The name Luigi Mangione has been circulating across national news and social media sources. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate was arrested as a suspect for shooting and killing Brian Thompson, United Healthcare’s Chief Executive. The murder has sparked both support from citizens frustrated with the United States healthcare system and shock surrounding this bold act. Mangione has been dubbed a hero by many and various creators on social media platforms have made videos advocating for his release. While this praise could be attributed to a disdain for the Healthcare system, Mangione has been gaining attention for another reason: his appearance.
TikToks and Instagram Reels of creators fawning over the objectively attractive criminal have gone viral. YouTube videos of a mother making a Luigi Mangione birthday cake for her daughter can be found. Girls have included him in their “Hear me out” (listing controversial characters they find attractive) videos. Men have even been the target of the media with one video depicting Mangione as a female so a male audience may “understand” the appeal. Even as one searches “Luigi Mangione” into a Google search engine, the main photo depicts a smiling, shirtless Luigi surrounded by lush green mountains, certainly not a typical depiction of a suspected murderer.
This attention is not unique to Mangione however, a similar phenomenon has been evident in the cases of Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Richard Ramirez. These men have all faced media attention concerning their appearance despite the heinous acts they may have committed. While in prison cells, both Bundy and Dahmer received love letters from admirers, and they have recently even had biography-style movies released about their lives. Naturally, the actors portraying these criminals were Zac Efron (Ted Bundy) and Evan Peters (Jeffrey Dahmer).
There is a psychological explanation for this widespread occurrence. Forbes describes the “halo effect” as “an unconscious act of stereotyping, where you notice one positive quality about a person and attribute other positive qualities to them, which may not be true”.
For instance, because Mangione has been deemed attractive by the public and it is well known that he is also graduated from an Ivy League establishment, it is easy for the general public to have a positive preconceived notion of Mangione. Therefore, it is easier to believe he is a good character rather than simply a suspect in a murder trial. Additionally, social media is conducive to this halo effect by providing a space for individuals with a shared opinion to magnify their voices to millions of possible viewers.
Psychology teacher Dana Nazaretian said, “Social media amplifies this halo effect and echo chambers. Everyone is talking about the same thing, making it akin to Ted Bundy he was attractive and intelligent yet this killer. People don’t trust the regular news so they go to their social media echo chambers.”
As for why Mangione would have done it, it is believed that Mangione may have had a serious injury that was not properly taken care of by an insurance company that drove him to kill Thompson. It is important to note, however, that Mangione was likely not a customer of United Healthcare and only targeted the company due to standing of America’s largest healthcare insurer. Additionally, Bullet casings found at the scene of the crime were etched with the words “deny” and “delay”, words customers would claim are favored by insurance companies. Thus, it is probable that the assassination of Thompson was not personal rather than an attack on health insurance companies as a whole.
While criminals and suspects such as Mangione have received tremendous attention for their physical appearance, these aspects of them should not distract from the fact they caused irreparable pain has fallen upon to their victims and their families. While Brian Thompson may have had a negative light in the eyes of the public, he was also a father to two children. It is important to know all facets of the Thompson’s life before one decides to glorify his possible murderer.
