Missing White Woman Syndrome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing...woman_syndrome

I have to say, although it's kind of "unofficial" at the moment, it's probably a truthful term. Ever notice that the majority of the time, when someone is missing and is reported on the news, it's often a white woman, and she's either really pretty, rich, or both.

Kind of thought of this topic after seeing all the hub-bub on the news and many people talking about the JonBenet Ramsey case. Lots of children go missing all the time, and it does suck, but why does the media only focus on them?

For example, there was a girl named Alexis Patterson, 7 years old, who was kidnapped around the same time as this other girl, Elizabeth Smart. But who did the media largely focus on? To be fair, Alexis did get some news coverage (at least local, if not on CNN), even after Elizabeth Smart was found, but I guess cause she's not white, she's not deserving of much coverage anymore.

I know I sound kind of racist, and probably a little sexist too, but really, think about it. When Natalee Holloway was missing in Aruba, why did she get so much coverage? I think I saw her on the news for like nearly 2 months, and then she sort of gradually faded from view.

All I'm saying is, they should give more coverage for other missing kids, not just the pretty white girls. When I heard about that Ramsey stuff again on the news, I immediately imagined the scene in Scary Movie where Cindy Campbell types on the police website "White woman in trouble!", and the next scene showed like 5 police cars all suddenly going out with sirens blaring

Jam it back in, in the dark.

No, it's absolutely true. Do you think that Terry Schiavo was the ONLY woman from a devout* Catholic family who faced being taken off of life support?

Blame the demographic that watches this shit obsessively - white soccer moms.

* they're always devout.

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I agree. I have no idea why they only show rich white women or beautiful white girls on missing lists, but maybe it's about the shock value. Most of the people that are shown as missing either have money or are involved with something that involves a lot of money. Elizabeth Smart's family could afford a gardener. JonBenet Ramsey was in all sorts of pageants and the family was rich. Natalee Holloway was missing in Aruba, not some little town in the middle of nowhere, and those kinds of trips are not seen as cheap.

Personally, I think it's more about the money than it is about the race or sex, but there are some exceptions such as the Laci Peterson case. After all, when Paris Hilton's little Tinkerbell went missing, the news went crazy about the return of the pooch.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

It's really fuckin' simple, people.

The majority of this country is white and Western culture tends to value the lives of women more than they do men. Therefore, it only goes to say that when an affluent, attractive white woman is missing that it will garner attention.

If the majority were black, hispanic, asian, or whatever, it would also hold true.

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Originally Posted by Night Phoenix

It's really fuckin' simple, people.

The majority of this country is white and Western culture tends to value the lives of women more than they do men. Therefore, it only goes to say that when an affluent, attractive white woman is missing that it will garner attention.

If the majority were black, hispanic, asian, or whatever, it would also hold true.

"Where the white women at?"

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Kind of like the little girl in this thread that got kidnapped over a decade ago. Tons of people die everyday in car crashes too, but they don't usually cover something like that, but when an airplane crashes or blows up, it's all over the place. You're safer on a plane than driving to work. Go figure. I wonder how many thousands of people die each day, hell, each second and people don't even bat an eyelash at it.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

On what Night Phoenix said, I'd say it's more than about the majority in population. It's basically who's in the highest class of society. As far as I know, white people are not the majority on earth, yet if a white person gets abducted in Africa, it's a big deal because she's the minority. Yet, that same white person would get coverage in the US also... because, she's...the majority?

It's because Western Civilization, basically white people, have influenced the world in such an incisive way that we all have this mode of thought. I'm not white, yet throughout my childhood I've had an affinity for white people. DOes this mean that the universal truth speaks that white people are the superior ones? Fuck no, but it's the kind of thought and environment I was raised in. This world has a western bias, that's what this is all about.



On a different note, I disagree with how most people use statistics to back up how you're safer on a plane than in a car. Sure, more annual deaths occur in automobile accidents than actual plane crashes. But atleast the car is on the ground, I mean, other than you crashing into shit [which is the basic way to die in a car] you're pretty much safe. If the plane were suddenly turned off or something, you just fall straight down. There's no default safe-mode for a plane once it's in flight, it's just a lot scarier. Plus compare the amount of flights to the overall amount of people driving... BIG fucking difference.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Maico

Tons of people die everyday in car crashes too, but they don't usually cover something like that, but when an airplane crashes or blows up, it's all over the place. You're safer on a plane than driving to work. Go figure.

Well, that's exactly why airplane crashes are all over the place.

Most news are reports about things that don't usually happen.

Double Post:

Originally Posted by Void

On a different note, I disagree with how most people use statistics to back up how you're safer on a plane than in a car. Sure, more annual deaths occur in automobile accidents than actual plane crashes. But atleast the car is on the ground, I mean, other than you crashing into shit [which is the basic way to die in a car] you're pretty much safe. If the plane were suddenly turned off or something, you just fall straight down. There's no default safe-mode for a plane once it's in flight, it's just a lot scarier. Plus compare the amount of flights to the overall amount of people driving... BIG fucking difference.

There's a big difference about feeling safe than actually being safe, you know?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Rock

Well, that's exactly why airplane crashes are all over the place.

Most news are reports about things that don't usually happen.

Double Post:

There's a big difference about feeling safe than actually being safe, you know?

Yes. But there's a big difference between the fact of being safe and the frequency of unsafe occurences.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It is really a media thing. They could have described the same phenomenon with "Wanted Black Guy Syndrome" as well.

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Well what can we do? This country was racist ever since it won its independence.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'd say we focus as much attention on white girls getting kidnapped as we do non-white girls getting kidnapped, ie very little. Because honestly I think I could care less.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I don't remember if this was Canadian only but the abduction of Cecilia Zhang is the only case I remember that had a lot of attention apart from the standard "little white girl" cases. Other than that, it does seem to be true that they are the ones who are getting the most (and probably undeserved) coverage, especially in comparison to other cases of disappearance.

It sucks to say, but would the majority of people really not care as much if the kidnapped was black or brown?

I was speaking idiomatically.

I agree most with Visavi and Eleo.

Media coverage, generally, is not focused on bias or racist ideals... They want to talk about whatever gets you to watch. I refuse to believe that the media would ignore a story about a rich, photogenic, picturesque black/latino/asian family living in suburbia. It doesn't matter the color of their skin, as much as the shock value and the sell-ability of the story. These media folk would talk about shit pouring out someone's nose if they thought it would make people watch. (oh wait, they practically do that with "reality" challenge shows anyway)

And Eleo is right in that the over-dramatization of these occurances (JonBenet perfect example liek waht) is ridiculous and, like celebrity worship, is just a huge waste of time and intelligence.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Summonmaster

I don't remember if this was Canadian only but the abduction of Cecilia Zhang is the only case I remember that had a lot of attention apart from the standard "little white girl" cases.

I remember this, poor Cecilia. She was actually Canadian but a worldwide search was conducted, even the Chinese police where on alert.

The sad thing is that she was possibley the only 'non-white-rich-girl' I heard of.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Ademis

Well what can we do? This country was racist ever since it won its independence.

So we should sit on our asses and twiddle our thumbs as opposed to trying to affect a change?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Generally, its the dominant culture that is covered the most. Especially people of the higher status. If you ever notice, its the people who are more well known, or the area more well known, or the larger situation that gets all the coverage.

Personally, I don't think the media does it on purpose, but generally you see a certain trend of coverage.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Cyrus XIII

It is really a media thing. They could have described the same phenomenon with "Wanted Black Guy Syndrome" as well.

Calling all cars, calling all cars! We're on the lookout for a black man between height of 5'7" and 6'8".

A joke that's pretty true in the news.

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Originally Posted by Void

On what Night Phoenix said, I'd say it's more than about the majority in population. It's basically who's in the highest class of society. As far as I know, white people are not the majority on earth, yet if a white person gets abducted in Africa, it's a big deal because she's the minority. Yet, that same white person would get coverage in the US also... because, she's...the majority?

Except you're ignoring a small, yet important detail. The media coverage that publicizes the Missing White Woman when she is both the minority and the majority is in the Western world. Thus, the majority theory still applies. You could only claim "highest class" if the disproportionate coverage still held true in non-white majority regions. I don't think there would be much coverage of missing American whites in Africa or in the States in Japan news feeds. But I have little experience with non North American news coverage so I cannot definitively say one way or another.

Originally Posted by Void

On a different note, I disagree with how most people use statistics to back up how you're safer on a plane than in a car. Sure, more annual deaths occur in automobile accidents than actual plane crashes. But atleast the car is on the ground, I mean, other than you crashing into shit [which is the basic way to die in a car] you're pretty much safe. If the plane were suddenly turned off or something, you just fall straight down. There's no default safe-mode for a plane once it's in flight, it's just a lot scarier. Plus compare the amount of flights to the overall amount of people driving... BIG fucking difference.

Now, this is full of logical fallacies. Firstly, the plane falling may be scarier, but does not make inherently more dangerous. If the earth suddenly opened up underneath the I-90, cars would have no "safe-mode", but a plane would be fine. The point is the probability of that event happening (much like a plane being "suddenly turned off or something") is quite small. So it doesn't affect anything, other than being a psychological problem for the traveller. But it does NOT affect safety.

Also, although there are more cars travelling than flights, the safety statistics are usually compiled on the same scale. Thus there are a certain number of deaths/car journeys vs. deaths/identical number of flights.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.