Roger-Luc Chayer
The American singer Jussie Smollett has been particularly known so far for his participation in a television series (Empire) and saying openly homosexual. A few weeks ago he was allegedly attacked by two masked men who allegedly put a rope around his neck while spraying him with a liquid that looked like bleach and cursing him for that he is black and homosexual. According to him, the statements made by the attackers were akin to Donald Trump’s hate speech.
Now, on February 16, police officers in Chigaco, responsible for the investigation, told the media that the singer himself organized the attack and that the two « attackers » had been released without charge. What can lead an individual to foment his own aggression? Three theories can explain this behavior:
The first could be directly related to his popularity and the TV show in which he participates. Raising ratings by scandal, aggression, or public empathy, and diverting the attention of the same audience from other participants can be an effective strategy.
The second explanation could involve her sister, a very popular American singer. Smollett, wishing to break into the same field, may have felt that he would not be able to distinguish himself from his sister and that the only way to create an identity was to pose as a victim of savage aggression.
The third explanation may lie in a rhetoric of over-victimization, often found among people who want to advance a cause by creating artificial conditions to, once again, bring a sense of compassion to the public. This theory is the one that seems to be most relevant to the current situation. In fact, the interview he gave to ABC TV on February 14 demonstrates some aspects of this overstimulation. In conversation with journalist Robin Roberts, Smollett burst into tears, declaring that he wants to be an example of resilience for LGBT youth by confronting his attackers and not being intimidated by the rope and about things. Smollett is a long-time LGBT rights activist, and with this case of false aggression, it is quite possible, if not likely, that he wanted to make a case of over-victimization to win the admiration and respect of a public who did not give him enough according to him. He could spend three years in prison because of this false complaint to the police!