"Daisy, it's me, Justin."
In the living room of an apartment, Daisy held her phone to her ear, hearing a familiar voice, "Murphy's interview is on tonight, are you watching?"
"I know," Daisy replied with a smile, "I've already turned on the TV, waiting for the interview to start."
After chatting with Justin for a bit, Daisy hung up, made herself a cup of coffee, and sat on the sofa in front of the TV, tuning in to Fox News, waiting for the interview to begin.
As the leader of an IMDB discussion group, Daisy had known for a while that Murphy would address the shooting incident in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre and the subsequent controversies in tonight's interview. This was the main reason she was watching.
Although she was now a follower of the magician, as a former fervent fan of Murphy Stanton, she was eager to hear his views on these events.
Daisy watched the TV, sipping her coffee as the program had not yet started.
"Murphy has always been that perverted, dark, and crazy director, and this is reflected in his films," Daisy thought to herself. "From the very beginning with 'Hard Candy' and 'Saw,' to the pinnacle with 'Dark City,' it all proves this!"
She believed that Murphy would understand her actions. While she didn't expect him to say anything supportive on TV, as a smart director, Murphy wouldn't make any statements targeting her like the foolish media.
Daisy was confident about this because she always felt that she and Murphy Stanton were the same kind of person. The only difference was that Murphy created those theories and put them into films, while she turned those theories into reality!
"What a pity..." Daisy sighed, "If I could join forces with Murphy, Los Angeles would surely be in chaos by now."
She felt quite disappointed that despite everything she had done, Los Angeles remained orderly.
As the time arrived, the Fox News interview began, showing Murphy and the host in a delicately arranged studio, starting to express his views.
At first, Daisy didn't think much of it, but as the interview progressed, her brows furrowed more and more. What Murphy was saying and the stance he was taking seemed quite different from what she had imagined.
"Michael Verner, a criminal psychology expert from the FBI, wrote in the media," Murphy said, looking relaxed on the TV.
Daisy listened intently, "Reviewing a series of major shootings in the United States, the perpetrators can generally be identified as a certain type: those who are socially resentful and suffer from extreme paranoia."
Who is he talking about? Daisy's brows knitted tightly. Who is resentful of society? Who is paranoid? Is he talking about me? I'm just trying to make society into what it should be!
Her once eager gaze gradually turned flat as she continued to watch Murphy speak fluently on TV, "These individuals seek to create impact through killings. The assailant at the TCL Chinese Theatre is a typical example. This has little to do with any film."
Daisy's eyes widened. How could he be so irresponsible? How could he say that? How could he deny the creation of great ideas? Didn't the magician come to life through his script and camera?
How could Murphy say and do this?
Moreover, an assailant? Murphy was calling her an assailant? Why would he say that? She was just implementing his ideas and concepts!
This was completely different from what Daisy had imagined. Murphy was entirely denying any connection between this incident and his work, pushing all responsibility away.
To Daisy, Murphy's statements on TV were just shirking responsibility.
"Jeffrey Swanson, a professor at Brown University studying violence and mental illness, believes," Murphy continued, citing various experts, "we should not rush to conclude the motives behind such crimes. Although major shooters are typically young men with introverted tendencies who often imitate movies, there are tens of thousands of people who fit this profile, yet they don't commit such acts."
Daisy's gaze grew colder, and her once fervent admiration for Murphy began to freeze.
Yet on TV, her former idol and most admired person didn't stop, "Steve Albrecht, an expert from the American Threat Assessment Professionals Association, recently expressed his views on these incidents, stating that the perpetrators might be failures in various aspects, attempting to solve their problems through killings. He suggested that the police's efforts to find the motives might be futile and recommended focusing more on preventing such crimes beforehand."
What does he mean by failures? What does he mean by solving problems through killings? Daisy felt increasingly cold, muttering to herself, "Am I a failure? Am I solving problems through killings?"
On TV, Murphy didn't directly deny any connection between her actions and "Dark City," but his comments placed all the blame on her, as if those ideas weren't his creations.
The relationship between films and violence is too complex to be clarified in a year. Both CAA and 20th Century Fox's PR teams had agreed on a strategy for Murphy to firmly deny any direct link between his films and these incidents.
Murphy wasn't foolish and wouldn't acknowledge the media's claims, nor would he agree that his films incited these crimes. This was the USA, and he was a Hollywood director. Films, like knives and guns sold in stores, could harm people, but you couldn't blame the legal manufacturers and sellers, right?
Only a fool would admit his films led to violent crimes.
In the studio, Murphy followed the planned strategy, continuing, "North America has a very mature film market with a complete self-regulation system. The violence in films that can be widely released here is very limited. 'Dark City' is a PG-13 movie, essentially a family-friendly film, with many children watching it."
He added naturally, "If films are linked to violence, then literary works also contain violence. We shouldn't make such connections. The core issue here is the problem of gun control in America."
In such matters, not only should responsibility be deflected, but a more suitable scapegoat should be found. In America, who better than the federal government and the system itself to take the blame?
During the program, Murphy's fans and black fan organizations actively posted and created topics on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
"Have you, after watching 'Dark City,' not been captivated by the magician's extreme madness and meticulous planning? Did you not feel an urge to plant a bomb somewhere and walk out like the magician? But did you do it?"
"No! Because you are rational and can distinguish between fantasy and reality."
"But for some, they live in fantasy or are forced to live in it. Perhaps the criminal, like the magician, has a psychological scar. Criminal psychology believes that criminal behavior is closely related to childhood experiences. The real world influences a person's psyche, which is the root of criminal behavior!"
Though Murphy didn't fully believe that films had no impact on reality, he knew better than to say such things out loud.
Daisy sat still in front of the TV, her gaze cold as ice.
"Why? Why is it like this?" She wanted to scream but couldn't utter a word, "Why is he saying this? Why?"
The program continued, Murphy's voice coming through once again, "Actually, there's a saying that sums it up well—people know the truth. This world is simple, cruel, with no miracles or magic. But some people just can't accept that..."
"Director Stanton, one last question," the host on TV said, "If the perpetrator is one of your fans and is watching this show, what would you say to him?"
Daisy focused intensely, staring at the TV, her ears perked up. She wanted to hear what Murphy would say!
"I hope he will turn himself in to the police as soon as possible..."
At Murphy's first words, Daisy shot up, her gaze becoming sharp like swords.
"I don't know if you're watching, but I want to say, please think it over. What you're doing is completely wrong. There's still a lot of good in this world to pursue. Don't continue down this wrong path..."
"Damn it!" Daisy grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it..."
She repeated the words several times, her voice growing louder each time, finally kicking the sofa hard. Only then did she feel a little relieved.
After a long time, Daisy calmed down, but her gaze remained icy.
"Traitor!" Her expression twisted, and she slowly squeezed out the words, "Murphy Stanton, you're a traitor!"
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