The internet has lost its mind over Luigi Mangione. The 26-year-old has been charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. While a man was tragically killed, the most bizarre outcome of the situation has been the internet thirsting over Mangione’s perceived sex appeal.
Merchandise glorifying Mangione—including T-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, and shot glasses—has started appearing on retail platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, and eBay, despite repeated efforts to take these listings down. Frustrations with the American healthcare system seem to have fuelled this phenomenon, with some viewing Mangione as a folk hero. Morning Brew reported: “On Etsy, products were being offered with Mangione’s likeness and the phrase ‘Deny, Defend, Depose.
’” When the NYPD News released a few photos of Mangione dressed in an orange jumpsuit, the response was unsurprising: most comments focused on his striking Italian good looks. One user tweeted his photo with a "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" logo, while another quipped, “Did you guys..
. make him hotter?” The orange jumpsuit, a standard issue for American prisoners, became a subject of scrutiny when worn by Mangione. The Instagram account and fashion watchdog group Diet Prada shared Mangione’s picture, comparing it to Saint Laurent’s runway collections.
They captioned it: “It’s giving Saint Laurent. Luigi Mangione arrives in NYC.” Naturally, the comments evoked the surreal tone of a Black Mirror episo.