Publications Accused Of Attempting To Rehabilitate Kyle Rittenhouse's Image Inspire Memes On Twitter

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse continues to occupy the center of the media and internet's attention, and those two sides appear to have very different ideas of how it should be covered.

This morning, tweets from The New York Times and Reuters that many claimed intentionally framed Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two people during the Wisconsin protests of the killing of Jacob Blake, in a positive light rubbed users the wrong way.

Kyle Rittenhouse, who has idolized law enforcement since he was young, arrived in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, with at least one mission: to play the role of police officer and medic. The night would end with him fatally shooting two men and wounding another. https://t.co/UuM8VJQGXR

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 10, 2021

During the day, Rittenhouse helps clean graffiti off a school. That same day Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, is released from a Milwaukee hospital where he had been admitted after a suicide attempt 3/10 pic.twitter.com/RPdoOF5o4A

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 11, 2021

To many Twitter users, the tweets seemed in line with a general media trend towards being sympathetic to white shooters, and many expressed their frustration with the sort of image rehabilitation the publications seemed to be engaging in.

Rittenhouse then went to choir practice after helping out in a homeless shelter soup kitchen JFC gimme a break.

— Michelle Lamb (@Michell17512161) November 11, 2021

jfc @Reuters if you suck Rittenhouse's dick any harder you're gonna turn him inside out.

— Bizarrobrain (@bizarrobrain) November 12, 2021

jfc @Reuters if you suck Rittenhouse's dick any harder you're gonna turn him inside out.

— Bizarrobrain (@bizarrobrain) November 12, 2021

There isn’t really a thing called “playing police officer and medic.” Impersonating or playing at “police officer" when you’re a 17-year-old kid -- with an assault rifle, which no real police officer actually uses -- is illegal. So is impersonating a medic,

— JudithCardamone (@JudithCardamone) November 11, 2021

The tweets also kicked off a small meme imagining if various, unequivocally evil historical figures and fictional characters received the same sort of media treatment.

"Ted Bundy, who became obsessed with women, thought about lobbying for the ERA but ended up going in a little different direction." – NY Times Normalization Section

— Falling Wallenda (@fallingwallenda) November 11, 2021

Sauron, idolizing Morgoth from a young age arrived in Middle Earth with one mission: to create rings. pic.twitter.com/c9im7oOCkf

— Linda (@Romli490) November 11, 2021

Charles Manson, who loved dune buggies and idolized The Beatles, arrived in Los Angeles with dreams of recording success. A thwarted record deal and an address mix-up led to him expressing his grievances in a way that many have issues with. https://t.co/TaMkZHlS51

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) November 11, 2021

John Wayne Gacy brought joy to little children celebrating their birthdays. pic.twitter.com/Y4DnwPhKdS

— Ob Askin (@AskinOb) November 11, 2021

The Rittenhouse trial continues, and opinions about how it's proceeding, both online and offline, show no signs of abating.