Mass shooting in Las Vegas. 50+ dead

[Rev. Rye]

And the fact other countries' film industries were providing things (mostly sex, though they did create portrayals of violence Hollywood wouldn't allow) in their films that Hollywood wasn't allowed to put in was a key point that forced the Hays Code that ruled Hollywood between 1934 and 1966 to self-destruct.

Not to mention that other countries like Japan now have far more violent media . Yet low rates of mass murder .

Yeah, funny thing about America: our media is remarkably tame when compared to other developed nations, but our populace seems to still be the one most disturbed by it all.

[A Theist]

Good flick. Maybe Hollywood should stop making so many movies that glorify violence before its actors and directors, like Quentin Tarantino for one, take a vocal position against guns. Same with the gaming industry. Stricter legislation against violent content from Hollywood and the gaming industry.

I dont see how that would do anything. People who already have psychopathic personalities and a tendency towards violence, are going to be encouraged by anything to eventually act out. If it isn't movies or video games, it'll be something else. You can't compare movies to weapons, because the weapon is what they use to kill people, not the movies.

I was actually being sarcastic and simply pointing out the hypocrisy of Hollywood's most vocal opponents to guns who, on the other hand, either direct or act in some of Hollywood's most violent movies. But, as far as Hollywood or the gaming industry having some influence for a culture of violence there could possibly be some merit to that. The Columbine killers i.e., who were teens that were bullied in High School, were of the gifted variety who hated high school jocks, were also gamers and fans of the movie, "Natural Born Killers". There's been some attempts to tie the influence for those killings to that movie.  Another movie that gained attention and was also used in murder defense cases was "The Matrix", and as you stated, may have influenced people who already have psychopathic tendencies. It was released just weeks before the Columbine shootings....

In cases of apparent copycat crime, victims’ families sometimes have sued movie or record companies on the theory that they are responsible for the crimes their products inspired. The overwhelming majority of such suits have been unsuccessful. Sometimes they fail for First Amendment reasons. Other times, they fail due to the plaintiffs’ failure to prove a causal connection between the movie or song, and the crime, that would be sufficient for legal liability.

But now a new form of causal connection between a movie and reality seems to be emerging–and one that is more subtle than copycatting. According to several defendants and their attorneys, it seems that the very philosophy of “The Matrix” may have somehow interacted with the psychology of certain mentally ill individuals, in such a way as to cause them to commit their crimes. These individuals did not copy “The Matrix”; instead, they seem simply to have believed the philosophies espoused in the movie to be true.


Not Guilty By Reason Of the Matrix?
Two defendants in criminal cases, by incorporating their strange beliefs about “The Matrix” as evidence of a mental disorder, have successfully asserted pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity. In each case, the “Matrix”-based plea was accepted by the judge.
One was Vadim Mieseges of San Francisco, who dismembered his landlady in 2000. He subsequently told police that he had been “sucked into ‘The Matrix.'”
Another was Tonda Lynn Ansley of Ohio, who shot her landlady. Like Mieseges, she claimed to have believed her killing had not been real, but a dream. She commented, “They commit a lot of crimes in ‘The Matrix,'” suggesting that, just as in the movie, her killing must have been only “a bad dream.”
Meanwhile, Beltway Sniper suspect John Lee Malvo is also said to have been obsessed with “The Matrix.” In jail, he wrote a note stating “Free yourself of ‘The Matrix.'” The idea of the real-as-unreal seems to fit well with Malvo’s psychology. According to reports, he laughed when allegedly confessing his shootings–as if he didn’t believe that he had killed actual human beings.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2003/06/06/...trix-quot/

I also have a friend who's only child that was a decorated war veteran of Afghanistan who committed suicide after the very same manner from a scene out of the movie, "A Few Good Men". He dressed up in his uniform and took his 9mm pistol and shot himself, just as was done in the movie.

As far as Hollywood and the gaming industry having an influence on the so called "culture of violence" in this country, I believe it merits study.

[Catholic_Lady]

Yeah, I am very familiar with the story of the Columbine killers and I remember people making a stink about video games after the shooting. I always thought that was really silly. They also idolized and were motivated by Hitler, and he's no video game or movie. People like them will act out eventually and will latch onto anything as an influence.

[Brian37]

I dont see how that would do anything. People who already have psychopathic personalities and a tendency towards violence, are going to be encouraged by anything to eventually act out. If it isn't movies or video games, it'll be something else. You can't compare movies to weapons, because the weapon is what they use to kill people, not the movies.

I was actually being sarcastic and simply pointing out the hypocrisy of Hollywood's most vocal opponents to guns who, on the other hand, either direct or act in some of Hollywood's most violent movies. But, as far as Hollywood or the gaming industry having some influence for a culture of violence there could possibly be some merit to that. The Columbine killers i.e., who were teens that were bullied in High School, were of the gifted variety who hated high school jocks, were also gamers and fans of the movie, "Natural Born Killers". There's been some attempts to tie the influence for those killings to that movie.  Another movie that gained attention and was also used in murder defense cases was "The Matrix", and as you stated, may have influenced people who already have psychopathic tendencies. It was released just weeks before the Columbine shootings....

In cases of apparent copycat crime, victims’ families sometimes have sued movie or record companies on the theory that they are responsible for the crimes their products inspired. The overwhelming majority of such suits have been unsuccessful. Sometimes they fail for First Amendment reasons. Other times, they fail due to the plaintiffs’ failure to prove a causal connection between the movie or song, and the crime, that would be sufficient for legal liability.

But now a new form of causal connection between a movie and reality seems to be emerging–and one that is more subtle than copycatting. According to several defendants and their attorneys, it seems that the very philosophy of “The Matrix” may have somehow interacted with the psychology of certain mentally ill individuals, in such a way as to cause them to commit their crimes. These individuals did not copy “The Matrix”; instead, they seem simply to have believed the philosophies espoused in the movie to be true.


Not Guilty By Reason Of the Matrix?
Two defendants in criminal cases, by incorporating their strange beliefs about “The Matrix” as evidence of a mental disorder, have successfully asserted pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity. In each case, the “Matrix”-based plea was accepted by the judge.
One was Vadim Mieseges of San Francisco, who dismembered his landlady in 2000. He subsequently told police that he had been “sucked into ‘The Matrix.'”
Another was Tonda Lynn Ansley of Ohio, who shot her landlady. Like Mieseges, she claimed to have believed her killing had not been real, but a dream. She commented, “They commit a lot of crimes in ‘The Matrix,'” suggesting that, just as in the movie, her killing must have been only “a bad dream.”
Meanwhile, Beltway Sniper suspect John Lee Malvo is also said to have been obsessed with “The Matrix.” In jail, he wrote a note stating “Free yourself of ‘The Matrix.'” The idea of the real-as-unreal seems to fit well with Malvo’s psychology. According to reports, he laughed when allegedly confessing his shootings–as if he didn’t believe that he had killed actual human beings.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2003/06/06/...trix-quot/

I also have a friend who's only child that was a decorated war veteran of Afghanistan who committed suicide after the very same manner from a scene out of the movie, "A Few Good Men". He dressed up in his uniform and took his 9mm pistol and shot himself, just as was done in the movie.

As far as Hollywood and the gaming industry having an influence on the so called "culture of violence" in this country, I believe it merits study.

93 firearm deaths on average per day is NOT the fault of Hollywood, it is the fault of the CEOs of those companies that don't give a flying fuck how many they make or where their products end up.

Tired of the bullshit coming from the right saying they hate events like Vegas, then when we agree, we hate that too, they shout "NO!" At any suggestion of sanity.

Just admit you don't give a shit and the object is more important to you than reducing events like that. 

Tired of your bullshit "half staff, thoughts and prayers" bullshit lip service.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm thinking that he will turn out like the Unabomber or Timothy McVeigh -- ideologically driven. It's beginning to look like the only thing that makes sense to me.

Possibly. But even McVeigh and Kaczynski were clear and vocal about their motives and ideology. With Paddock it's been different. Unless investigators find something he left behind Paddock gave no hint of a motive for his murder rampage. It's been reported that his father had mental issues, a diagnosed psychopath, and was a criminal who made it on the FBI's "ten most wanted" list. Both Paddock and his father seemed unassuming and something of a lone wolf by those who knew them. It was also reported on the news this morning from interviews of people around the casinos who knew him said that he always sat and stared at people, insomuch that people would call him the starer. On another occasion it was said by witnesses that he expressed something along the lines that he wanted to kill his mother and wondered why he was here. But, that's all hearsay at this point as far as reliable witness accounts go. It was also reported on the news that he had taken valiums before the shooting. Don't know if that report had been confirmed for sure or not either. He sent his girlfriend to the Philippines to visit her family and sent $125,000 to her, also reported on the news this morning. Whatever his motives the guy definitely seems to have had some severe mental issues, (like his father did), and possibly just hated people. The police not only found additional guns at his home, but they also found explosives and bomb making materials. For what ever reason, he was planning to kill people. 

A search of Stephen Paddock's home in Mesquite turned up at least 19 additional firearms, explosives and several thousand rounds of ammunition, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Monday night. Several pounds of ammonium nitrate, a material used to make explosives, were found in Paddock's car.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/us/las-veg...index.html

Yeah, I'm aware of all that. And it may simply be a matter of him having a psychotic break sometime in the last couple of months. I'm just speculating on his motive, such as it may be.

He clearly engaged in medium-term planning at least for this. That by itself implies a motive ... who goes through that much planning for an act one feels is meaningless?

[Catholic_Lady]

Maybe hes psychopathic and has always thought it would be fun and thrilling to do something like that. Maybe he's always fantasized about it. And with old age settling in (and maybe depression, boredom, or a "late life crisis" of sorts) maybe he felt as though he's lived his life and decided to finally go for it. Honestly I'm starting to lean more towards that as more time goes by with no real motive coming to light.

[Rev. Rye]

Maybe hes psychopathic and has always thought it would be fun and thrilling to do something like that. Maybe he's always fantasized about it. And with old age settling in (and maybe depression, boredom, or a "late life crisis" of sorts) maybe he felt as though he's lived his life and decided to finally go for it. Honestly I'm starting to lean more towards that as more time goes by with no real motive coming to light.

I remember a couple years ago, an old Neo-Nazi in Kansas City decided to shoot up a retirement home, apparently prompted by his being diagnosed with emphysema and being given two years to live. Until then, he was just content to shout racist bullshit over the internet and run for whatever office was available to him. Then, with the knowledge that he had nothing else to lose, he just decided to shoot up a Jewish retirement home. Ironically, the people he hit were all Christian and NOT Jewish.

And one of the Black Lives Matter police ambushers spent years preparing for a potential massacre before the opportunity to actually do something happened in Dallas. Speaking of shootings in Dallas, I'm convinced that Jack Ruby had spent years looking for an excuse to kill somebody and leapt at the opportunity to kill the assassin of the most popular president in recent history when he turned out to be in the town where he lived.

This seems like a distinct possibility to me.

[popeyespappy]

Maybe hes psychopathic and has always thought it would be fun and thrilling to do something like that. Maybe he's always fantasized about it. And with old age settling in (and maybe depression, boredom, or a "late life crisis" of sorts) maybe he felt as though he's lived his life and decided to finally go for it. Honestly I'm starting to lean more towards that as more time goes by with no real motive coming to light.

Maybe he was a liberal democrat/antifa/BLM supporter/communist who's only motivation was kill as many conservative republican/Christians/Trump supporters as he could because that's the way liberal democrat/antifa/BLM supporter/communists think.

That's the theory floating around on many of the conservative forums.

[Rev. Rye]

You mean conspiracy theorists are moving back towards acknowledging that national tragedies actually happen and aren't just staged by the Dems?

[popeyespappy]

You mean conspiracy theorists are moving back towards acknowledging that national tragedies actually happen and aren't just staged by the Dems?

If it turns out this asshole was a conservative then the theory is he was a patsy who was set up by the evil liberal democrat/antifa/BLM supporter/communists. So no, in their minds staged by the Dems is still a real possibility.