It’s a weird headline, but the discussion is around how journalists and the public look through internet history in cases like this. Some of it is helpful, some of it is not.

In particular, it’s a response to this article:

‘Extremely ironic’: Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO slaying played video game killer, friend recalls (NBCNews)

The game in this case being AmongUs…

Monday night, NBC News published an article with the headline “’Extremely Ironic’: Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Slaying Played Video Game Killer, Friend Recalls.” This article is currently all over every single one of my social media feeds, because it is emblematic of the type of research I described above. It is a very bad article whose main reason for existing is the fact that it contains a morsel of “new” “information,” except the “information” in this case is that Luigi Mangione played the video game Among Us at some point in college.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/72744

  • @DaddleDew
    link
    English
    1992 months ago

    I bet the CEO played Monopoly too. Ironic, isn’t it?

    • @PineRune
      link
      English
      712 months ago

      CEO probably cheated when he played Monopoly too.

  • CaptainBasculin
    link
    fedilink
    English
    1452 months ago

    Fact: %100 of serial killers have drank water.

    If we ban water for everyone, we can stop serial killers for once and all.

    • @kaitco
      link
      English
      252 months ago

      What about just banning dihydrogen monoxide? That stuff kills 100% of those who consume it and is, like, everywhere!

      • @TrueStoryBob
        link
        English
        152 months ago

        It’s used in everything from pesticides to baby formula… when are people going to wake up to the dangers it poses?

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          32 months ago

          Seriously, do you have any idea how bad it would be for the economy if we did that? You guys wants us becoming as poor as europeans?? Look you have to let the free market decide which chemicals do and don’t go into your body. If I were a grandmother I would gladly drown in dihydrogen monoxide just so my children could work more hours in the excel factory. It’s what Adam Smith would have wanted!

      • @Jarix
        link
        English
        32 months ago

        It doesnt kill 100% of people who consume it, 100% of people who consume it die

        Learn the difference for future reference

        • @Klear
          link
          English
          02 months ago

          It still kills more than 320,000 people every year, and that’s just from ingesting it.

          • @Jarix
            link
            English
            02 months ago

            What were you hoping to achieve? 320,000 is not 8,200,000,000 which would be 100%

            320000 is 0.0039024390243902% of 8200000000.

            • @Klear
              link
              English
              -12 months ago

              Drowning. Over 300 thousand people drown every year according to my 20 seconds of research. Those are killed by DHMO directly.

              • @Jarix
                link
                English
                22 months ago

                What are you trying to achieve. What is your goal here. What is it you are attempting to accomplish?

                I literally did the math for you. Three hundred twenty thousand people is less than zero point zero zero four percent of eight billion two hundred million people also known as one hundred percent of people who drank dihydrogen monoxide

                I never claimed water cant kill people, i pointed out a flawed claim and then gave the correct information they should have used

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      232 months ago

      That’s taking it too far. To beat the bad guy with water we just need good guys with water.

      • @jaybone
        link
        English
        82 months ago

        Hydrohomies activate!

    • SybilVane
      link
      fedilink
      English
      32 months ago

      But first, the person banning water would become the ultimate serial killer.

    • @BarbecueCowboy
      link
      English
      502 months ago

      On the other hand, every person who has killed a United Healthcare CEO has played Among US, checkmate.

      • @LemmyFeed
        link
        English
        12 months ago

        He also ate a kind bar moments before doing his work.

        Kind bar, fuel for the revolution.

        Kind bar, when you need to make a quick getaway.

        Kind bar, leave a lasting impression.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    852 months ago

    woke: doom inspires acts of violence

    broke: call of duty inspires acts of violence

    bespoke: among us inspires acts of violence

    • @PetteriPano
      link
      English
      412 months ago

      When I was a kid, we played pacman. A literal puck who eats pixels and takes turns chasing ghosts. We turned out fine.

      It’s not like that’s what caused us to go to rave parties, listen to beepy music and pop ecstacy pills.

      • @Lost_My_Mind
        link
        English
        182 months ago

        I saw that same T-Shirt at the mall in 2001.

      • @TrueStoryBob
        link
        English
        82 months ago

        When I was a kid, I played Civ 3… so I guess, according to cable news, I’d be seen as a genocidal maniac on par with Hitler.

        • @TORFdot0
          link
          English
          82 months ago

          Funny you should mention that, the UHC killer killed 300 bugs in civ iv during his internship with the dev according to his resume.

          Expect a knock on your door from the FBI tonight

      • @jaybone
        link
        English
        62 months ago

        BITCH I’M EATING A GHOST RIGHT NOW

      • @WereCat
        link
        English
        22 months ago

        I’ve played Postal 2 extensively when I was 8y old and I only piss in peoples mouth at work. I don’t even remember when it was the last time I went shopping and burned some alive with a gasoline.

  • @jordanlund
    link
    English
    842 months ago

    So does AOC and Tim Walz.

      • zerozaku
        link
        English
        212 months ago

        CODM and PUBGM do exist

        • GladiusB
          link
          English
          22 months ago

          I have only played on PC. Had no idea they had a mobile game.

      • L3ft_F13ld!
        link
        fedilink
        English
        172 months ago

        That would almost make me believe that they caused violence. Can’t imagine playing on a phone would be anything but frustrating.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          72 months ago

          Imagine you find out he is the top 10 rated COD mobile players. Everyone would immediately know he was a complete psycopath.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    512 months ago

    Funny, how much hand wringing is going on in the sweaty mainstream media about a guy who merely put down a vicious oligarchy-loving killer. You’d get the impression that media moguls are worried that they’re next.

    • @DuckWrangler9000
      link
      English
      282 months ago

      Funny, how much hand wringing is going on in the sweaty mainstream media about a guy who merely put down a vicious oligarchy-loving killer. You’d get the impression that media moguls are worried that they’re next.

      It’s a sign of the time that we’re living in. When people find joy in the death of others in a society, the quality of living is exceptionally bad. It’s reminiscent of Rome too where the last years of their society were filled with chaos

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    492 months ago

    Did prosecutors seriously talk about among us like it is this game that only psychos play? The game is fun! In fact I think I am gonna play it tonight!

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        62 months ago

        I don’t play the game very often, but it is a fun game. Even more fun when I am the imposter! Normally I get assigned the boring task as being a regular deck hand.

    • katy ✨
      link
      fedilink
      English
      42 months ago

      i’m afraid if i find out he played stardew valley i’m gonna be ravenous for him

  • kingthrillgore
    link
    fedilink
    English
    442 months ago

    Ah yes, the continued trend of the media in the US to shit on gaming as the ills of society’s problems, because someone up the chain is scared it makes more than Hollywood slop

  • @phoneymouse
    link
    English
    44
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    He also worked on Civilization as an intern and had a Steam account

    • @Lost_My_Mind
      link
      English
      62 months ago

      Obviously he loves old timey steam trains!

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      92 months ago

      From The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu:

      Later, other Adventists based their hatred of the human race on other foundations, not limited to issues such as the environment or warfare. Some raised their hatred to very abstract, philosophical levels. Unlike how they would be imagined later, most of them were realists, and did not place too much hope in the alien civilization they served either. Their betrayal was based only on their despair and hatred of the human race. Mike Evans gave the Adventists their motto: We don’t know what extraterrestrial civilization is like, but we know humanity.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      22 months ago

      There are plenty of animals that have killed in cold blood. Some animals are evil assholes.

  • katy ✨
    link
    fedilink
    English
    222 months ago

    luigi likes to drink soda.

    luigi’s car… is red.

      • katy ✨
        link
        fedilink
        English
        32 months ago

        ugh yes sorry it’s been 20 years since i’ve seen it :(

        • @tacosplease
          link
          English
          12 months ago

          I don’t even know if we’re talking about the same thing so don’t feel bad