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Jodi Arias is a popular culture phenomenon. More specifically, she is what I call a news media "celebrity monster." She will spend the rest of her life behind bars but is appealing the judge's decision. Her struggles and demeanor behind bars have added to her infamy.
As you may recall, the former waitress, photographer and artist was convicted of first-degree murder in 2014 for the gruesome 2008 slaying of her former boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in his Mesa, AZ, home.
The prosecution sought capital punishment for Arias at her trial—a sentence which carries the requirement of a unanimous verdict from the members of the jury. The same jury that found Arias guilty of murder failed to reach a unanimous decision in sentencing her for the crime.
A new sentencing trial was ordered but the new jury also failed to reach a unanimous verdict—due to a lone juror who would not vote for execution. Consequently, Arias will not receive capital punishment.
Her fate was left in the hands of a judge. On April 13, 2015, Judge Sherry Stephens determined that Arias will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than life with a chance of parole after serving 25 years.
Jodi Arias is a very high profile public figure. She polarizes the public to an extent that is almost unprecedented. She has a massive social media following of detractors and admirers, including people who absolutely love her or hate her. Her "celebrity monster" status is a result of the tremendous news media coverage that she and her trial have received over the last decade.
The infamy of Jodi Arias has even affected the life of the juror who cast the vote that saved her from capital punishment. The 38-year-old mother of three—known as juror 17—has received threats to her own life from irate haters of Arias from around the globe.
Twitter and Facebook were deluged with death threats against Juror 17 and her family members. Her name, address, phone number and a photo of her home were posted online shortly after the latest mistrial was declared.
Moreover, the 11 jurors who voted for the death penalty also condemned juror 17. They say that she made few comments in defense of Arias during the 26 hours of jury deliberations that lasted five days.
Despite all the hype, I contend that Jodi Arias is neither a monster nor is she a fallen angel. She is a convicted felon who has taken on criminal celebrity status and cultivated a massive global following due to her physical appearance, outrageous statements and behavior, and the severity of her crime, which all have been spun and stylized by the news media. The result is that Arias has become sensationalized and exaggerated caricature of herself.
We live in an advanced technological society where countless digital and broadcast media outlets compete for news stories and the attention of over saturated audiences. Today, it often takes a story filled with extreme violence, physical beauty, lurid sex and scandal to break through the news clutter and become a global phenomenon. Such is the story of Jodi Arias.
I believe that she was found guilty of murder by many members of the news media long before a jury of her peers found her guilty of the crime. The image of Jodi Arias constructed by the news media leading up to trial was highly sensationalized and focused on her attractive physical appearance, and how her appearance contradicted the facts of the brutal crime she was charged with.
How does her stylized public image differ from the real Jodi Arias? To what extent did Arias assist or manipulate the media in creating her public image, and how did that image affect the outcome of her trial and sentencing?
There are intriguing questions that I posed directly to Jodi Arias in a letter to her in prison. I would like to give Arias an opportunity to describe her public image as she sees it, how she thinks it was created, and how she believes it has affected her fate. She is an intelligent, savvy woman, albeit self-absorbed, and I think her insights into herself would be fascinating.
By opening up about her infamy and "celebrity monster" status, she can serve others in the criminal justice system by helping to explain how the news media create a public image, shape public attitudes, and even influence the outcome of criminal trials.
Like it or not, Ms. Arias, you are an infamous and polarizing popular culture figure. Your honest, personal reflections might just help others if you are willing to disclose them.
In a separate inquiry, I explain how and why society transforms serial killers into “celebrity monsters” in Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World’s Most Savage Murderers.
Dr. Scott Bonn is a crime expert, professor, author and TV analyst. Follow him @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website docbonn.com
