AIBU to think an Edinburgh festival show about Meredith Kercher's murder should be stopped?

[VivienneDelacroix]

Aibu to think that this show at the Edinburgh Festival should be cancelled? It mocks the circumstances around the murder of Meredith Kercher and serves it up as entertainment.

Not only is it horribly disrespectful of Meredith's family, but it also belittles the issue of violence against girls and women.

Meredith's siblings are calling for it to be pulled from the festival. There is also a petition calling for it to be stopped.

c.org/WXGTGJfpRh

Amanda Knox is a comedian now?!

Perhaps the family think she did in fact do it. The way it was reported in the British media had her guilty from day one.

From the interviews I saw if knox at the time I took a dislike to her as she came across as arrogant and like she was hiding something.

So if the family aren't happy it should be pulled

Go on then, explain how she was guilty.

And you have evidence this is a miscarriage of justice? Something the courts aren't aware of and haven't considered?

Or are you spouting baseless conspiracy theories?

There was no physical evidence that she committed the crime, but there was of the man who did kill her.

No one I love has ever been brutally raped and murdered so I cannot imagine the pain Merediths family feel, but I was assualted by a celebrity Jimmy Savile and I can confirm that the Steve Coogan series and the 28 years later film which treated a lot aspects of hte rapists life as a quirky joke profoundly disturbed me. So I do have an understanding how someone making a living from your pain causes you to relive the crime and prevents you from moving on.

It is in terrible taste and wildly callous towards the Kercher family. Amanda Knox has already told her story, repeatedly. Coming to the UK to monetise her experience through a comedy show is, at best, terrible judgment and, at worst, cruelly indifferent. I think something is a bit wrong with Amanda Knox to be doing this.

I think people should watch the show before deciding they’re offended by it. Sounds like it’s not about the murder itself, but about her experiences afterwards, which is her story to tell. If there is anything in the content that is upsetting to the victims family of course it shouldn’t be allowed, but I’m not sure there is - it hasn’t even been performed yet.

Just seen the interview on BBC news. It's all in very poor taste.

The Fringe has form for promoting acts like this, all in the name of comedy, which is no excuse.

An individual's freedom of speech should not be curtailed because a family is unhappy.

Or even that many families are unhappy

People can say things that make others unhappy. It's a broad church - there are things that make me unhappy that you won't care about and vice versa.

People shouldn't be allowed slander or libel other people - eg lie about them - and to advocate for criminal acts or violence against any group or individuals.

But to be distasteful or talk about a topic you find personally triggering is not something that anyone should be banning.
If the venue wants to host it and people want see it, then that is their choice.

@MagicThanks

I’m not sure it is even the specific content that makes this offensive, but rather Amanda Knox using her fame from Meredith Kercher’s
death as a form of entertainment. It will dredge up pain. The ‘cartwheel’ title is horrible, ie the cartwheel that Amanda did in front of the police right after Meredith was found dead. What a horrible, horrible thing to joke about. Just that image conjures up what must have been the worst days of their lives. It isn’t funny. It is cruel.

@MojoMoon

I doubt anyone is expecting the government to step in and shut down the show, but free speech works both ways. We equally are free to express our disgust and disapproval over the show and a petition is a very good way to do that. Free speech doesn’t mean objectors have to stay silent out of respect for the offensive.

Sharing her experience is not the same as making money about a specific individual’s murder, which is precisely what is happening here.
If I were Meredith’s family, I’d buy tickets for all the shows and sit in the front row directly in front of Knox. Let her carry on with her ‘comedy’ in the face of the families grief.

I agree it’s distasteful and not something I would watch however your statement is incorrect and therefore inflammatory. It was several days after the murder after Amanda had spent hours being interviewed that she did a cartwheel outside of the police station, it was not right after the murder was discovered.

Difficult one. She is hard to warm to and has told her story multiple times on many platforms over the years. I would go so far as to say she has kept the murder and events surrounding it in the public eye when it would likely have otherwise largely faded from public memory. I can see why Meredith's family feel enormous hurt and resentment.

But saying that, she went through something very traumatic too and has the right too speak about that. Moreover this thread has evidenced the strength and persistence of the public belief in her guilt. I am amazed people still feel that way, but apparently they do. Whilst that remains the case it is hard to argue that she should be silenced.

I wouldn't sign the petition.

She’s told ‘her story’ over and over and over. Enough now. I feel zero shame for signing that petition.

@NZDreaming

I am very happy to be corrected about the timing. But does that make the title less offensive? This is all about the terrible period following Meredith’s murder and Knox continues to capitalise on that. She must have already made a huge amount of money from her book, all her tours, the various appearances on tv including Oprah, documentaries and paid for interviews. Enough now. And coming to the UK to do this is particularly upsetting, she has already monetised her trauma in the US, knowing the Kercher family find it distressing and in spite of their clear opposition, and that should be enough.

According to reports, she did these things inside the police station before she was questioned, which was 3 days after the discovery of Meredith’s body.
Somit would appear that your statement is also wrong - and by your understanding is also inflammatory.

I signed the petition.

I feel so sorry for Meredith's family and I appreciate Amanda has a story but I feel it is spectacularly disrespectful.

I can not believe she is calling it Cartwheel and making it into a joke.

She has a right to free speech-and I have a right to find her abhorrent.

https://youtube.com/shorts/KRAQrDFWJiA?is=lkB1KPZ3h8a-6tIG

So it seems.
Her show starts today and runs for ten, before she heads straight back.
Timing of this thread is weird.
I hadn't heard of this at all, OP, so you appear to have given her free publicity.
She is married with 2 kids now.
Not sure why she feels the need to do this but allegedly she contacted Sarah Silverman to ask about taking comedy from tragedy.
You might have thought if she wanted to protect her DC from her notoriety, she'd have settled, taken her husband's name and lived under the radar.
However, she looks just as she used to and potentially this is her way of dealing with the demonisation, owning her eccentricity and taking control of the narrative.
She'd have been eaten alive on Late live back in the day (bearpit that was) so, despite having friends and family presumably there to support, it will be interesting how the audience reacts to it.

'The Fringe' will promote all the shows that the venues that pay them, book.

They do not book the shows, not is it within their remit to decide what shows a venue chooses to give space to.

Other comedians, such as Jerry Sadowitz, have been cancelled by the venue AFTER complaints have been made. But he was still booked by a different venue, I think the year after, maybe more.

No shade, a lot of people don't realise that it's up to the venue, not the organisation, to decide what goes on.

I've just signed it and feel no shame whatsoever. It's Amanda Knox who should be feeling the shame

"I hadn't heard of this at all, OP, so you appear to have given her free publicity"

This has had plenty of publicity, online and by news organizations. Ops post won't encourage any new bookings because it was already sold out.

You seem to forget that Amanda’s life was upended. She was jailed for years for something she didn’t do. And the saga went in for years, from her arrest in 2017 to the final quashing of the convictions in 2015.

Whilst I don’t like her as a person or her programmes, I can’t imagine how awful her life must have been and if she wants to write a book, make a show etc, she is entitled to do that.

making money about a specific individual’s murder, which is precisely what is happening here.

The quote you’re replying to literally says the show is not about the murder.

Sold out run? Wow.
Fair enough.
There is an audience out there for it then.
She claims by the way she never cartwheeled. She did yoga stretching.
The media was quite happy to set her up as foxy knoxy etc She does join a long cast of falsely accused/tried in the press, for acting differently.
Edit: no evidence, photo or video, of any cartwheel. Words of Italian police only. Draw your own conclusions from that.

Of course I feel desperately sad for Meredith Kercher's family - it must re-ignite it all - but no wonder Amanda Knox has talked about it ever since. She was wrongly convicted of an appalling crime at a very young age. She has a right to talk about her experience, and I don't believe she should be censored.