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.
this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2024
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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
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.
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.
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.
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Bonnie and Clyde, Killdozer man, Al Capone, Christopher Dorner, Billy the Kid to name a few.
There are a few different common themes amongst them, either functioning as part of a gang or as a lone wolf, Bonnie and Clyde captured attention for the romantic twist attached to it.
There are also greater numbers of outlaws during periods where laws are hard to enforce due to remoteness and isolation (old west) or due to the laws being flaunted by basically everyone due to the laws being considered ridiculous (prohibition).
The key common theme is that they are viewed as fighting against an (what the public view as) unjust system, though often it's more to do with their goals coincidentally aligning with the publics perception of an unjust system.
The guy who shot that CEO, is probably the most recent example...
Its part of the western tradition. Bonnie and Clyde for example.
PS. I'm not american.
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Bonnie and Clyde
Is it just america? robin hood. guy fawkes.
Ned Kelly is an Australian icon, primarily known for an armoured shoot out with the cops.
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Woody Guthrie - Pretty Boy Floyd
Yes, as through this world I've wandered I've seen lots of funny men Some will rob you with a six-gun And some with a fountain pen
And as through your life you travel Yes, as through your life you roam You won't never see an outlaw Drive a family from their home
From the Youtube comments: "This is the acoustic version of 'Fuck the Police'"
He was seen positively by the public because, during robberies, he burned mortgage documents freeing many people from their debts.
Shit seems relevant.
Also, Stagger Lee, an old blues standard about a violent badass that has been interpreted and reinterpreted for over a century
You can see it in our media, even comic books. The Punisher is wanted by law enforcement all the time. Just look at the United Health Care shooting. Guy does what the Punisher does and he instantly becomes an American hero.
Jesse James.
Billy the Kid.
Jeffery Dahmer.
Charles Manson.
Al Capone.
Baby Face Nelson.
And many, many more.
Out of all these, though, the only one I have seen still be idolized in some capacity is Dahmer. Women seem to love him, despite the fact he was gay. And a cannibal.
Bonnie and Clyde
also the most prominent idolized today isn't Dahmer; it's the guy who just got elected for president
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How is Jesse James not at the top of this comment section?
Billy the Kid.
Bonnie and Clyde! Billy the Kid! I haven't yet met the cute got girl who doesn't have a list of favorite serial killers!
Was Robin Hood a real dude?
He is an established folklore character, but it may never be proven whether he was a real person or no.
True. But whether his actions were inspired by real events or purely fictional the character demonstrates the tendency of people to venerate the righteous outlaw.
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I didn't see no crime, the adjustor is a public servant, shitlord.
the adjustor
That’s what we’re going with? Works for me. I thought “Robin Hoodie” was a bit too generic. I like this one better.
I think my spelling is off tbh
Quick search here and on reddit showing that most people are using "the adjuster"
Either way has beautiful ring to it
Does Jack Sparrow count?
I think Rosa Parks and the Boston Tea Party-goers can be counted.
The Oklahoma Sooners, settled in the territory sooner than the enactment of the law allowing them to do so, thereby giving them an advantage over the law-abiders in claiming the most valuable acreage.
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Julian Assange, Edward Snowden...
I think it comes from America's roots -- America was founded on liberty and freedom, and to some extent, questioning authority, and I think since then it's been somewhat cyclical with socioeconomic changes.
It's also part of the American mythos that is perpetuated in film and music. We have superheroes like Batman, Spider-Man, Green Arrow, western heroes like Zorro and the Lone Ranger, movies like Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Bonnie & Clyde, shows like Mr. Robot...
Slightly off topic but there was an escaped monkey around and people would never report it until they were sure it was gone, they didn't want it caught.
Just look how some people still see the civil war as the "war of northern aggression", and how they still treat so-called "heroes" of the south.
Can't remember his name, but the right love to fawn over the guy who built "killdozer"
John Dillinger had his fans too. I recall going to a wax museum in Indiana dedicated to him. There was a display with an electric chair in it.
Mickey and Mallory Knox
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