'Harmless' Copycat Crimes

[Riley]

I've recently noticed that, when a person bases a crime off their favorite movie, it ALWAYS ends in murder. And it's ALWAYS something like Scream or Natural Born Killers. How come no one ever based their misdoings off Tim Burton's Batman films? I mean, other than Adam Lanza.

I don't mean stuff like a Mime Shooting or Killing All The Firstborns (Like Lanza), I mean:

• Vandalizing a museum to the tune of a Prince song.

 

[Mr Allen]

These people FAIL at life and should be Punished to the full extent of the law IMO.

 

[Judge]

There's nothing more real than someone who follows through on their own criminal intent. Regardless of fictional characters that may inspire them to some degree.

As heinous as their acts may be, they're more likely to be firmly grounded on a basis of reality. Especially when a blueprint for such crimes can so easily be found by watching any 24-hour cable broadcast news source, or even the Internet. Where you won't likely find updates on Catniss Everdeen or Edward Cullen, but rather some very real people committing extraordinary acts of real cruelty, and in real-time.

While would-be assassin John Hinckley may have paralleled some of the actions of character Travis Bickle, the love Hinckley professed was for actress Jodie Foster. Not the preteen prostitute she played in "Taxi Driver". The film was just a catalyst to commit a very real act intended to woo a very real person.

Art frequently imitates life. But life seldom imitates art.

 

[Crossbreed]

Also, real crimes are so often so poorly thought out that they would lose any dramatic appeal. (Many still have comedic appeal [after the fact] as evidenced by the "stupid criminals" genre.)

Well thought-out crimes (while decidedly rare) tend to be practical (read: boring) if played against the superhero genre. That genre thrives on outlandish crimes and criminals. Thankfully, Moriartys are exceedingly rare in real life.