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The Louvre robbery has turned social media upside down, sparking memes, cosplay videos, and even brand campaigns. Why do crime become a trend?
Since the spectacular Louvre heist on October 19, the internet has been ablaze. On social media, heist videos multiply, memes turn stolen jewels into fashion accessories, and the alleged thieves of France’s Crown Treasure have become fictional characters. The case reveals a broader cultural phenomenon: the glamorization of crime, where fascination invades the digital space and transgression turns into entertainment.
From Charm to Enchantment
The verb “to glamorize” derives from “glamour”, a noun that entered English in the early 18th century through the Scottish glamer, meaning “magic” or “enchantment.”
By the 19th century, “glamour” had shifted from sorcery to seduction: it came to mean magnetic charm or beauty, especially the kind associated with the stage, cinema, and fame.
“To glamorize” therefore means to cast a spell of attraction, to render something alluring that should perhaps remain ordinary or, in the case of a heist, morally questionable.
Psychology of Fascination
In just seven minutes, four individuals managed to steal eight pieces of royal jewelry worth an estimated €88 million. A meticulously planned operation, with no apparent violence: a real-life Netflix plot. And that’s exactly why it went viral.
On social media, the crime turned into a collective performance. Users reenacted the scene, filmed themselves as mock thieves, and joked: “Someone’s selling the Louvre jewels on Vinted?” Others even went for “Love at first heist!”
Psychologists and sociologists call this phenomenon the romanticization of crime or the glorification of criminals, where admiration replaces condemnation. Watching a “clean” heist, devoid of blood or fear, allows viewers to experience a thrill of transgression, a safe dose of danger. This reaction ties to what researchers describe as the thrill of crime: a psychological excitement similar to what we feel in action films.
Cultural icons like Arsène Lupin or Danny Ocean (from Ocean’s Eleven) embody this fantasy of cleverness and rebellion against power. But in the age of algorithms, that thrill has gone viral. The heist becomes a story to remix, reenact, and share: a digital myth where everyone wants, for a moment, to play the hero.
Between Virality and Marketing: Where Does Justice Stand?
The Louvre heist also sparked creativity in the advertising world. Brands quickly joined the buzz in a textbook case of newsjacking, the art of hijacking a headline to boost visibility.
Several companies have created content inspired by the Louvre robbery to capture their audience’s attention.
But the question remains: how far can we turn crime into content?
When a robbery becomes a viral meme or a marketing tool, the spectacle often overshadows the reality of the act: the thrill replaces the weight of truth.
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