TL;DR-After being awake for over 48 hours drafting tedious, soul-crushing, no opinions allowed legal writing, my post reads like I had one philosophy class before earning my TV/VCR Repair certificate online.
Chris Kyle. I'd never heard of him until 'American Sniper' was released, but stumbled across this article: Truth, Justice and the Curious Case of Chris Kyle and was blown away.
You have a highly decorated Navy SEAL who fought for his country. Devoted to his family. Volunteered with vets suffering from PTSD, and was tragically killed when one of those men gunned him down at a firing range.
And then there is the Chris Kyle who lied. Repeatedly. Not exaggerations, but demonstrably false and disturbing claims. Many were included in his best selling book, and led to Jesse Ventura suing for defamation and winning. I've barely touched the info included in the article, but Kyle makes Jay's stories seem like something out of Reader's Digest (large print edition).
It's perfect for Serial because, on its face, it's another intriguing story of ordinary people caught in increasingly bizarre circumstances. But there are so many larger themes to be explored on an individual and societal level. Can a man be a hero in battle but deplorable back home? How does being a sniper responsible for hundreds of deaths change a person? Were Kyle's lies a manifestation of PTSD, or was he a pathological liar with no fear and a huge ego?
Why do so many still think it unpatriotic and borderline treason to question the actions of a soldier? He'd never lie about personally finding all the WMD's in Iraq. When he got home, the US government knew he had the skill and integrity required to shoot looters during Hurricane Katrina. Don't question someone who risked his life for your freedom.
Is Jesse Ventura the focus of attacks because people are truly outraged he sued a member of the military? Or is the subconscious honing in on the only person not considered above reproach to avoid the cognitive dissonance required to reconcile the idea of the perfect soldier with the reality presented by Kyle?