"Missing White Girl Syndrome" Strikes Again

[LFC]

Gabby Petito. This has been a top story on GMA virtually every morning for over a week. Yes it's a sad case but as we've seen over and over the cases that truly attract attention are attractive and especially blonde young white women.

Some have used Petito’s case to discuss the phenomenon of “missing white woman syndrome,” in which young, white women — particularly middle- and upper-class white women — receive lots of media attention and publicity when they go missing, compared with less publicized cases of poorer, nonwhite women who vanish.

Another common adjacent topic within the true crime community is the phenomenon of “missing and murdered Indigenous women,” a collective term created to emphasize the highly marginalized status of these victims. Among them are more than 700 missing Indigenous people, mostly girls and women, who have vanished over the past decade in Wyoming, the same state where the body matching Petito’s description was recovered.

The fact that this high number of victims isn’t more widely known has been an unsettling part of the Petito case, and the ensuing discussion has drawn attention to other missing persons cases and murders, including the double homicide of newly married couple Crystal Turner and Kylen Schulte just days before Petito was last spotted in Moab. That case is so far unsolved and is apparently unrelated to Petito’s disappearance.

[goldenvalley]

Sept 24, 2021 20:45:57 GMT LFC said:

Gabby Petito. This has been a top story on GMA virtually every morning for over a week. Yes it's a sad case but as we've seen over and over the cases that truly attract attention are attractive and especially blonde young white women.

Some have used Petito’s case to discuss the phenomenon of “missing white woman syndrome,” in which young, white women — particularly middle- and upper-class white women — receive lots of media attention and publicity when they go missing, compared with less publicized cases of poorer, nonwhite women who vanish.

Another common adjacent topic within the true crime community is the phenomenon of “missing and murdered Indigenous women,” a collective term created to emphasize the highly marginalized status of these victims. Among them are more than 700 missing Indigenous people, mostly girls and women, who have vanished over the past decade in Wyoming, the same state where the body matching Petito’s description was recovered.

The fact that this high number of victims isn’t more widely known has been an unsettling part of the Petito case, and the ensuing discussion has drawn attention to other missing persons cases and murders, including the double homicide of newly married couple Crystal Turner and Kylen Schulte just days before Petito was last spotted in Moab. That case is so far unsolved and is apparently unrelated to Petito’s disappearance.

If this particular young woman was white, blonde but with a crooked nose, crossed eyes or seen as overweight I suspect this wouldn't be noticed at all.  Abuse and killing of women by the men in their lives is generally overlooked.  

[Bact PhD]

Sept 24, 2021 21:59:45 GMT goldenvalley said:

Sept 24, 2021 20:45:57 GMT LFC said:

Gabby Petito. This has been a top story on GMA virtually every morning for over a week. Yes it's a sad case but as we've seen over and over the cases that truly attract attention are attractive and especially blonde young white women.

If this particular young woman was white, blonde but with a crooked nose, crossed eyes or seen as overweight I suspect this wouldn't be noticed at all.  Abuse and killing of women by the men in their lives is generally overlooked.  

Unfortunately, I find myself concurring with this opinion. The more photogenic/telegenic the victim is, the more likely the story gets national attention. Also, it helps if the victim is upper-middle class or wealthy, that sort of horrific thing “isn’t supposed to happen to them” (= “newsworthy”), whereas if she and her family resided in a local trailer park, it might get a mention on the local news for 3 nights, max.

[Rue Bella]

The more photogenic/telegenic the victim is, the more likely the story gets national attention.

Not only adults, but children too. "Photogenic/telegenic" and of course light-skinned and blonde hair almost essential. How much press did little Madeline McCanne and JonBenet Ramsey get? But a missing dark-skinned baby? I can't think of any that got that much press (probably more my memory than actuality). Perhaps being 'fair-haired' also makes one a greater target, since darker kids are considered worse than worthless by some. 

[pnwguy]

Bill Maher nailed it last night on the start of New Rules.  As a bootleg clip, I'm not sure how long the video will stay up.

[AnBr]

Unavailable.

[LFC]

They're still at it. GMA has given an "update" (generally some squirt of chicken feces) nearly every day since they started on this ridiculousness. Here's Newsweek giving us this gripping update.

Reality-TV star and self-proclaimed detective Dog the Bounty Hunter—real name Duane Chapman—has removed himself from the search for Brian Laundrie due to an ankle injury, reports Newsweek. The 68-year-old has gone back to Colorado to “meet with his doctor after injuring his ankle in the search,” tweeted John Benson of WFLA. “He’s also raising funds to continue what he calls an ‘expensive search.’” Chapman has reportedly mustered up a group of people who will continue the effort despite the Bounty Hunter’s break called the “Florida Team” while he continues to “process leads” in Colorado. Lyssa Chapman, Duane’s daughter, confirmed her father’s detour, tweeting that he has gone back to Colorado to “handle some business.”

Wow, if Dog is involved then this must be serious. [/snark]

[goldenvalley]

Update...she's still dead. He's still missing. This is news?

[LFC]

Oct 11, 2021 23:02:29 GMT goldenvalley said:

Update...she's still dead. He's still missing. This is news?

Apparently yes. And per GMA worth placement in the top 4 stories covered on most days.