Menacing Seattle -

The Amanda Knox Case
and ABC TV's Infomercial . . .

Last night, ABC TV broadcast an infomercial promoting the sale of their DVD about the Amanda Knox Case. Throughout the 10-minute segment of the 20/20 program, the hostess, Elizabeth Vargas, seemed to be sneering at the TV audience, which I thought was very tacky. Why was this woman sneering?

The infomercial contained a lot of hand-wringing about Knox being incarcerated for a long time, but no explanation was disclosed at any point in the entire segment as to why Knox has been incarcerated.

Instead, hostess Vargas introduced an airquote-expert on the case, Judy Rickrack. I've never heard of her. She is a criminologist or lawyer? I don't know. I've been following this case rather closely, since first reports about it, but I don't claim to be an expert on it.

Who would know about this kind of situation? Linda Fairstein prosecuted The Preppy Murder Case in New York City, which shares some basic elements with the Meredith Murder Case in Perugia: young people, alcohol, and drugs. People were following the investigation and prosecution of murder cases long before the current Internet Era.

The infomercial did not reveal why Knox has been incarcerated for so long, because ABC TV has turned this case into a Reality TV Soap Opera, and the infomercial is being used to promote the sale of ABC's DVD product. But the infomercial cannot and should not be mistaken for Journalism.

Why has Knox been incarcerated for so long? It is my understanding that Knox was Baker-Acted or Sectioned, as the British call it, under a similar provision of Italian Law, as a danger to herself or others. The Italians seem to have the ability to keep renewing the original involuntary commitment remand to custody. The last time I personally checked the judge's order, it designated "until trial." I have not personally checked its status since then, but I presume it continues to be renewed.

Knox seems safe, is being treated humanely, and is situated in a relatively benign environment. The critical issue in cases involving involuntary commitment is: the subject needs to be under continuous 24/7 observation, close supervision, and readily available protection.

So, why was Elizabeth Vargas sneering? In recent months, whenever there have been news reports about this case which provide a forum for comments, many residents of Seattle have responded with comments begging the Media for some relief from the incessant Knox coverage.

The premise of this infomercial seemed to be: if the new forensic scientists do not find any identifiable DNA on a the knife or bra clasp, the Italian authorities are going to fling open the doors of the prison and let Amanda Knox loose on the Seattle public. Elizabeth Vargas seemed to be deriving some sort of perverse gratification out of menacing the residents of Seattle.

These Media organizations are not accountable to anyone, and no one can stop them. The MSM in America is impervious to criticism and complaints. Although ABC is not pushing my personal buttons on this case, I can sympathize with the residents of Seattle. The corrosive influence of the Media, as in in this ABC infomercial, is destroying their quality of life.

Are there any new developments in this case? Not that I know of. Last night's broadcast was just an infomercial to hawk their DVD. This is a Reality TV Soap Opera for which they bring you a new development every week, regardless of whether one actually exists or not.

Are most Americans captivated by Amanda Knox? I don't think so. More people seem interested in Snooki these days or have moved on to the Casey Anthony Case.

But, at the same time, you simply can't miss the resemblance of the Meredith Murder to the American Teen Slasher movies. Maybe ABC has opened a Pandora's Box they will eventually come to regret ever opening.

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