Laughing Stocks?

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:58 pm

Browsing the web lately, I came across a piece that called Borden case enthusiasts "Second Street Schizophrenics". Maybe it's supposed to be funny, but it's calling us all nut cases. "Second Street Irregulars" is fine. But the other sounds so rude.

From time to time some writer will refer to us as being freaks or weirdos for being interested in the case. They don't know what they're talking about. The case is fascinating, and the peripheral subjects interesting as well.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:31 pm

Well, it's like this augusta: The Constitution affords each of us the right to be fools in print, and there you've mentioned just one more example. Personally, if I really gave a tenth of a tinker's damn what other folks said of me or my passtimes, I'd probably be quivering fitfully under a rock somewhere. Better things to worry about that are far more important - yaknow?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:48 pm

There are also *closet Bordenphiles* who just can't quite commit/admit.
When people hear of my interest they want to spend hours picking my brain.
On my recent trip, we found ourselves at Lowes. The young lady in the paint department asked my friend and myself what each of us "do." Well my friend is a Professional Woman but the paint lady was fascinated by me and I happened to still have our August Fall River trip pics in my camera on memory card and she got to see our Kash standing at the door of #92 and also seated on the sofa where ANdrew died and she was utterly fascinated!!

My lawyer spent 3 solid hours off the clock in her office discussing the case with me a couple of years ago.

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:27 am

Hehehehe.

I once was talking about it with a group of people & one of them freaked out & left the room, accusing me of being mentally ill.

That little over-reaction actually made me suspicious of him!

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:14 am

Good Lord! Not to mention his lack of social graces.

snokkums · Post by **snokkums** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:10 pm

I don't care really what people think of me. There are people out there that have carzier hobbies than mine. And if you want to look at a nut job, look at Charles Manson. That's a wierdo.

Bob Gutowski · Post by **Bob Gutowski** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 5:02 pm

I feel the same way about people who like Andrea "Tone Deaf" Bocelli, Josh "I'm SO bland" Groban, or James Kinkeade, the "painter of light" guy.

Well, not exactly. But I DO wonder...

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 5:24 pm

I don't believe in putting down anything that gives anyone else some harmless pleasure, nor do I believe in pushing your tastes on anyone else. (Telling someone about them or offering them the experience is okay.)

I hate snobbery and reverse snobbery.

Because I am passionate about something, that doesn't mean everybody else should be.

Because I have no use for something, that doesn't mean nobody else should.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:24 am

Bob Gutowski @ Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:02 pm wrote:I feel the same way about people who like Andrea "Tone Deaf" Bocelli, Josh "I'm SO bland" Groban, or James Kinkeade, the "painter of light" guy.

Well, not exactly. But I DO wonder...

My moto is, "To Each His Own." If some banana-head writer wants to pass us all off as nut cases then that person has the problem.

Thomas Kinkade was a big favorite of my mom's. She loved his work. I would pay more attention to his work if he dropped his key down a half value. I paint in extreme low major myself.

-1bigsteve (o:

patsy · Post by **patsy** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:59 am

Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of people in this world who have not tolerance and understanding for people who do not think like them. What ever happened to the old given "live and let live?" I wonder.

Do you get a feeling that in our fast-paced, practical society that there is not much room for entertaining curiosity or exploring theories any more.

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:46 pm

At work people will talk about all the gory, scary movies but they look at me wierd because I was reading Lizzie's inquest. If it's not on tv they don't get it. Most of the people I work with will admit hating to read. They say it's a waste of time, but 8 hours on a computer game is worth it? I agree to each his own. I have had a couple of people at work "quietly" ask about the case. What is the big deal about admitting you like a piece of history and like to pursue in learning about it.

terrie · Post by **terrie** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 11:01 pm

Great point, Nadzieja. It seems perfectly *normal* to rush out to pay $10 to see 2 hours of gore invented by Hollywood... but to read about true crimes seems *crazy* to many people I know.

Just tonight, I was lamenting how violent our society has become... really desensitized, as well. I sometimes wander by Youtube to watch sea creatures; it is soothing to me.... but I could hardly find a whale video that didn't involve close ups of killer whale attacks caught on film. Sheesh. It is very popular to watch blood and guts. I doubt the Borden murders would merit more than a couple days coverage today... but I digress.

My family thinks I am nuts... but also want to hear what happened at the Borden B&B, complete with photos. When I mentioned being on a Lizzie Borden forum, my sister said *that is wrong on so many levels*. She thinks I am gruesome and should let the dead be dead. This same sister was unable to watch a movie about Lizzie because it was too frightening to watch at night.

*Second Street Schizophrenics* doesn't even make sense, for goodness sake. There is absolutely nothing *schizophrenic* in being fascinated by the Borden case. I hate to see words tossed around like that for effect.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 11:39 pm

I can't see much difference in being a fan of Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes, and being interested in the Borden case. Trying to unravel a mystery, be it fictional or true crime, does not seem in the least eccentric. The study of human nature and why people do what they do is endlessly fascinating, and will continue to be. For some, the era , and the unusual circumstances add more intrigue for people who love to solve a puzzle. There are far, far worse hobbies one might take up! I live 8 miles from Foxwood casino. . . .

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:06 am

Right now there are over 53,000 messages on this forum. I would seriously doubt 100 of them dwell on the gruesome aspects.

It's the who-done-it, the how and the why that's the fascinating part. Throw in the Victorian era and the locale and it becomes a historical event as well.

Pshaw on what they think!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 3:24 am

Pshaw yes!

Also tho, an aspect of this study is that it is an unsolved crime and no justice for the victims yet.
There is no argument against that sentiment- which to me is a very strong reason to study this case- except the one unanswerable one that it won't bring those folks back...

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:54 am

If they really had no interest in the Borden case, how would they know about us?

snokkums · Post by **snokkums** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:39 am

augusta @ Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:58 pm wrote:Browsing the web lately, I came across a piece that called Borden case enthusiasts "Second Street Schizophrenics". Maybe it's supposed to be funny, but it's calling us all nut cases. "Second Street Irregulars" is fine. But the other sounds so rude.

From time to time some writer will refer to us as being freaks or weirdos for being interested in the case. They don't know what they're talking about. The case is fascinating, and the peripheral subjects interesting as well.

Well, to me, the ones that are calling us nut cases or wierdos are probably closet bordenites themselves, and just haven't admitted it. They haven't "come-out" yet. They are probably to embarassed, but they will get over it eventually.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:59 pm

The 'schizophrenics' was on a website not related to Lizzie, I think. Newspaper articles frequently take a poke at us and make fun of us, belittling us. Yet they're making their bread and butter from what they're writing. And a Borden article must bring in a lot of readers. Just google Lizzie Borden, and you'll run into some articles that are like that.

I think it was Edmund Pearson, or some other guy, who said people read about murders because they are drawn to it. It's inquisitiveness.

"Closet" Bordenites?

That's funny, Kat. Yooper's "... how would they know about us" then post is very true.

I don't think there's anything "funny" about us studying this crime. Like with Kat, most people are excited to learn more about it from me. The first thing they ask is, "Did she do it?" If they saw the fabulous "Hatchet" magazine, and this indepth Forum that is going so strong, I think they would change their tune.

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