In Italy The Faux Self Pity Of Knox And Sollecito Is Increasingly Becoming A National Joke

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Satirised is the notorious ABC interview where the interviewer held Knox’s hand.  Quick translations welcome. One is on its way, but may take a while.

Neither have much of a constituency in Italy despite their many earnest attempts. Sollecito periodically gets chased by Italians angry at how he characterizes their nation overseas.

Hi Peter,
Unfortunately I don’t speak Italian, so I can’t help with the translation. I would just add one comment here: this could be a very funny video (even without understanding it) if it wasn’t deadly serious.

Hi Hungarian. I do agree.

Satire can be one of the most telling forms of punishment. Expect Knox or her PR to do a u-turn, if they can.

We can think of 50 reasons why she’d best served to head back to Italy fast. This development constitutes 51.

“PERUGIA HATES YOU”
Held up in lieu…
Poor Perugia and Italian culture and people…they have had more than enough of the negativity, and found a humorous way to say so. The ‘likes’ they say, were ‘raining down’ in tens, and spreading…
All the best to you, people from Perugia !

The abuse hurled, by Knox supporters, at Italy is xenophobic and unfounded. Scanned the woman’s blog on Sollecito distancing himself from her and found one comment that stated “many” Italians were in support of the two convicted murderers and were joining social media sites in huge numbers. Seems yet another dishonest statement.
Is it stupidity, jealousy or lack of education causing the abuse of the wonderful, cultured, welcoming Italy?

I love Perugia. I love Italy.
Perugia did not ask for Amanda Knox and her knife boy.
I just had a wonderful conversation with a woman about her trip to Perugia…she more than loved the City.

Sometimes when I am need of self flagellation I read the Knox web sites. I read this one column on Ground Report by Nigel Scott entitled “Amanda Knox and Raphael Sollecito the obstacles to justice”

In it I found this one post which was so stupid that it defies all reason and logic. This poster claimed that Mignini was actually in the room when Meredith was murdered, not only that but he left a semen stain upon the bed. I had to read it twice because I simply could not believe it.

This is the level of intelligence which is exhibited by the FOA. This is the level of stupidity which enables mental giants such as Steve Moore to proclaim on TV that Guede was a police informer which was why he had a reduced sentence.

Considering the posters herein therefor there is no comparison in intelligence. Comparatively speaking the FOA has the same amount of IQ as their shoe size or as my mother was fond of quoting. They are “Inferior Breeding Stock”

Many young people are hypersensitive and cannot stand jokes or sarcasm made in public forums. Sometimes it happens without the poster even realizing the potential impact. Many times an apparently humorous comment is lost on the subject.

Some jokes are even demeaning, degrading and dehumanizing and none of us are actually sitting on the judge’s chair. We should all be rather conservative in our outlook.

Perhaps Peter or SeekingUnderstanding can understand what I am trying to say. Public shaming is a poor punishment.

chami, I’d agree with you, except she crossed a line by allowing attacks on the Kerchers on her own blog.

The rest, is satire.

Chami,
I do agree with what you are saying. I am very against using Internet media to insult, or even be personal, except in a polite reference.

But in this instance it is far from the normal situation. The people of Perugia feel hurt and insulted. The Italians - with their overwhelming kindness, and attention to fairness and their traditional, well-honed processes in law - have been deeply ridiculed and ‘rubbished’ (from some quarters, usually very ignorant).
It has been grossly unfair and wounding. They must have been hoping that this last verdict would be almost the end, and perhaps they can begin to draw a line, and attend to healing their wounds - which they did nothing to deserve.
Perugia offered hospitality, warmth, culture, friendliness and tolerance.

Those Italians who feel so hurt and offended by the outrageousness of what has been going on, must feel frustrated that they cannot get through to the English speaking media. Believe me,  some of the comments even in English papers, make me feel physically nauseous - in their demeaning of Italians.

Knox has crossed several lines, and the Italians in particular need to use their voices and protest against such offensive wrongdoing. In colloquial english, “she asked for it” - partly by using their language in her held up notice. (“Siamo…..”).
They are tired of the war she initiated through the media, and wish for it to stop. If they can defend themselves from further offence, through humour,- I do think in this case it can be understood.

@macthomas. I think this forum discusses the issues raised by this case on a much higher level of understanding, and has no need to resort to the things you mention - name-calling is usually the result of being unable to engage brain, for whatever reason.

Hi SeekingUndertanding,

I don’t think anyone needs reminding to adhere to reasonable standards because I haven’t seen any inappropriate comments on TJMK, PMF or on Twitter. None of the parodies of her selfie on Twitter that I’ve seen have called Amanda Knox Foxy Knoxy or made a reference to her sexual lifestyle.

There’s nothing wrong with satire. Amanda Knox’s PR stunt has backfired on her. The parodies of her selfie have made some excellent points.

On the subject of Amanda Knox’s sexual mores, does Macthomas think it was acceptable for Knox to help Guede sexually assault Meredith?

Hi the Machine
Just to be clear, there was no implied criticism. I agree with you very much about the value and validity of satire.

I was trying to smooth things over in a general way by saying yes, we can all keep to acceptable standards in the future, as we already do.

I would prefer not to even discuss the two areas mentioned by Macthomas, personally. I’m not sure this would be the right forum.

I perhaps should have added that it seems important to separate issues regarding the convictions for very serious offences, including criminal sexual offences, from completely other issues which are more concerned with the philosophy around female empowerment and so on.
These issues are not to be confused, and it even seems inappropriate, to me, to discuss them in the same breath.

No-one had brought up Amanda Knox’s sexual lifestyle or used her MySpace nickname Foxy Knoxy on TJMK. I don’t understand why Macthomas brought it up. They are red-herrings.

The first TV documentary on the case since last month’s guilty verdict on Feb. 17th on BBC.

” ‘Andrea [Vogt] and Paul have followed every twist and turn of this story and captured all the key moments and important interviewees’ said Steve Anderson, MD of Peacock Productions, in a statement. ‘We are grateful to the Kercher family of Meredith Kercher for their co-opertion in the making of this program.’ “

http://realscreen.com/2014/02/12/bbc3-orders-amanda-knox-doc-from-peacock/

Well said chami

‘Abuse’ is a strong word, and indeed refers to strong damage or potential damage.

There is a place for satire; it can be entirely valid.  Unfortunately, it is a very fine line - like a tightrope - we walk, between the satire making a good point, obliquely and with irony, and it being simply cruel - ‘that was below the belt’ we say.

Another difficulty regarding this is something we have mentioned before, which is the loss of subtle meaning in written conversation compared to spoken conversation with presence.

Irony can so easily be misinterpreted, written, especially when one considers different cultures. Even the North and South of England might ‘read’ something differently…

Generally speaking, the more we can defer from feeling in any way ‘victorious’ after the guilty verdict, and just keep to a suitable gravity the better. After all, Meredith will never be back. And also, one does not wish to feed this illusion of ‘poor Amanda the Victim’.

Not that I’m saying anyone is! We are becoming very sensitive to possible criticism, but sensitivity is a usually a good thing.

Knox of course is very adept at the self-pity game. “Faux self-pity” indeed. Every time she’s interviewed she gives that annoying sharp exhalation of breath before addressing certain questions, as if such cross examination is more than someone so victimised should have to bear.

It’s all part of her modus operandi. No doubt a ploy learnt in infancy to keep uncomfortable questioning and rebuke at arm’s length.

Infantile behaviour like that, and habitual lying, persisting into adult life is absolutely ripe for satire and parody. There’s no reason that we all have to avoid walking on egg shells - even if Edda did (with dire consequences).

There are rules for warfare, and, if broken, people can face the International Courts - quite properly.

The Knox PR campaign was a self-declared war - attacking the Italian law and order system among other things. It has been merciless and cruel.
I am glad, actually, that the Italians have found a valid way to defend themselves. I consider the parody and satire (as Odysseus says) to be within the rules of ‘the game’ - which they have been forced into. They didn’t choose this way.

Ha ha ha! ROFL, I am lovin every minute of it. Knox holds up a big lie and the cyber Seinfelds burst her bubble with appropriate derision. What a hoot. Alvin and the Chipmunks rock, they’re cuter and smarter than Knox. 

It’s hilarious how Knox scurries to reach out to Sollecito now that he threatens her. Yet even her blog was a threat back to him because in it she openly revealed the contents of his emails to the world. How’s that for making Raf know he has no privacy in his communications with her?

it’s a veiled threat, to release anything she knows about him at any moment, how’s that for not shielding him after he shielded her? Then she says Raf is “collateral damage” but not by her.

Now Raf sees what an idiot he was, and Knox is waving signs at him from across the sea.

It’s more than hilarious to see Knox mocked. It’s fair and just.

Nobody has forced her to drink hemlock.

Yes, I agree no one should stoop to the lowest or crudest levels even in satire. I don’t want Knox to accept porn movie offers, but if anybody deserves a good laughing at it’s these two clowns.

Let the lampoons roll in every language.

I especially love it when PRANKSTERS alter her oh so serious photo and add sombreros or Berlusconi in the background of “We Are Innocent”.

I may be unfeeling and ignoble in my boundless joy at seeing the demise of liars and cons. It’s a laugh when their toxic bubbles get burst by their own hands. Fine humor to see the balloon of pride Knox calls a head given a pinprick of laughter.

Now she leapfrogs off the journalists’ plight but, bad move, Mr. Kercher is a journalist.

Knox’s latest stunt is another gift.

Maybe seeing James looking like Al-Quaeda has turned her head. She and her fake boyfriend while she waves at her other fake boyfriend in Italy are a comedian’s dream.

I certainly need a good laugh! It has been proved, I believe,  that laughter physically improves one’s immune system.. Perhaps it’s the sense of fighting back, and not feeling powerless in the face of wrongdoing and injustice?

I believe Meredith had a wonderful sense of fun and humour, by all accounts. Maybe she’d have appreciated this…

Hi Hopeful and SeekingUnderstanding

Yeah, it is pretty funny, and it could prove pretty effective.

We expect some more Italian satire (and maybe not only Italian) and will report on that as well as this long-needed hitback against dishonest pandering to Italy could be an important trend.  If satire proves the way to stop RS and AK babbling lies daily about the case and Italian justice via every craven media outlet, then well done Italy!!

Nothing else seems to work to shut the two up, although their dishonest babbling could constitute obstruction of justice.  If RS and AK want to avoid being spoofed, they have two really easy ways to do so: (1) shut up and avoid the media, or (2) stick to telling the truth.

What??? I’m a bit confused by all the comments above distancing truejustice.org from satire and humor. Must we throw out Lucian and Horace? Would they have been marginalized here? Wilde too? “Ignorance is like an exotic fruit…”

Hasn’t everyone had enough of the media supportive of AK & RS?  Hasn’t everyone read the comments on all of those media publications?  Am I the only one shocked by the sheer quantity of comments supportive of AK & RS?  This site is a unique “bubble,” quite insulated from this crap. I have always been impressed by the civilized discourse here, but please tell me it is not from some kind of stance where ridicule is ruled out.

Personally I apply the phrase “by any means necessary” to the AK & RS situation. Reading the plethora of supporter comments that get flushed into the internet makes me believe that the current limited discourse against the two has not been effective. I’m getting ready to tack ridiculing posters on the telephone poles of the streets of west Seattle, or at a minimum the student message boards at U-dub. Anyone want to help me load the stapler?

well said Pete, excellent.

@ Patrizio. sorry if not clear enough. satire is a great tool, and a very useful one here!

Hi Patrizio

Great work. We get plenty of praise for being cool and even-handed. We do ask in the user agreement (one of only two rules) that comment threads should not be hijacked for rants about straw men or personal hobby horses. Our main posters are quick to insist that we enforce this.

Patrizio - I’m with you.

Our discussion on the various uses of English in comments about Amanda Knox is somewhat confusing to this reader too.

By definition, Sarcasm is intended to inflict pain. Other words, such as Criticism, Description, Invective, Irony, Lampoon, Satire, and Sardonic have different intentions, and meanings to different writers and readers.

They are amply covered under “Humour” in Fowler’s Modern English Usage.

TJMK is generally Descriptive of Knox’s behaviors and writings. Words such as Psychopathic and Sociopathic are used to describe Things she does, rather than All Of What She Is.

It is true that Accurate Description may subjectively hurt those described, even to the dramatic level of “mortally wound” their subjects, including Knox.

This should not cause us to avoid such description.

I wonder too whether a sarcastic, sardonic comment can be aptly used to deflect…i. e. to stop someone inflicting pain upon oneself?
In which case, it is rightly seen as defence against aggressors.

Speaking of the Twitter meme, some of the creative minds at both PMF’s have been hard at work.

Go to http://www.perugiamurderfile.net/viewtopic.php?p=118879#p118879 for a variation on the GMA interview, plus another on Nigel Scott, who took Raffaele Sollecito on an unwelcome visit to Meredith’s grave.

Thanks for the clarifications everyone. I took the AK image and erased the “siamo innocenti” and replaced it with “colpa mia” - my small effort at fighting back.

I replaced it with “I am Harry Rag” as a reply to her supporters wrongfully asserting that Meredith’s brother John Jr. is posting online as Harry Rag/The Machine.

They just don’t get it, she doesn’t get it. Leave the Kerchers alone!

@Patrizio. Lucan on punishment: “Alas! How vast a punishment does her conscience-stricken mind inflict upon her?”

The photo with the sign and the short haircut unfortunately gives more of a mugshot, prisoner image than I think Amanda wanted to project.  One can almost imagine her on the way to jail in that look. 

I’m glad Rudy is finally speaking up against all the media portraits of him being a drifter, from the Ivory Coast (instead of living in Italy from age 5) etc.  However I don’t think that information got into the American media networks.  Having Alan Derschowitz speak up on CNN certainly was a turning point in the coverage.  Will be interesting to see the BBC show next week.

Knox has put herself up there with her “Siamo innocenti” tag on the sulky B & W photo and now the coconuts are flying at her ridiculous meme.  Satire and irony are legitimate tools against the Marriott PR campaign, and if Marrriott was responsible for this huge error of judgement, he truly is useless.

The speed with which the satirical spoofs have whooshed around the web is indicative of how many people are sickened by the way the convicted murderers have resorted to PR rather than face the courts and accept their verdicts.

I have zero qualms at using this groundswell for revealing the falsity of the PR and turning it back on the shameless liar who accused an innocent man of the crime she herself had committed.

I quote from Twitter the disgusting outburst of one of la Knox’ most fervent and moronic supporters, Doug Bremner.
“What the Kerchers are doing to Amanda Knox is like what the Germans did to the Jews and the Gypsies.” 

To vilify the Germans when in fact so many of them were not NAZIS and suffered terribly for their opposition to the “great dictator”, and then to put the Kerchers on the level of those who carried out the holocaust genocides is truly vile.

And the proposition that a person convicted of murderer, sexual assault and calumny is “suffering” like the Jews and the gypsies is so ludicrous that it would be laughable were it not so disgusting.

@tiziano
Thank you for pointing our this dreadful, appalling statement. It does well to put the whole thing into perspective.

I have read the counter-page that the Perugians have set up, and I feel so sorry for these good-natured, well-mannered people from Perugia and elsewhere. They really do feel hurt, understandably.
And even what they have said in parody is mostly quite mild. Good for them. Some are very funny. Well done.

And sympathies again to the long-suffering Kerchers. I do believe this despicable PR will implode, eventually, and I hope this spirited protest via the Twitter spoof will quicken the tide.

That should be ‘pointing out’ in the first line. Apologies.

@Tiziano, I see you posted Bremner’s tweet, missed that, sorry, and posted details on the main thread. https://twitter.com/dougbremner/status/434179542560043008

While I don’t engage with Amanda Knox groupies any more, it is important to monitor, and openly rebut their lies, especially as they have shown how readily they attack Meredith Kercher’s family. As their appeal now heads towards finalization of conviction, I expect them to become, even more deranged.

Here are some alternative words that could be used under Amanda Knox’s selfie (or faux selfie). They are words she actually spoke herself, from the transcript of her trial testimony in 2009 :

“I don’t usually manage to express everything..with spoken words”

i couldn’t stop laughing at the chipmumk video….soo funny….

I ‘m so glad the house of cards they tried to build has finally come crashing down around them.

When conviction is finally confirmed i am going to book a lovely holiday to Kassiopi and relax on the beach with a glass of beer and a bag of cheese and onion crisps…mmmm heaven…

I hear they put some good plays on in prison Miss Obknoxious..

You can dance and sing to your hearts content for the next quarter century.

Where next:

Or to next entry Hard Questions By Italian Journalist Giuseppe Castellini For Sollecito

Or to previous entry Admired Feminist Victoria Brownworth On Knox As Ice-Cold And Media’s Hit & Miss Performance