Image from http://www.huffingtonpost.com
The story of the hot felon lives on. With a chiseled jawline and striking blue eyes, Jeremy Meeks mug shot can be found everywhere on the pages of social media sites. When I came across his photo, at first I was at first puzzling to me why his photo was posted everywhere. Who is this man and what did he do? A resident in Stockton, CA, he was arrested for carrying firearms in public and now is being held on a one million dollar bail. His involvement in gang activity got him caught with three other men but he is the only one that has garnered this much attention. Tattoos on his neck indicate that he is affiliated with the Crips gang. Sadly to say, this is not even his first time in the justice system. Previous arrests have landed him in prison in 2002 on the charges of grand theft auto and gang violence. On Facebook, his photo has already generated 214,000 likes, an astounding number for simply his looks. This is a classic example of how looks can sway the public’s opinion on a person. No matter what he did, his actions are excused by the attractiveness of his photo. His Facebook page solicits donations for his freedom and people will blindly donate so he can meet his bail. Many people cite how sex craved men when compared to women but the opposite is also true. A quick look of the comments on his page includes.
“WHATS JEREMY’S INFO SO I CAN WRITE HIM IN JAIL?”
“Damn, what makes bad boys so attractive? AND HOT??”
While many of the comments praise his looks, others provide another outlook. Comments on his page talk against supporting him and call him a gangster who doesn’t deserve this attention.
Only recently it has been announced that he’s going to be represented by Blaze Modelz to explore the possibility of modeling. I’d say that this is a far reach and is only because he’s gotten this much attention from websites such as Twitter. Once his popularity dies does, so will his heart-struck fans. Being a model takes more than being attractive and no company will want to hire a felon to represent their brand’s image. The agency, however, thinks otherwise and assures him a spot in fashion shows for brands such as Versace. His agent, Gina Rodriguez, has represents clients such as Farrah Abrahams, the teen mom star, and “Octomom”. According to TMZ, he has already been offered a 30,000$ contract. The idea of a reality TV show has even popped up for him, intent on “turning his life around”.
There are two sides to this story. Some will believe that he will forget his past and look forward to the future so he can benefit from this attention and the others will consider that the past to be always a part of him. A father of a new family, Meeks has shifted from being on the streets to taking care of his new son. His family says that he is a changed man and has found peace with God. However, they have responded negatively to the social media attention, mentioning how those comments on his looks are making a joke out of his life.
Whether or not this fame is well deserved, it’s true that being a “bad boy” has it’s upsides as agents are taking advantage of his 15 minutes of fame. The catch is, even with a modeling contract he still will not be able to model in prison. The glorification of criminals in American society seems widespread ranging from classic examples such as Bonnie and Clyde and Al Capone. However in the modern age, it’s up to Jeremy Meeks to decide where his future will take him, to notoriety or to a changed lifestyle.
