Belgian madman who killed 2 infants was imitating Heath Ledger's "Joker" character

Well once again we see the terrible impact that violent movies have on those who are prone to imitate. What is sad is that no one will admit that it probably was the movie that caused the man to snap. 20 year old Kim De Gelder was described by former school mates and work colleagues as a "film freak" and "movie addict." When apprehended, De Gelder, which is an anagram of Ledger, was dressed up in bizarre clothes, and had made up his face and hair to closely resemble the character played by Ledger in the movie 'The Dark Knight"

The policeman who apprehended him said he actually quoted the same lines that the Joker did in the movie, quote - "I have one question."

When are people going to learn that violence in any form when continually shown to unstable people leads them to imitate the violent scenes.

See the Link for the complete story.

Not to be rude but, do you want us to cut out all movies with violence in it. What about the people it doesn’t affect. Chances are he would have ended up doing something else if he hadn’t seen the movie. People that are that mentally unstable and unmedicated are a time bomb waiting to go off. My opinion only.

You can't blame movies for this, this man was disturbed no matter what and it would have been only a matter of time before he did what he did.

Did the Joker stab any infants? In fact did we see the joker stab anyone in the movie? The answer is NO to both questions.


Again, blaming movies is a cop out, plain and simple.

reply to post by Chadwickus


very good point, he was clearly crazy if it wasn't Ledger when he would have dressed up as dick turpin or father christmas. No one called for a ban on christmas stories after the guy dressed as santa and shot a girl in the face.

That's why I'm for this Depression. Far too many people have a lot of time on their hands. There are people that should never be able to afford anything. That includes watching movies. All hail economic slavery!!!

Originally posted by TH3ON3When are people going to learn that violence in any form when continually shown to unstable people leads them to imitate the violent scenes.

So true. A few centuries ago, before movies, video games, the internet, before most people were even literate, there was no violence. No mental illness. No murders. No bloody wars with people hacking eachother to pieces. No inquisitions. No torture chambers. No infanticide.

The good old days.

It's a chilling scenario, but i have to mention a few things here.

Firstly the film is based on a comic book, if you ban violent films, then you should ban violent comic books on which they're based and then where does the banning end? At what point does one become obsessesed with every medium?

Secondly the guy was an outcast, obsessed with his own fantasies, no doubt a bit of a loner. But society refuses to take the blame that this easily influental youngster was their responsibility. Nobody questioned his obsession with movies. Why?

Because in this materialistic society, distractions are more popular than dealing with emotion.

I've been a lurker on these forums for some time now, but this will be my first actual post

Living in Belgium, I am both shocked and horrified by what happened in Dendermonde. I've been following the story closely and I feel that the media are blowing this sad story way out of proportion (and I would know, I study journalism :p)

Let me explain:

I do agree that what happened is gruesome, terrible, horrifying, ... but the first thing I saw in the newspaper the day after it happened, was a centerfold picture of the Joker (in the newspaper de Standaard).

I couldn't believe my eyes. Just because the murderer had make-up on he's trying to look like the Joker?

Next day, some journalist figured out that Kim (the killer) listened to metal and wore and I quote 't-shirts of obscure metal bands'. New label: he's a goth. Another newspaper labelled him an emo. And we all know emo's and goth's are raging sociapaths don't we *sigh*

Right after the news got out, a famous Belgian lawyer (Jef Vermassen) said: 'oh yes, he's clearly a psychopath. With society going downhill I predict things like this will happen more often.' What the h*ll? This guy's a lawyer, not a pqychologist or an anthropologist. Shut up and quit trying to scare people Jef!

I think it's wrong to blame music, games or movies whenever something terrible like this happens.

I've seen the Dark Knight (h*ll I've seen Texas Chain Saw Massacre ooohh), i listen to metal (yes even death metal oooooh), and I've played GTA4 (oooooooh). And I can tell you this, the first guy I see hurting a baby or anybody else for the matter, will get his rear-end handed to him

Oh and about the killer quoting the joker. To my knowledge the killer refuses to talk, eat, or cooperate...

Sorry for the rambling, had to get it off my stomach

*btw: it turns out Kim (the babykiller), might have actually murdered somebody else a week ago. Not much else the detectives are giving us, but i'll keep you updated.*

[edit on 26-1-2009 by Toolbox]

Originally posted by TH3ON3When are people going to learn that violence in any form when continually shown to unstable people leads them to imitate the violent scenes.

Let's see you give any evidence that unstable people wouldn't just commit violence without imitating someone, if they weren't exposed to something to imitate?

Way I see it, people have been violent for at least as long as there have been people.

Originally posted by Sonya610

Originally posted by TH3ON3When are people going to learn that violence in any form when continually shown to unstable people leads them to imitate the violent scenes.

So true. A few centuries ago, before movies, video games, the internet, before most people were even literate, there was no violence. No mental illness. No murders. No bloody wars with people hacking eachother to pieces. No inquisitions. No torture chambers. No infanticide.

The good old days.

Yes I remember those days, it was like those fairytale books you read your children. I miss those days.

Society is going to H E double hockey sticks in a handbasket, and it isn't because of the nutcases like this guy and his horrifying act. It's because society is becoming a left wing, coddling, butt kissing bunch of sissies that want to blame anybody and any thing BUT the person that commited the act. The people who make excuses for this guy are what truly disgust me. It was the movies, the music, his broken home, low income, drunken father, mental disorder, attention deficit, full moon, molesting uncle, drug addicition, or whatever else levitates the lizard.

I say save the three meals a day and a warm cot in a cage. Instead give the son of a girl doggie a gift of a twenty five cent bullet between the peepers and be done with it.

Originally posted by mdiinicanLet's see you give any evidence that unstable people wouldn't just commit violence without imitating someone, if they weren't exposed to something to imitate?

Way I see it, people have been violent for at least as long as there have been people.

Yeah there is plenty of evidence. The fact is there are plenty of nutty people and plenty of shocking crimes, but very few dress up like movie characters or even quote lines from the movies.

Plenty of studies have shown watching violent material does NOT make one violent, it makes them insensitive to violence. The images desensitize to a degree, they do not inspire. A look at the prison population should show that, if those prisoners had spent their childhoods watching violent movies and playing violent video games all day the majority would probably would NOT be in prison. In fact a majority of the young killers in prison didn't even own an x-box.

As a Belgian living abroad and a father of a young girl, I have been following this story closely, and with much pain.

Reports now (today) say that he was not wearing make up, he just looks very pale.
He has started talking and apparently doesn't recall what he has done. He has also suffered from serious depressions during his adolescence and sometimes heard "voices in his head"... Now the real issue seems to be that his psychiatrist refused to bring him to a mental institute, as his parents requested. Take note that his behaviour was not violent (according to sources), just depressed and anti-social.

As far as I'm concerned, the joker analogy is nothing but a media fabrication to spice up the story.



my thoughts are with the wounded and the close relatives of the victims.
peace,
mr. Jones

reply to post by TH3ON3
Sorry,to burst your bubble here but violence has always been apart of life as long as the human race has been around like another poster said the guy would have simply dressed as someone else and the same thing would have happened.

Originally posted by Sonya610

Originally posted by TH3ON3When are people going to learn that violence in any form when continually shown to unstable people leads them to imitate the violent scenes.

So true. A few centuries ago, before movies, video games, the internet, before most people were even literate, there was no violence. No mental illness. No murders. No bloody wars with people hacking eachother to pieces. No inquisitions. No torture chambers. No infanticide.

The good old days.

dont forget the blood sports such as cock fighting, bear fighting and dog fighting.
oh and dont forget that public hangings and other executions where a day out
go look up the coloseam in rome to see what that was used for

[edit on 27/1/2009 by kerrichin]