Reader: Holmies fascinated by James Holmes not as bad as media claims

Our post about Holmies Tumblr pages devoted to accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes has drawn plenty of negative comments about the people behind the sites. But one self-described member of Holmies Nation counters these arguments in the following way...

By Michael Roberts

August 14, 2012

Audio By Carbonatix

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Our post about Holmies Tumblr pages devoted to accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes has drawn plenty of negative comments about the people behind the sites.

But one self-described member of Holmies Nation counters these arguments in the following way.

jessicadawnpena writes:

Thank you for this refreshing objective view of the "Holmies." I am a Tumblr user myself and some of these people are my friends, they are not horrible people. Contrary to popular belief, only a few blogs intend to offend, the rest of us have a sincere curiosity about this case and this person. The real shame. (Which the media has failed to report.) is the perpetual harassment and beratement that people who identify themselves as "Holmies" receive. Constant threats of rape and death for them and their families. It's almost as if they are more like James Holmes then we are...

For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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