The Murder of Kitty Genovese

[violamistress97]

I love the song. What is it called and who created it?

[zippyj34]

superfreakonomics tore this apart

[rhkramer]

Not to be offensive, but I wish you'd do something to, let's say, normalize the brightness in this and any other similar videos. It appears extremely dark with my normal brightness and contrast settings, in fact, most of it is entirely black, or black with a few lights.

The majority of pictures and videos on the internet I can view just fine. There are exceptions, which include this video.

[rentslave]

Why did the movie portray her killer as being white?It was done by black serial killer,Winston Moseley.

[bhsarc]

Um, did you even bother fact checking before making this video? Guys prevented women from calling police? Are you kidding? Of course this was made by a Women in Film class. Lies are the best way to convey a point. Nice.

[thehungerartists]

to accuse this of being anything other than the bystander effect is irrational and irresponsible but all the same great video and choice of song

[XGraveXX]

How dare you fucking people even make anything even remotely disrespectful to that girl. She did not deserve what happened to her, and people who watch as others are hurt are just as bad as her murderer. No one helped. i only wish i was there to put an end to her attackers life. in the end what has happened cannot be changed but can be portrayed as something to encourage it to be better. To have people be better towards each other.

[904s12]

this video is nonsensical.

[azfuka]

the incident had nothing to do with the fact that she was a woman, and how you turned everything against the men is just damn ridiculous.. find another story to use as a stupid excuse for your stupid ideas.. this one just doesn't fit.. and you're mocking historical fact by making this..

[FredNietzsche]

The murderer was a nigger, not a White man. Why did you portray him as a White man? Is it because you are a cowardly pussy or a deliberate liar?

[DJFG85]

@FredNietzsche Can't you believe that ape is still alive? I'd love to find him in jail and kill him.

[FAERIEBERY]

what is that song?

also the video in and of it self was great but to base it on the murder specifically i dont think so, to say the idea came from it maybe but to go further would dimish her murder to a spectacle of sorts.... or to just say people were to damn afraid to interfere would have been more accurate

[Hertz41]

You are shameless and disgusting, using the Genovese case to make feminist retoric. Was terrible what happend before, but is worst what are you doing this days. Yeah, you are right, theres a lot of idiots that dont recognice woman right, but theres another kind of idiot that pray about the superiority of woman with the detriment of man, the kind of idiot you are. Hey, guess what, even the women in the world don need you to fight for their rights.

[goddimmus]

I know that you need a spellchecker!

[mekhadog]

feminist aspect? you are fking kidding me!

nonsense, its either jews or grey reptilians, who are behind this. im serial! :D

[AReynolds3]

We just talking about this case in my General Psychology class. I couldn't believe it...how could that many people just stand around and do nothing. I would have called the police right away

[J20M07]

Many people seem eager to appropriate this to the Bystander Effect, but no where have I seen anyone question whether Kitty was in any way associated with the Genovese crime family and that may be why no one intervened? They may have feared repercussions themselves / wall of silence etc? If it was me, I would have helped, but if I thought that by helping I would get killed or tortured myself, then I'm sure I would also be reluctant to get involved.

[incubus043]

horrible.... i'm a criminal justice major and this is one of the worst cases of the public not responding that i have seen... we use this case to learn what NOT to do.. and thats most important!

[EdwardvsJacobFan]

The press completely exaggerated the story of Kitty Genovese. The "38 witnesses" that the NewYorkTimes described as watching the murder happen and not responding to her screams, were NOT ALL EYE witnesses. At most, 3 of the 38 only saw mere glimpses of the murder, mostly because there was not efficient lighting in the street to begin with and the parts they saw were not sufficient enough to be thought of as a stabbing but rather a beating.

Facts are always distorted when it comes to the media.

[enoching7]

well you know what they say, 3's a crowd. so if you saw someone getting beat with 2 other people, you'd just watch and do your own thing? the media didn't get facts down right but they conveyed the correct atmosphere - people's apathy for getting involved with strangers.

[jdlund]

I'm a little confused. That isn't at all what happened during the Kitty Genovese murder. There is no evidence that women overheard the violence and wanted to intervene but men ignored it. The only calls to the police (the one that actually reached them and the two that were misdirected due to an inefficient system) were from men. So is popular myth of the "silent onlookers" just being used as a metaphor in general? Why even bother using this specific murder if you then ignore the facts?

[incubus043]

no... 38 people either heard or some saw screaming or the act in inself happening.. sad story. but very helpful to criminal justice students who see this case!

[will98789]

this is the study I remember most out of all of the studies we have studied in GCSE Psycho..

We watched this in our lesson.. its quite good :D

[Darkydrago]

This murder scene is very inacurate...

[Sallieeeeee]

He didn't say it was accurate, perhaps you should learn the meaning of 'metaphor'?

[GetNakedForMeYooTube]

I refuse to believe that the murder of Kitty Genovese was an example of the oppression of women. Saying that is an insult to Mrs Genovese, and the male community.

Saying that The women are denied looking privileges because that is reserved for men is ludicrous. If I thought a woman was outside my house, hurt, bleeding, whatever; I wouldnt send my girlfriend to go and look. I thought it was a boyfriends job to do things like that. Id protect my girlfriend from anything if I could.

[periwinklemooose]

oh please. will you cut the "male community" crap?!

[GetNakedForMeYooTube]

Saying those screams were feminist screams? DudeCome on.

Did Kitty say Im going to scream in pain for womens rights?

I didnt think so.

Look, the only guys who dont agree with womens rights dont respect women, and those people dont get a say in the matter.

Your video is very offensive to the entire male community.

[Darkydrago]

Puh-lease. Women have plenty of rights these days. Men dislike feminists because nothing is never enough for them. They always find something else to bitch about...

[Bumblybee256]

Lol women get 'plenty of rights', I notice you didn't say equal rights.

[earthypig]

I think this "bystander"effect can be applied to the world at large.

Every day we hear of more and more atrocities commited against women in muslim worlds -- women stoned to death for being raped, school girls forced to burn alive rather than escape without being "covered" - brother slashing sister's throat for having been raped by uncle.. the list goes on and on.

When are we, as a modern society respecting the rights of all people, going to stand up against this newly growing evil?

[earthypig]

This newly growing evil that's spreading to the freeworld -- some of these *honor* killings took place in large western cities like Toronto and London...

[MauricioPerez1969]

Hi u have to start with yourself XD.

I agree with u.

when was the last time u helped some one?

someone crying on the streets? (lots of people doing this)

someone getting stabbed by their boyfriend? would you get involved?

GBY

[earthypig]

i'm a very small person (99 pounds) so i'm not sure if i could help someone physically -- but i've called 911 a few times when i heard stuff going on in the street and i felt like someone was getting hurt... unfortunately that was all i could do at the time :( as for my original point, which has to do with muslim women, i'm not even sure what we could do to help other than spreading the word and signing petitions, and letting the politicians know that we care... :(

[topsytur]

actually, kitty got away from her attacker briefly but because of the bystander effect no one helped her. the by standser effect is in regard to if there is alot of people in an area people are less likely to provide help to a victim because the think someone else will do it. also they dont want to look like a fool if the get the wrong idea. it was really sad because of this behaviour effect kitty's attcker was able to kill her... there were 38 people that witnessed the attack.

[LEincorp]

Actually, later investigation revealed that at least 38 different people who lived in the adjacent apartment building were in some way or another aware of the attack, and nothing was done.

[deb248211]

Excellent video - very well made. I like the way you worked with the Kitty Genovese incident as a feminist issue. I think other comments are correct in suggesting this is more of a humanist issue, but that doesn't detract from the quality of your production and direction.

I'm going to use it with my Psychology class to link to bystander effect but I will point out the feminist aspect for discussion also.

[snsmith1985]

Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you got that from our video. I hope your class enjoys, too!

[Troggawa]

Honest to God, and all of you. I believe that every single person who could have acted but didn't, should be lined up and shot.. No, rather stabbed to death.. I would do it myself. this is a perfect example of the real evil in our world. I thought this story was fictional when I first heard it on the movie "The boondock saints". But now that I know it's true, I'm sickened. I hope those people burn in hell!

[mooeyjuice]

In reality, it was 1962, which is firstly a fairly long time ago in terms of culture, it was also new york, which says something. In fact, only one person saw the final attack, which took place inside the building and atleast one called the police and another shouted down at the attacker, which did make him hesitate.

However, at that time phones were not readily available, which would explain more people not taking action, if they were even aware that the situation was so serious.

[Soapking1965]

The incident took place on 45 years ago this coming Friday (March 13, 1964).

[PapiNoJuega]

it isnt working

[stupigo]

hmm. its related to the bystander effect

[bergerlimb99]

I just read an online account of this ambiguous event that described a hausfrau telling her hubby, who was intent upon reporting the attack, to shut up and forget about it. A Feminist reading of this event, based upon the available evidence, is dicey.

[angelapanda3]

this was great.

but what it says on the info makes it look like her murder wasnt prevented because of the men that lived around the area and were unresponsive to the attack. now if you were doing this as a video to show the bystander effect, then it would have been just right.

but you should know that both the men AND women had something to do with kittys attack not being prevented. they both chose not to pay attention to what was goin on. both the men and women chose not to help.

[janicesoprano]

In late March of 1962, I flew out from SoCal to visit my great-aunt Julie who lived in the Shellball apartments in Kew Gardens. Little did I know at the time that Kitty had been murdered a few steps away. I asked my aunt, did she hear anything that horrible night, she said no, her windows were closed. So, being a neophyte with regards to my personal well being, I still went out at night. I just needed to walk and absorb everything I had missed from living in SoCal.

[radon777]

Good work but I think you're missing the point if you think this is a feminist issue.

[tinepedregosa]

it's Hong Kong city!great video!!

[Anatolia90105]

the problem with the word 'crime' is that it carries more than a legal connotation

[Anatolia90105]

the problem with the word 'crime' is that it carries more than a legal connotation

[3112488v2]

She was affiliated with the Genovese Crime Family. She was murdered because of ongoing turf battles between young mobster Al "Onionhead" Scarpatto and local drug dealer Sam "Nicky Louie" Wong, reputed member of the Green Dragons Chinese Gang. Scarpatto put a open-contract on Wong, which Kitty Genovese, an unassuming contract killer, took. She was seen I believe with a Smith-Wesson .38 special, which was unfortunately taken from the crime scene. The ensuing trial was based on fabrications.

[nomilkforsanta]

Born in New York City, Genovese was the oldest of five children in a middle class Italian American family and was raised in Brooklyn. After her mother witnessed a murder in the city, the family chose to move to Connecticut in 1954. Genovese, however, nineteen at the time, chose to remain in the city, where she lived for nine years.

[nomilkforsanta]

At the time of her death, she was working as a bar manager at Ev's 11th Hour Sports Bar on Jamaica Avenue in Hollis, Queens. It was revealed on the fortieth anniversary of her death in 2004 that Genovese was a lesbian who shared a Queens apartment with her girlfriend Mary Ann Zielonko. There is, however, no evidence that her sexual orientation had any bearing on her attack and murder.

[KayleighKatsy394]

we watched this video in my psychology class, and i cant get the song out of my head. does anybody know what it is?

[snsmith1985]

The song is "Soma" by the Smashing Pumpkins. Was this a high school or college psychology class?

[KayleighKatsy394]

college, we were doing the social psychology unit and the bystander effect was part of it. i kinda quit college though, wasn't really for me.

[darkme13]

thanks for that video! it helps III-8 students especially group 4 of marcelo h del pilar national high school for their play, starring that story! thanks and mabuhay. by michelle,noelyne, lei and albert of malolos,philippines!

[coocooi234]

Kitty was murdered by Winston Moseley, who claimed that the reasons for him to commit the crime was simply "to kill a woman.", but this doesn't mean men in particular overlooked women. You could say Kitty just was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Either way, her time was up.

[coocooi234]

"one of the neighbors shouted at the attacker, "Let that girl alone!"" "When Genovese screamed out, her cries were heard by several neighbors; but on a cold night with the windows closed, only a few of them recognized the sound as a cry for help".

[coocooi234]

I do not agree with the author's comment that this case was due to male apathy to look over women. "The murder is both an example of the opression of women and a metaphor for their struggle to be heard" - Wrong, Catherine Genovese was not murdered because she was a women, neither targeted for that matter because "women had a hard struggle". I am not saying that women didn't had to struggle in past history, but this was not the case.

[coocooi234]

It is called the bystander effect or Genovese syndrome. This psychological phenomenon was investigated after the murder of Catherine Susan Genovese. It states that: "With others present, observers all assume that someone else is going to intervene and so they each individually refrain from doing so."

[blackburn9]

Gee, I wonder how far that male apathy goes when I a male saved the lives of six white women from a convenience store robbery by a white man and woman only to be arrested on site by two female officers uninterested in my side of the story. Only the black female spoke up in my defense. Who's apathetic now?

[tinsoldier87]

I think what Goldhelmriel is saying about the murder being a metaphor for the apathy to oppression in society is true but still, it's in extremely poor taste to base this metaphor on actual events when almost all the events are portrayed inaccurately. Whether or not this was done knowingly, it is unacceptable and shows a complete lack of disrespect to the real victim. The point would have been better received had it been a random, nameless crime in my opinion.

[jbgood3]

I don't see how the murder of a woman by a pschopathic male is oppression. Surely it signifies the neglect of male mental health problems and what this can lead to.(See Virginia tech) Using one psycho to beat all men over the head is a feminist ploy. Males (the oppressors) are 4x more likely to commit suicide/die earlier than (oppressed)females and yet this creates zero interest amongst feminists.

[Goldhelmriel]

This is especially true of people's reaction towards domestic violence- "Its a family issue, let's not get involved" but they will step between 2 unrelated guys or girls fighting.

[Goldhelmriel]

A lot of the witnesses in this case said they thought it was a 'lovers quarrel'.

A few years ago I called the police on a neighor who beat the hell out of his wife & there were so many people who told me I should have interfered because it was a FAMILY matter- its ridiculous! Family violence is still violence.

[Goldhelmriel]

The filmmaker is setting up a metaphor- the apathy, indifference, or fear of people to stop the attack is a metaphor for apathy people feel for stopping the existing oppression of women. I see this film extending to the apathy of modern day women who don't realize how previous women had to struggle for rights they have, they see it as "I'm NOT a feminist, those issues are not my problem, or someone else will take care of it(they think someone else is helping)". Great job folks!

[snsmith1985]

Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you got that out of our video. That was our intended message.

[tigerpsychosis]

Wow. I can not believe that you are taking the murder of this poor woman and turning it into some liberal propoganda! The murder of Kitty Genovese had NOTHING to do with men. In all acutality, the first person to say ANYTHING was a man!!! It had everything to do with prosocial behavior and noone in the complex helping because they thought someone else was helping. Pathetic. If you are going to tell the story, tell the whole story.

[jas22]

the details of the murder of kitty genovese are very startling and sad. why do we loathe or dont care about anyone we dont know personally?

[leviticushasfallen]

um, your blaming this all on men because men feel the need opress women? are you retard?

[Cheetahsmonk]

Did they ever find out who did it and why?

[Goldhelmriel]

Winston Moseley- just a random working class guy who also happened to be a sexual psychopath. He motive for the killing was "to kill a woman". He also confessed to two other murders in which he sexually assaulted the women. He's still in prison & has been denied for parole over a double times.

[Goldhelmriel]

Sorry, I meant to write over a dozen times.

[sayward12]

Kitty G. is dead because the bystanders didn't do anything, they thought that a nameless "someone else" would do the saving