Why is the Michael Vick case getting so much press?

Question

Every week people are dying in Iraq. Last week a chopper went down killing 14. So why does the deaths of 8 dogs make bigger news than the deaths of 14 people? Last I checked people were more important than animals. Couple that with the fact that in my local mall they have a gourmet dog biscuit store... What the hell has happened to our society where animals are suddenly more important than people?

Answer 1

I don't disagree, humans are more important than animals. However, I think that the Michael Vick case is getting press for the following reasons:
1. He is a football superstar with multi-million dollar contracts.
2. Many football players are considered role-models.
3. Vick has been in trouble before (i.e. marijuana charges)
4. Animal cruelty, particularly dog fighting, is a heinous crime.
5. Vick may be an example of someone who has so much money and thinks that they are above the law. Clearly, it took a while for authorities to figure out he was involved in this crime.
6. With regards to Iraq, the Bush Administration has censured any photographs of coffins and human body bags. If the media could show this, there would be much more of an uprising.

Answer 2

1. This society is obsessed with celebrities, in this case sports stars. It makes the news because people will watch and/or read it. This is important to news organizations, because it gives advertisers a chance to get their message across, which is important to the profits for papers and TV news alike. Unfortunately, the war doesn't make good news, because many of the short-sighted in our society don't want to hear about it.

2. It's not that 8 dogs died. If 8 dogs died in a hurricane, no one would care. The dogs were murdered, by a total asshole. The dogs were bred to kill and die in dogfighting matches, and when they couldn't cut it, they were killed. This is necessary, since they would be incapable of anything else, due to their ferocious nature. The sport is considered to be barbaric and cruel by much of society, and so is illegal. Vick, however, feels he is above the law. Unfortunately, we can't drown him or break his neck and throw him in the trash.

3. Why do you care if people buy gourmet biscuits for their dogs? It's their money. Are you saying it's OK to breed dogs to slaughter each other, but not to buy dogs expensive biscuits?

What it comes down to is that dogs, and pets in general, are not considered more important than people. When was the last time you heard about a human getting the death penalty for killing a dog? This society, however, abhors cruelty, and wants to see it punished, under most circumstances.

Answer 3

Michael Vick is a large athlete and an properly-known quarterback on the NFL point. This guy very just about looks finding to flow to penal complex. The waterbottle incident on the airport, c'mon is he that stupid he has to take a water bottle with a hidden compartment in it with the aid of airport risk-free practices. He ought to of ditched the bottle quickly as absolutely everyone regarded sideways at it. He have been given away with that one. Now there is the dogfighting. Do you fairly think of he did no longer understand what became happening there? He knew and probable even bought most of the canines himself. This guy isn't of stable character and a type of days will finally end up in penal complex. As an exceedingly especially paid chief of an NFL group he must be made to blame for his strikes and that contains a hefty suspension by using the league. in the event that they might tutor he knew on the subject of the dogfighting he must be finished for the season. He has no excuse, he's no longer a perimeter participant attempting to make ends meet. He has huge endorsement bargains besides as an unbelievably huge NFL contract so it is not any longer for the money, it is because of the fact he's in basic terms a PUNK!!!!!

Answer 4

It gets so much press because of the way society views sports stars, musicians, and others that the public has put on such a pedestal. It has little to do with the animals, but the sheer cruelty and ignorance that goes into being involved in something so incredibly ghetto and stupid, not to mention cruel.
You're right to say that it's more important to take notice of what's going on in Iraq, or anywhere else for that matter. But then there's that Joe Blow idiot football fan who'll argue that Vick and any other sports star idiot isn't getting his fair shake.

With great influence comes great responsibility. Celebrities and the American public need to understand this. And the courts need to enforce it. Since he's already said he was guilty...lock him up...and take away his signing bonus.

Answer 5

It's like asking "Why do we care if Lindsay Lohan gets arrested again." The simple answer is this: The media can and will make sure they do everything in their power to make this a big deal. Basically the celebrity (or in this case, athlete) who usually gets all the positive attention (this is in general) suddenly finds himself in trouble. So, instead of ending up on ESPN SportsCenter Highlights, he's on local and national news stations seen walking with his lawyers.

I'm not saying that what he did was right, or that he should be excused for it, but the media is blowing this out of proportion. So, even though people are dying all the time, we are basically used to seeing that on the evening news, but seeing a celebrity do wrong deeds is something that happens only every other night... That's my two-cents.

Answer 6

Mainstream media is encouraged by their corporate owners to fluff up trivia [like the Vick case] to distract citizens from the failures and tragedies of Mister Bush's splendid little war, the military hardware profiteers' crooked dealings involved with the war, and above all, the secret coffins coming home to Dover, Delaware.. As long as people can bliss out on trash, the administration can continue to shove the real horrors out of sight. Why do you think Paris Hilton and the other mindless little tramps get all the press? Better than another Corporal coming home in a secret box -- and better than pondering Cheney's bottom line when it comes to making his buddies richer on a daily basis.

In ancient Rome, this technique was called "bread and circuses"...for the US public, it's Vick, Paris, falling gas prices and cheap goods from China. Keep the peasants happy and maybe they won't march on the king carrying pitchforks and burning brands.

Keep reading, stay alert, write your representatives in Washington DC. Enuf may finally [one can only hope] be enuf.

Answer 7

It is a cheesy gossip story but it hits from a lot of different angles. Pro sports, gambling, celebrity, animal cruelty, legal drama. Lots of people have lots of different reasons for being interested. Just because this case catches public attention does not mean that nothing else matters. It might surprise you to know that some people are capable of thinking of two or even three things on the same day. You can relax a bit and let people have their frivolous diversions.

Answer 8

I asked myself the same question. I can only say he did a real jackass move. He just threw away everything. There is no excuse for hurting and killing dogs. However, you would think someone would be raising hell about all the young people killing and being killed on our streets too. He has to pay for what he did but our priorities are not in order.

Answer 9

well you cant hate animals but the reason Vick gets so much press is because he is a celebrity. i mean we are all grateful for those soldiers in iraq and everywhere else in the world but the press and most people love celebrity gossip. its true that some things get neglected that shouldnt but nobody is perfect

Answer 10

Because Michael Vick is black and successful. And not all but most white people cant stand it. They been wanting him to do something like this so they can take his money away.Hell they used to fight us back in slavery with whips and **** and water hoses so whats the diffence.They need a life and get off of our back with this stupid stuff. Because they r nothing but haters and thieves.