horrifying attack on Jussie Smollett

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Thermal said:
Coupled with the threatening note, it's at least sort of plausible. The note suggests that people were actually out to get him, which would explain the stalking. But hanging out at 2AM in the freezing cold hoping he might walk out at that hour is inexplicable, unless Smollett had a habit of doing this at about that time.
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That he ever thought the scenario was even mildly plausible or wouldn't immediately ring the BS alarm in every cop's head, is actually kind of breathtaking.
 
angrysoba said:
Well, I'll admit that my bias was in favour of believing the story. I am still amazed at what seems to be the case...that it was a hoax. My own view was that it seemed like such an unlikely scenario with the possible exception of setting up the hoax to cover for someone.
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For me it was that the elements seemed a parody of what a racist attack should be. It's the classic sign of a bad fiction author - they do a bit of research then try to cram everything they've learned into a specific scene, thinking that the more stereotypical elements they shoe-horn in there the more authentic the result will be.

Skeptic Tank said:
Going forward, I humbly submit that all instances of someone paying two Nigerian bodybuilders to lightly rough them up in subzero temperatures and play-act lynching them be referred to as getting Smolested.
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I doubt it will enjoy a lot of usage, although there's no accounting for some people's predilections.
 
baron said:
For me it was that the elements seemed a parody of what a racist attack should be. It's the classic sign of a bad fiction author - they do a bit of research then try to cram everything they've learned into a specific scene, thinking that the more stereotypical elements they shoe-horn in there the more authentic the result will be.



I doubt it will enjoy a lot of usage, although there's no accounting for some people's predilections.
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One of my biggest give aways (aside from lack of injuries ) was "this is maga country" it would be like if it was a conservative hoax and they said " this is to further the gay agenda! "
 
It would have been (slightly) more believable if he'd simply claimed he was attacked for being black upon being seen and recognized as black.

His own ego and overestimation of his fame level meant that he needed it to be two guys recognizing him specifically, which isn't even plausible at all in those kind of conditions and as has been pointed out many times, the number of racist Trump supporting assaulters in Chicago, or the planet Earth for that matter, who knew anything about the show Empire or its cast is precisely zero.

Then again, he'd already faked the threat letter and maybe he felt this second event needed to be specifically targeted at him and could be more plausible because of the letter laying the foundation. I wonder if he had ever hoped that the letter alone would get the desired result?
 
baron said:
For me it was that the elements seemed a parody of what a racist attack should be. It's the classic sign of a bad fiction author - they do a bit of research then try to cram everything they've learned into a specific scene, thinking that the more stereotypical elements they shoe-horn in there the more authentic the result will be.
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The expository dialogue was too on the nose.
 
baron said:
For me it was that the elements seemed a parody of what a racist attack should be. It's the classic sign of a bad fiction author - they do a bit of research then try to cram everything they've learned into a specific scene, thinking that the more stereotypical elements they shoe-horn in there the more authentic the result will be.
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This seems pretty accurate to me.

All the fake incidents I've seen resemble a straight-to-DVD Steven Seagal scenario, only without Seagal stepping in to save the day.

"Neo-Nazis kidnapped me and drew Swastikas on my body"
"A large black man held me down and carved BO (Barack Obama) into my face (mirrored, no less).
"Three guys in MAGA hats pulled off my Hijab and told me to go back to my own country" (I've seen at least three variations of this one).

Maybe the less obvious ones don't get found out.
 
Skeptic Tank said:
That he ever thought the scenario was even mildly plausible or wouldn't immediately ring the BS alarm in every cop's head, is actually kind of breathtaking.
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That many people find it implausible is half the reason it has power. If everybody is immediately convince, then the attackers are the bad guys and maybe you get some mileage blaming Trump for inspiring them. The more the opposing tribe publicly doubt, the more stories can be generated about what a systemic problem it is and how all the doubters are racist. If the details about when and where were muddled to the point where the police had no chance of getting to the bottom of it, he would have been made.
 
Skeptic Tank;12604839I said:
wonder if he had ever hoped that the letter alone would get the desired result?
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I've been wondering this too. Perhaps (if he wrote the letter) he was hoping it would garner enough attention to achieve the publicity he sought.

When that didn't happen perhaps he decided to up the stakes.
 
Another idle thought.

If there is no real physical evidence showing payments or other communications with the "attackers" could he not claim that, in fact, they were operating independently and that their disguises and role-play fooled him.

"I'm guilty of being fooled, but that's not surprising since MAGA racists are a real threat"
 
Grey2000 said:
Another idle thought.

If there is no real physical evidence showing payments or other communications with the "attackers" could he not claim that, in fact, they were operating independently and that their disguises and role-play fooled him.

"I'm guilty of being fooled, but that's not surprising since MAGA racists are a real threat"
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Another classic is 'we were rehearsing a play'.
 
Grey2000 said:
Another idle thought.

If there is no real physical evidence showing payments or other communications with the "attackers" could he not claim that, in fact, they were operating independently and that their disguises and role-play fooled him.

"I'm guilty of being fooled, but that's not surprising since MAGA racists are a real threat"
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If the police have in their possession call logs submitted to them by Smollett where he specifically removed instances of contact with the Nigerian brothers around the time of the incident, and they also have verified call logs from the cell towers and AT&T or whoever, which show those missing communications between the three parties then I think his goose is cooked.

Let alone if there is a way to show a connection between the $3500 each in their bank accounts and an equivalent withdrawal around that same time from Jussie's acount.

ETA: and I don't really see how they wouldn't end up with all of the above.
 
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Grey2000 said:
Another idle thought.

If there is no real physical evidence showing payments or other communications with the "attackers" could he not claim that, in fact, they were operating independently and that their disguises and role-play fooled him.

"I'm guilty of being fooled, but that's not surprising since MAGA racists are a real threat"
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I would think the attorney for the two brothers was able to show convincing evidence in order for them to be cut loose.
 
LTC8K6 said:
I would think the attorney for the two brothers was able to show convincing evidence in order for them to be cut loose.
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When the deal was $8,000 between the two of them for a light amount of work, show up at a certain spot on a cold night... play act roughing him up... buy some rope at a hardware store and then take a trip back home to Nigeria (possibly at Jussie's expense) it sounded agreeable enough.

No chance we'll get caught? We'll be on the other side of the planet during the window of time the police are engaging in what you assure us will be a brief and fruitless search for two non-existent white dudes?

Oh, and on top of all of this, we're doing it for a good cause (fighting racism and homophobia and evil white Americans who want their country to remain recognizable.)

Yeah, sounded pretty sweet then - but as soon as it changed into a situation where they're arrested and hearing about hate crime charges, felony assault, terroristic mail through the federal postal service, etc... well, I think they probably folded in record time and who could blame them?

If they're now off Scot-free here in exchange for helping get Jussie prosecuted, they really made out quite well. I wonder if they get to keep the $7,000?

Doesn't sit super well with me that they aren't going to face any kind of justice on this.
 
Skeptic Tank said:
When the deal was $8,000 between the two of them for a light amount of work, show up at a certain spot on a cold night... play act roughing him up... buy some rope at a hardware store and then take a trip back home to Nigeria (possibly at Jussie's expense) it sounded agreeable enough.

No chance we'll get caught? We'll be on the other side of the planet during the window of time the police are engaging in what you assure us will be a brief and fruitless search for two non-existent white dudes?

Oh, and on top of all of this, we're doing it for a good cause (fighting racism and homophobia and evil white Americans who want their country to remain recognizable.)

Yeah, sounded pretty sweet then - but as soon as it changed into a situation where they're arrested and hearing about hate crime charges, felony assault, terroristic mail through the federal postal service, etc... well, I think they probably folded in record time and who could blame them?

If they're now off Scot-free here in exchange for helping get Jussie prosecuted, they really made out quite well. I wonder if they get to keep the $7,000?

Doesn't sit super well with me that they aren't going to face any kind of justice on this.
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I doubt very much the two brothers actually committed any crime. They were likely hired to provide a few items to Jussie, and to provide two other people who could be seen on camera.

However, it may be that prosecutors are simply going to present the whole case to a grand jury, so the brothers may not be out of trouble yet.
 
Skeptic Tank said:
When the deal was $8,000 between the two of them for a light amount of work, show up at a certain spot on a cold night... play act roughing him up... buy some rope at a hardware store and then take a trip back home to Nigeria (possibly at Jussie's expense) it sounded agreeable enough.

No chance we'll get caught? We'll be on the other side of the planet during the window of time the police are engaging in what you assure us will be a brief and fruitless search for two non-existent white dudes?

Oh, and on top of all of this, we're doing it for a good cause (fighting racism and homophobia and evil white Americans who want their country to remain recognizable.)

Yeah, sounded pretty sweet then - but as soon as it changed into a situation where they're arrested and hearing about hate crime charges, felony assault, terroristic mail through the federal postal service, etc... well, I think they probably folded in record time and who could blame them?

If they're now off Scot-free here in exchange for helping get Jussie prosecuted, they really made out quite well. I wonder if they get to keep the $7,000?

Doesn't sit super well with me that they aren't going to face any kind of justice on this.
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I'm not convinced they did anything wrong. It wasn't terroristic mail if the recipient ordered it, wasn't assault any more than a consensual boxing match, or a hate crime if it was all an act. I think the 5-0 offered them a choice: roll on your boy or we pursue these charges at face value.
 
Thermal said:
I'm not convinced they did anything wrong. It wasn't terroristic mail if the recipient ordered it, wasn't assault any more than a consensual boxing match, or a hate crime if it was all an act. I think the 5-0 offered them a choice: roll on your boy or we pursue these charges at face value.
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He wasn't the recipient of the hoax hate letter.
 
Thermal said:
I'm not convinced they did anything wrong. It wasn't terroristic mail if the recipient ordered it, wasn't assault any more than a consensual boxing match, or a hate crime if it was all an act. I think the 5-0 offered them a choice: roll on your boy or we pursue these charges at face value.
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Is "conspiracy to pervert the course of justice" an offence in the US?

Dave
 
LTC8K6 said:
I doubt very much the two brothers actually committed any crime. They were likely hired to provide a few items to Jussie, and to provide two other people who could be seen on camera.

However, it may be that prosecutors are simply going to present the whole case to a grand jury, so the brothers may not be out of trouble yet.
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For what criminal offenses? They were not even in the country, so they can't be accused of even knowing Smollett was going public with this.
 
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