Reply #60: Not consciously

[Marie26]

I agree that that was probably the nominal reason for the thread, but what I'm saying is that there's a deeper reason that most people aren't really ready to acknowledge. Because otherwise, why only pair this picture, instead of the thousands of other pics of people crying over less serious things? Why link Paris Hilton to Iraq at all? To me, it's a kind of propaganda, that does flame people's emotions in order to target them at an appointed scapegoat. And that is how a mob mentality works. One person suddenly becomes the embodiment of all of the crowd's fear, anger, indignation, and they exact punishment. It doesn't really matter if the scapegoat is responsible, or even relevent, to the pain, all that matters is that vengence is secured.

In a vicarious way, that's just what the DU mob is doing here. People can take all their anger about Iraq, Bush, class imbalances & target it onto Paris Hilton. Then people can laugh & feel glee when she is "punished" & brought down - it's an emotional catharis. The fact that she has nothing to do w/the actual reasons for their anger doesn't matter. All that matters is that the scapegoat has been punished, and the crowd gets a brief feeling of power. It is a total mob mentality.