Voice your rage over

[Mike]

I said to myself I wasn't going to give attention to this particular subject but I have since changed my mind. I'm referring to the uproar recently about an upcoming documentary on Chapman based on 40 hours of interviews of the man who gunned down John Lennon. (see article below)

He supposively did it to be noticed, to be famous, well it looks like this TV network is giving him what he wanted from day one. The only lesson to be learned from airing this to me is a very simple one. Crime does pay.

Shame on the greed of the media to give this criminal and other so-called TV shows to encourage crime. I was watching some channel the other day and it's a TV series about master crimes and it basically imortalizes thieves and criminals as master brilliant minds to pull some of these robberies. If they mention assault or murder committed it is quickly passed over for the theme of skillful planning, brilliant execution of crime. TV shows detailing crime so much, I long for the days of simple cowboy and medical shows. Too many police and legal shows putting too many criminals and crooked lawyers up on a pedistal.

NEW YORK, NY, United States (UPI) -- Yoko Ono says that a documentary about John Lennon`s assassin to be aired on the anniversary of the New York murder will hurt her and her husband`s many fans.

"It shows a lack of understanding of the painful memories of what
happened to John`s beautiful life," she said in a statement.

Mark David Chapman, who admits that he gunned down Lennon outside the Dakota apartment house on Dec. 8 1980 because he wanted to be
notorious, is serving a 20-year-to-life sentence in Attica Prison.

A spokeswoman for Britain`s Channel 4 told the New York Daily News
that the program is a serious documentary. Jack Jones, an author who
interviewed Chapman in prison in 1981, 1982 and 1992, gave the
filmmakers 40 hours of tapes.

[HeyJude]

I agree completely, Mike. I just don't know why anyone would be interested in anything about this... person. What the heck could a documentary about this be about at all? How he murdered John? Thanks we know that too well already, I guess. And there's no point in anything else, like why he did it or anything about his life - darn it, life, the thing he took away so easily from a great human being. The whole thing is just sick.

[esto]

Just thought how good people know the names of the serial killers like Ted Bundy or Andrei Tchikatilo, but nobody except relatives, knows the names of their victims.

[Laura]

On one of the other Beatles forum
I belong to had a petition for not airing
the show but they did anyways.
Laura

[Maestri09]

any "serious" documentary wouldn't make it on TV. It would go into the annals of the top Law Schools etc.

you'd be surprised how much information is placed and kept in these institutions, with greater and more serious analysis--and not "made-for-tv".

[kylestyle]

We all should be aware that "the media" only give you one side of the truth. They exist to push forth their own agendas, to sensationalise, to gather ratings the best way they know how, to support the status quo and serve the government, and distort truth for their own means. So much of what we see is pure trash.

And as you say, the media networks are so gullible as even if they genuinely want to raise awareness of an issue, they end up bastardising it and glamorising (or iconising) the subjects. Thank goodness for the 'free media' and forums such as this - where real people voice their opinions free of distortion.