They "Adore" Jack the Ripper

[Madam Red]

I originally wasn't going to bring this up on here, but I wanted to know what your opinions are about this.

Recently, I came across these stamps while surfing through deviantart:

from http://scarecrow--stamps.deviantart....pper-100572904

from http://gardenofbadthings.deviantart....pper-116609808

Some people make me sick.

While the stamps themselves are pretty tame, what really ticked me off were the comments people were leaving on those links.


What experiences have you had with people like this?

[DarkTaleProductions]

I made a thread about this awhile back, here it is, some people's opinions are on it...

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread...aleproductions

Personally, I believe anyone can adore anyone they want or like whoever they want. When you live in a Country where you freedom of speech and/or belief then you just have to accept it. Personally, do I idolize or adore the Ripper, HELL NO.

[Madam Red]

I made a thread about this awhile back, here it is, some people's opinions are on it...

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=3494&highlight=darktaleproductions

Personally, I believe anyone can adore anyone they want or like whoever they want. When you live in a Country where you freedom of speech and/or belief then you just have to accept it. Personally, do I idolize or adore the Ripper, HELL NO.

Oops, my bad.

I wasn't sure whether to post this on your thread or make my own, because yours seemed like it was talking about just people inside Casebook.

Yeah, while I believe that people do have the right to freedom of speech, I simply find it worrying when a few people say "his work was beautiful." I can't do anything to stop them, nor would I try.

[Adam Went]

I've had a couple of groups on Facebook pointed out to me before where there are members who also claim to "love" Jack the Ripper and his work. Who have left comments praising him. It really is quite disturbing and you have to wonder what's going through the minds of some of these people, but, that's the modern day world and the internet for ya.....

Cheers,
Adam.

[DarkTaleProductions]

Haha, it's cool Rasah. I only included my thread cause you asked what are people's opinions and some people on there shared their opinions, I believe.

[deckard1]

Adoring a serial killer... strange role
model to pick huh?
Still most of the responses on those stamps seem to denounce the creator of the stamp, but there's always people who think it's cool or hip or whatever...

I find his work fascinating, out of a dark interest, I find all serial killers fascinating.
Because they are so far removed from myself and my 'normal' behaviour.
It's bound to fascinate and stir up interest, it should.

[kensei]

Ann Rule wrote in her excellent book "The Stranger Beside Me" on Ted Bundy about how many young deluded women wrote to her about their love for Bundy and their sadness over his death. Richard Ramirez (who has been riding his death sentence for 21 years- get on with it already!) had all kinds of groupies at his trial and one of them actually married him and has said she will commit suicide if he is executed. What can you say about such insane behavior? It seems to be the love of the "bad boy" taken to an ultimate extreme.

[JTRSickert]

People have had an adoration of the mad and macabre since civilization occured. Take Vlad Dracula...to Romanians, he is a much revered, distinguished leader in their history. To others, he was a mass murdering psychopath, but even so, he still continues to fascinate researchers and he gave birth to the legend of Bram Stoker's immortal vampire. I would also like to stress that some of us can be fascinated, and even admire, some infamous historical figures, but that doesn't necessarily mean we idolize them. Take Adolf Hitler, for example. There's no doubt he has gone down as one of the most famous and infamous leaders in all of World History. True, he was responsible for millions of people dying, but even today, he still fascinates us to research him, and as we research him, we can fell a certain amount of admiration for him, even though we deplore and are sickened by the horrible deeds he was responsible for.

It's the same with Jack the Ripper. We're fascinated by him and we may even admire the way he was able to escape detection, even though he killed in such a small area when hundreds of police and civilians we're searching for him. But that doesn't mean we praise his crimes and look upon him as some kind of vanguard for future serial killers.

Interesting note: Since Adolf Hitler was born in April, 1889, then it is interesting to note that he was likely conceived at around the same time the Ripper murders started in London, in an area where there was a heavy jewish population and rampant anti-Semitism.

[smezenen]

Take Vlad Dracula...to Romanians, he is a much revered, distinguished leader in their history. To others, he was a mass murdering psychopath, but even so, he still continues to fascinate researchers and he gave birth to the legend of Bram Stoker's immortal vampire.

While I don’t argue with the overall point of your post I feel the need to set this one fact straight. Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad Dracul, AKA Vlad the Dragon, AKA Vlad the Impaler, was not the inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" in fact the original title of the novel was "THE UN-DEAD." And the main character was named "Count Wampyr", the title and main characters names where changed at the last minute to "Dracula" after Mr. Stoker found the name while researching Romanian history. His inspirations for the novel actually came from an essay "Transylvania Superstitions" – written by Emily Gerard in 1885 and “Carmilla” written by Sheridan Le Fanu in 1871. A decent site for this information, is http://www.unexplainable.net/artman/...le_13937.shtml

[deckard1]

Interesting note: Since Adolf Hitler was born in April, 1889, then it is interesting to note that he was likely conceived at around the same time the Ripper murders started in London, in an area where there was a heavy jewish population and rampant anti-Semitism.

True, this is also mentioned in Alan Moore's From Hell.

[DVV]

Hi JTRS,

Interesting note: Since Adolf Hitler was born in April, 1889, then it is interesting to note that he was likely conceived at around the same time the Ripper murders started in London, in an area where there was a heavy jewish population and rampant anti-Semitism.

...and Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16...

Amitiés,
David

[deckard1]

Hi JTRS,



...and Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16...

Amitiés,
David

Which isn't mentioned in From Hell but should have been since he parodied Hitler in The Great Dictator.

Eight degrees of Jack the Ripper?

[Wolfgang_Parker]

While I don’t argue with the overall point of your post I feel the need to set this one fact straight. Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad Dracul, AKA Vlad the Dragon, AKA Vlad the Impaler, was not the inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" in fact the original title of the novel was "THE UN-DEAD." And the main character was named "Count Wampyr", the title and main characters names where changed at the last minute to "Dracula" after Mr. Stoker found the name while researching Romanian history. His inspirations for the novel actually came from an essay "Transylvania Superstitions" – written by Emily Gerard in 1885 and “Carmilla” written by Sheridan Le Fanu in 1871. A decent site for this information, is http://www.unexplainable.net/artman/...le_13937.shtml

Very true. It seems Stoker had no idea who Vlad was, really. He read the name in passing at some point in his research, but he didn't base his fictitious vampire on him. That was more of Francis Coppela's thing.

As far as the "I Love Jack the Ripper" thing goes, you have to take it with a grain of salt. A lot of that is born out of the subcultures like the Goths, Horror Punks, and related subcultures that tend to attract those with a morbid curiosity (and sense of humor).

I would hazard to say that very few people actually idolize JTR. I would say they are intrigued by Jack in the same way they are attracted to fictional characters like Dracula, who is also a monster.

Younger generations have a tendency to latch on to an anti-hero, or a flat-out villain. This isn't isolated either. If you look at the ebb and flow of the American economy, you will find that every time America has gone through an economic downturn, horror films become wildly popular. There is something very cathartic in horror, and in it's rogues gallery of popular figures.

JTR is distinguished in that no one will ever know what he looked like. He is the quintessential dark enigma. Forever the shadowy figure emerging from the smog to strike, and always disappear as mysteriously as he came. Like it or not, he has become the boogeyman for Western culture's closet.

So, I wouldn't bother getting too outraged by "I love JTR" internet buttons. For most, it isn't a crime case. They don't know all of the facts, and they don't care. Most people that are drawn to Jack are looking for a good scare, and a little titillation.

[belinda]

I think Bram Stoker found out about Vlad Dracula from an Historian called Arminius Vamberry which I have probably not spelled properly.
People think their being outrages and clever when they do things like those stamps. I bet most of them haven't got a clue about the real story.They like the shock value I think.

[Observer]

Hi Wolfgang

Good post, I think you are bang on the money here. I think the vast majority of the individuals buying and commenting on these Jack the Ripper Stamps, do so frivolously. I'm sure if it came down to the nitty gritty, they would choose good over evil. As you say I think we should take their comments with a pinch of salt.

all the best

Observer