I Plead The Thirst: Luigi Mangione and The Establishment

From The Guardian releasing an article criticising the celebrity fixation of Luigi Mangione, to Colin Jost’s disdainful reaction to the audience cheering at his mentioning of Luigi Mangione on SNL, establishment media has consistently exuded contempt towards the onslaught of support and celebritification of Mangione with a deliberate fixation on not discussing the intricacies of the case, its context, and why the assassination of a private healthcare CEO in America would have garnered such widespread, bi-partisan support. 

We have heard the argument that Mangione’s fame is solely due to his being conventionally attractive, cisgender, and white; this point often demeaning the public’s support. There are countless memes made about him everyday, specifically about his attractiveness in juxtaposition to his trial, made no help by state prosecutors and the NYPD who seem to be taking every opportunity for a photo-op with Mangione.

To be clear, there is no doubt this is partially true; Mangione’s youth and looks give way to deification in the gen-z pop-culture zeitgeist — he, in the mind of the hyper-consumerist, chronically online youth, makes somewhat of a perfect hero. Studies have time and time again proven there to be a link between one’s attractiveness and how well they are received by people. There is also a racial component to not just who the public finds attractive, but who the public empathises with. However, coming from the mouthpieces of establishment media, as the digital sphere has been quick to point out, one can’t help but notice the hypocrisy in these establishments. It is these very conglomerates and publications which have allowed magnanimous reporting of previous American shooters like Dylann Roof and Kyle Rittenhouse. 

Media coverage of the actions of these shooters was overwhelmingly sympathetic; delving into their lives, their backstories, mental health issues, motivations and families. Importantly, the coverage of these actions, despite the vast number of mass shootings, despite overwhelming racial demographics and statistics, the actions of these shooters are most often portrayed by establishment media as that of the individual. They, because of their mental health, felt compelled to purchase firearms and kill people en-masse. Their motivation, often bigotry of some kind, is singular and never emblematic of larger systemic issues. 

The media’s coverage of police brutality consistently fails to address the systemic corruption underpinning these acts of violence. Cases such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sonya Massey, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice are treated as isolated incidents rather than symptoms of a broader system reliant on violence. Perpetrators often escape accountability: Darren Wilson, George Zimmerman, Breonna Taylor’s killers, and others were found not guilty, while Dylann Roof, who admitted to committing a hate crime to incite a “race war,” was met with leniency during his arrest.

This pattern of selective accountability extends beyond domestic issues to international coverage, as seen in Western media’s portrayal of the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine. Bias in reporting, such as CNN’s IDF empathy propaganda, underscores the disparity in how state violence is framed.

Luigi Mangione’s case highlights these contradictions. Unlike the aforementioned perpetrators, Mangione has been charged with terrorism, denied bail, and faces federal charges that could result in the death penalty. His trial is heavily politicised, with the state leveraging public support against him to justify a harsh sentence. His lawyer argues that the state has already deemed him guilty, making his trial a foregone conclusion.

Mangione’s identity and circumstances — as someone who seemingly had every opportunity yet was driven to an extreme act — challenge the system’s narrative. If even someone in his position felt compelled to act, what does that say about conditions for those lower on the socio-political hierarchy? 

The establishment’s attempts to dismiss his popularity as temporary cultural mania has only strengthened public opinion. Yet, the danger lies in mistaking his public support for meaningful reform. Mangione’s trial is just the beginning of a broader state crackdown on dissent. Its outcome will have far-reaching implications for the working class’s rights and safety. Public solidarity is crucial, but true change requires sustained effort beyond his trial.

By Sylphia Basak