Why Casey Anthony?

[Feralpeg]

I don't think so at all.

How do you explain Susan Smith, Andrea Yates,

While both the Susan Smith and Andrea Yates cases were in the spotlight nationally, neither garnered the attention Casey Anthony is receiving. The only case I can remember in my 59 years that had this type of coverage was the O.J. Simpson case.

The Casey Anthony trial is being broadcast nationally. Our local stations have interrupted regular programming each day to carry live coverage of the trail. National members of the media such as Geraldo, Nancy Grace and Judge Alex are here covering the proceedings.

This case has grown a life of its own. I don't understand it, but I do find the phenomena interesting.

 

[Feralpeg]

But mostly I think its because of the fact that she didn't see the care about or former child at all.

Actually, that has not been proved. If you were watching the trial, you would have seen every single witness (for the prosecution) testify to how much Casey loved Caylee and what a great relationship they had. Every person has said that Casey was an amazing mother.

That doesn't mean that she is innocent, but I don't think it is fair to say that she didn't love or care about her daughter. A person can love someone and still do something terrible to them.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I would add another reason that this case has attracted a lot of attention - Florida's "Sunshine Law." Thanks to this law, evidence is available to the public, so people have been able to see the videos taken of Casey's visits with her parents while she was in jail, hear the audios of her phone calls from jail, and read the transcripts of many police interviews with people in the case.

I think these helped to ramp up the interest, as there were new pieces of info coming out every now and then.

Teresa

 

[DaParkers]

As a black man, I appreciate non blacks speaking out against inequality. In this case, it's news coverage. You are the people that help bring certain things to light. A black person can be dismissed as being "overly sensitive" or just "disgruntled". While I hope that the discussion stays civil, I am happy that there is a discussion. For the record, I believe that news coverage is usually racially biased, but not necessarily racist. I think that people tend to report about and pay attention to people that are more like them. That simple.

 

[diznygirl]

While both the Susan Smith and Andrea Yates cases were in the spotlight nationally, neither garnered the attention Casey Anthony is receiving. The only case I can remember in my 59 years that had this type of coverage was the O.J. Simpson case.

The Casey Anthony trial is being broadcast nationally. Our local stations have interrupted regular programming each day to carry live coverage of the trail. National members of the media such as Geraldo, Nancy Grace and Judge Alex are here covering the proceedings.

This case has grown a life of its own. I don't understand it, but I do find the phenomena interesting.

But the Susan Smith and Andrea Yates cases were pretty cut and dry - they confessed, they were sentenced, case closed.

Casey has been spinning lie after lie after lie..... and she believes them.

The OJ case is similar - he always maintained his innocence. I think people typically want closure - the bad guys are proved to be the bad guys or admit they are. And then they are punished. OJ avoided punishment until he went to jail in Vegas.

 

[Feralpeg]

I would add another reason that this case has attracted a lot of attention - Florida's "Sunshine Law." Thanks to this law, evidence is available to the public, so people have been able to see the videos taken of Casey's visits with her parents while she was in jail, hear the audios of her phone calls from jail, and read the transcripts of many police interviews with people in the case.

I think these helped to ramp up the interest, as there were new pieces of info coming out every now and then.

Teresa

I really dislike the Sunshine Law. I don't want to hear the 911 call of every horrible event that happens in this area played on local television. There are just some things that should remain private. Hearing distraught parents call when their child has just drown or been run over in their driveway is not something I enjoy. As long as the Sunshine Law makes this information immediately available to the media, they will play it. I'd be happy if this law went away!

 

[moon]

I do think that other high peofile cases have generatede this much attention.

Years have goe by, so maybe memories fade.

Andrea Yates, Susan Smith, Lacy Peterson, Dianne Downs. These cases received months and moths of daily coverage.

What did they have in common? All this cases involved young white women.

I think it is absurd to pretend that race doesn't play a factor in media interest when it is so obvious that it does that even studies have been made on the matter(as evdenced by some posts on this thread.).

I asked for some cases to prove that minorities get the same treatment, and so far nothing. Some names mentioned never came even close of the names mentioned above.

And come on, I'm sure missing/murder cases involving minority children are full of bizzarre, horrific elements. They just don't capture the attention of the media/public, thus get very little national coverage, if any.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Anyone who thinks this is not a big national story because she is (in order of importance) attractive, white, and not poor has spent too much time in Fantasyland. Roll your eyes all you want...

Technically, Casey Anthony is poorer than poor. She did not hold a job even though she had everyone including her parents and friends convinced she did.
She repeatedly stole money from her grandmother, her Mother Cindy and her friends by forging checks at Target, Bank of America, Amscot loans (where she later dumped her car)
When she wasn't stealing and writig hot checks, she was making off with cash that friends would have in the houses and apartments she would visit.

She killed her child for 2 reasons. 1. She never wanted to be a mother.
2. She wanted to punish Cindy by permanently taking Caylee away.

 

[pigletgirl]

Part of it is because of her status that we've talked about -- race, type of family, ect.

But also, Cindy and George reached out to the media to help find Caylee, and once they got word of what was happening it was a media firestorm.

 

[tvguy]

It is a tragic murder story, but sadly children are murdered by parents every day in America. Why is this trial getting gavel to gavel coverage on HLN? I am not heartless; it is not that I am not sorry for this child. I am curious, in a newshound sort of way, why THIS one?

I work in TV news, and have been asking this question on a regular basis. Sadly, we have 5 moms currently on trial in our city for killing their children, and we're not covering those stories. Only response I get is we need update the story since the morning and evening Network newscasts are covering it.

 

[Swalphin]

I am not a fan of Nancy Grace, I will say she was like a dog with a bone on this story. I think she definitely should get some credit for the over the top coverage.

 

[ols386]

Technically, Casey Anthony is poorer than poor. She did not hold a job even though she had everyone including her parents and friends convinced she did.
She repeatedly stole money from her grandmother, her Mother Cindy and her friends by forging checks at Target, Bank of America, Amscot loans (where she later dumped her car)
When she wasn't stealing and writig hot checks, she was making off with cash that friends would have in the houses and apartments she would visit.

She killed her child for 2 reasons. 1. She never wanted to be a mother.
2. She wanted to punish Cindy by permanently taking Caylee away.

True, she was poor, but I believe her parents were pretty much middle class, and it looked like they had a nice home, from what I could see. Not fancy and luxurious or anything like that, but nice.

 

[2girls4me]

Actually, that has not been proved. If you were watching the trial, you would have seen every single witness (for the prosecution) testify to how much Casey loved Caylee and what a great relationship they had. Every person has said that Casey was an amazing mother.

That doesn't mean that she is innocent, but I don't think it is fair to say that she didn't love or care about her daughter. A person can love someone and still do something terrible to them.

I don't buy any of it. Shes an actress, she wipes her eyes when no tears are there. And I love my kids, there is no way I would ever do anything to huet them.

 

[JaneBanks]

True, she was poor, but I believe her parents were pretty much middle class, and it looked like they had a nice home, from what I could see. Not fancy and luxurious or anything like that, but nice.

Yes, they do live in a nice, average home but I would classify them as low-middle class. They were/are living by the skin of their teeth (all the while Casey stole from them ).


I know that race plays in to media attention but I honestly think that the whole "White, pretty, etc." went out the door the minute the lies started to unfold.

I also agree with a PP who said that the Grandparents started the media frenzy while Caylee was still considered missing. I don't blame them because that's what you have to do when you have a missing child but they were as crazy as Casey which just made it more intriguing.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Actually, that has not been proved. If you were watching the trial, you would have seen every single witness (for the prosecution) testify to how much Casey loved Caylee and what a great relationship they had. Every person has said that Casey was an amazing mother.

That doesn't mean that she is innocent, but I don't think it is fair to say that she didn't love or care about her daughter. A person can love someone and still do something terrible to them.

I think that the "not caring about her daughter" comment just MIGHT refer to the months after Caylee's death (which we now know, no matter how it happened, that Casey DID know from day one)...not reporting her missing, sounding nonchalant to 911, smiling and giggling in court, entering a "hot body" contest within days of her 2 yr old's death, NO change in her demeanor, and stringing her family/police on for months until they found her body, and yes, the FL laws that put it all out there. No doubt there are people who feel that all of that does NOT mean that she didn't care about her DD, and well, I'll just have to say IMHO that I disagree.

You said on another thread that Casey probably died an "easier" death from drugs than other kids that didn't get much press. To be honest, that kind of turns my stomach (and then there's that duct tape put over her mouth/nose, most likely to KILL HER...wonder what suffocating FEELS like? ). Certainly, her life was as precious as any other child's, I hope, and her death as tragic. There ARE thousands of children who die in terrible ways, and there isn't enough media time to cover them all. And no, I wouldn't be watching it all, or I'd kill myself. If this case was more about the horrible details of a child's death, I couldn't watch...I couldn't sit through that. The fascinating part IS Casey and her lies and behavior, and wanting justice for that little girl.

As a black man, I appreciate non blacks speaking out against inequality. In this case, it's news coverage. You are the people that help bring certain things to light. A black person can be dismissed as being "overly sensitive" or just "disgruntled". While I hope that the discussion stays civil, I am happy that there is a discussion. For the record, I believe that news coverage is usually racially biased, but not necessarily racist. I think that people tend to report about and pay attention to people that are more like them. That simple.

My first grandchild who I am over the moon in love with (the ultrasounds, anyway, on my fridge) is half minority. I'm sure that will change my perception of many things, just as other experiences in my life have...my and my kids' experiences in school, with family, with friends, with jobs, etc. (I have a sister who lies and who I've cut out of my life...a personal added interest in the liar Casey Anthony trial.) My elderly parents and their medical care, assisted living care, and their funerals...all have formed who I am and where I focus my thoughts and opinions. But if anything happens to that grandchild of mine, you can be sure as hell, it's going to make news. To the extent of Casey Anthony? Absolutely not, because even tho God help the person who does anything to my children or grandchildren, I highly doubt I'd be in the midst of something as unique and bizarre and twisted as this, and certainly pray I'm not.

And there are many many many white children who are missing and murdered who don't get the same press as this case. Reading some of the comments of this thread, you'd think ALL white children get press, and ALL minority children don't. If Casey were a minority, and the case were the same, no doubt there'd be people saying that coverage was biased against her for that.

But the Susan Smith and Andrea Yates cases were pretty cut and dry - they confessed, they were sentenced, case closed.

Casey has been spinning lie after lie after lie..... and she believes them.

The OJ case is similar - he always maintained his innocence. I think people typically want closure - the bad guys are proved to be the bad guys or admit they are. And then they are punished. OJ avoided punishment until he went to jail in Vegas.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I really dislike the Sunshine Law. I don't want to hear the 911 call of every horrible event that happens in this area played on local television. There are just some things that should remain private. Hearing distraught parents call when their child has just drown or been run over in their driveway is not something I enjoy. As long as the Sunshine Law makes this information immediately available to the media, they will play it. I'd be happy if this law went away!

I agree with you 100% on this.

 

[ols386]

Yes, they do live in a nice, average home but I would classify them as low-middle class. They were/are living by the skin of their teeth (all the while Casey stole from them ).


I know that race plays in to media attention but I honestly think that the whole "White, pretty, etc." went out the door the minute the lies started to unfold.

I also agree with a PP who said that the Grandparents started the media frenzy while Caylee was still considered missing. I don't blame them because that's what you have to do when you have a missing child but they were as crazy as Casey which just made it more intriguing.

Yah, the lies were unbelievable. Unbelievable that any one person could lie as much as Casey did.

I don't see George and Cindy as being "crazy". IMO Cindy was beside herself with fear and worry that something had happened to Caylee, and she was right.

George seems pretty laid back and somewhat quiet.

Neither of them seem crazy to me.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Some people like wrestling, some people like knitting, some people like coin collecting. I don't get those people either. But the point is that everyone has different likes and dislikes.

As for why this particular case - for me, as I've said, it't the twists and turns over the course of three years.

OK, I had to chuckle. Yes, some people like knitting, and some like murder trials. J/K. But honestly, I've always been interested in legal cases. Three of my favorite classes in college were law classes. I LOVE puzzles, and it's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, and hopefully, for ME, the solution (verdict) is what I believe it to be. That's how I ended up with a degree and career I hated...loved the "puzzle" nature of accounting, hated the business world. Oh well.

But I do need to learn to knit.

 

[JaneBanks]

Yah, the lies were unbelievable. Unbelievable that any one person could lie as much as Casey did.

I don't see George and Cindy as being "crazy". IMO Cindy was beside herself with fear and worry that something had happened to Caylee, and she was right.

George seems pretty laid back and somewhat quiet.
Neither of them seem crazy to me.

By crazy I mean Cindy saying the smell in the car was pizza and thinking Caylee was alive even after they found her body and George spraying protesters with his hose. Just a few examples in the 3 years worth of crazy though I do agree that George is the calmer of the two.

 

[moon]

And there are many many many white children who are missing and murdered who don't get the same press as this case. Reading some of the comments of this thread, you'd think ALL white children get press, and ALL minority children don't.

No one has said or suggested that.

Obviously, not ALL white children get press. But ALL cases that get over the top media coverage involve white children. And yes, minority children don't.

If Casey were a minority, and the case were the same, no doubt there'd be people saying that coverage was biased against her for that.

Do you (or anyone else) really, really believe that if Casey and Caylee were black the case would be getting this kind of coverage?

Because I don't.

And I'm not black, so there's no personal bias in my saying this. My opinion is based on observation of what cases make it to the top, getting night after night coverage.