we label them with something equally as flashy and equally degrading, since these people don’t deserve to look like badasses.
Take Richard Ramirez for example, who was a California-based serial rapist, killer and burglar who terrorized the Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Areas from April 1984 to August 1985. While some may not be familiar with his real name, many will be familiar with the name given to him by the media, which was the Night Stalker.
The Night Stalker is too spooky of a name for someone who was dumb enough to not only leave behind a plethora of incriminating evidence but also got cornered, caught and beaten to a pulp by a citizen mob who were sick of his reign of terror on their community.
The truth is, Ramirez wasn’t this suave, elusive lone wolf assassin. He was a glorified predator. He was sloppy, depraved and perverted. A sad excuse of a human being.
People like Ramirez, who have serially committed acts of violence upon the innocent, don’t deserve the glorification, they don’t deserve the spotlight and sure as hell shouldn’t get to outshine their victims and the justice that they deserve.
So why should we don them with flashy titles that generates a celebrity status? Why not give them names that truly fit their personhood? We should be giving them names that truly reflect how pathetic these individuals are.
Before you go on to name a piece of shit something cool, like the Bay Harbor Butcher, take into concideration who you are glorifying.
Think about the lives they destoyed, think about their disgusting actions and think about the damage that is being done when the media romaticizes the monsters that lurk in the dark.
