19 votes

How a text from Jussie Smollett set in motion an alleged hoax that dragged 'Chicago's reputation through the mud'

14 comments

  1. [2]
    NeonHippy
    Link
    I'm trying to figure out why Smollett would even think about doing something like this. What did he think he was going to gain by staging a hate crime? Did he seriously think this would help his...

    I'm trying to figure out why Smollett would even think about doing something like this. What did he think he was going to gain by staging a hate crime? Did he seriously think this would help his career? The whole thing sounds pretty insane.

    7 votes
    1. Ephemere
      Link Parent
      It really makes me angry at him. Now the next time someone actually is subjected to a hate crime, we're going to hear endless speculation as to whether they did it to themselves.

      It really makes me angry at him. Now the next time someone actually is subjected to a hate crime, we're going to hear endless speculation as to whether they did it to themselves.

      10 votes
  2. [9]
    stephen
    Link
    how exactly does this reflect in any way on the city at large? This is outrageous. He isn't even FROM here. He's from California. Fuckin Eddie Johnson

    how exactly does this reflect in any way on the city at large? This is outrageous. He isn't even FROM here. He's from California. Fuckin Eddie Johnson

    6 votes
    1. [8]
      Diet_Coke
      Link Parent
      The hate crime was staged in Chicago, for most people hate crimes reflect negatively on the place they occur and not on where the victim is from.

      The hate crime was staged in Chicago, for most people hate crimes reflect negatively on the place they occur and not on where the victim is from.

      4 votes
      1. [7]
        stephen
        Link Parent
        But it wasn't even a hate crime. It was a total farce. I still don't get how some rich famous guy from california coming here and being a jackass has anything to do with the community in the city....

        But it wasn't even a hate crime. It was a total farce. I still don't get how some rich famous guy from california coming here and being a jackass has anything to do with the community in the city. He could have decided to do this anywhere. What does Chicago have to do with this? It's not like this is something we encourage.

        1. Diet_Coke
          Link Parent
          If he had succeeded in his plan though, we wouldn't think about it as a farce. I have to admit, when I heard about it at first I thought "WTF, in Chicago? Maybe in Alabama or Mississippi, but I...

          If he had succeeded in his plan though, we wouldn't think about it as a farce. I have to admit, when I heard about it at first I thought "WTF, in Chicago? Maybe in Alabama or Mississippi, but I wouldn't expect this in a city that big"

          2 votes
        2. [5]
          Deimos
          Link Parent
          And if the fact that it was a farce hadn't been discovered?

          And if the fact that it was a farce hadn't been discovered?

          1 vote
          1. [4]
            stephen
            Link Parent
            Then it still reflects more on him then the rest of us no? For instance, I wouldn't make presumptions about the people of Charlottesville at large because some deranged people showed up and did...

            Then it still reflects more on him then the rest of us no? For instance, I wouldn't make presumptions about the people of Charlottesville at large because some deranged people showed up and did dirt one day.

            I don't see how this revaluation going down one way or the other has any bearing on that. Either case these are acts of three individuals. To me the

            Now, if you wanted to make a presumption about the people of Chicago based on the fact that the whole reason this happened the first place is some anonymous dudes allegedly sent Smollet hate mail and death threats and the community didn't come to his aid. Or for condoning a culture where people still think this acceptable behavior.

            I just can't get behind making broad presumptions about a population in particular which is unaffiliated with a small cohort of bad actors. If it was a community thing where say, this had been an open secret like the cops' code of silence then i can see the case for broad pronouncements.

            1. [3]
              Algernon_Asimov
              Link Parent
              No. If I may rephrase @Deimos' questions, he was asking: "What if we had not found out the attack was fake? What if Smollett had succeeded in making everyone believe he was attacked, and that a...

              And if the fact that it was a farce hadn't been discovered?

              Then it still reflects more on him then the rest of us no?

              No.

              If I may rephrase @Deimos' questions, he was asking: "What if we had not found out the attack was fake? What if Smollett had succeeded in making everyone believe he was attacked, and that a real actual hate crime had been committed against him in Chicago?"

              That would not have reflected on Smollett. We don't blame victims for being attacked: we blame the attackers. And, in some cases, we would extend that blame to the culture that allows or even encourages such an attack.

              3 votes
              1. [2]
                stephen
                Link Parent
                OHHHHHHH okay well then that makes a lot of sense. You're saying if this hadn't come to light, this would have reflected badly on the city since it would have given a false impression of its culture?

                OHHHHHHH okay well then that makes a lot of sense. You're saying if this hadn't come to light, this would have reflected badly on the city since it would have given a false impression of its culture?

                1. Algernon_Asimov
                  Link Parent
                  Yes.

                  You're saying if this hadn't come to light, this would have reflected badly on the city since it would have given a false impression of its culture?

                  Yes.

                  1 vote
  3. [3]
    elcuello
    Link
    Unavailable in Europe. Anyone care to paste the story here?

    Unavailable in Europe. Anyone care to paste the story here?

    1 vote