newsbloggers.aol.com — AOL News has obtained two plays a classmate says were written by Cho Seung-Hui. Ian MacFarlane, the former classmate and current AOL employee, provided us with the plays. A note from Mr. MacFarlane and links to the works appear below.
Apr 17, 2007 View in Crawl 4
prockcoreApr 18, 2007
I disagree. I think he was "playing" the kid in mcbeef. The ending is what cinched it for me. Even though his stepfather kills him, it has the feelings of a juvenile "you'll be sorry I'm gone" reaction.
spocksterApr 18, 2007
Usually that is why people major in English.
radiofrequencyApr 18, 2007
If any of y'all are going to deny that at some time in your younger life you didn't hate or wish death upon authority symbols (teachers, parents, cops, etc) you're lying. These stories are immature (a comment way up above about how the characters are like stick figures, and serve only as targets of violence is spot on) but no more violent than I would say the //majority// of writing over the ages. Lots and lots of scenes more violent and graphic than these even in classical literature.
Closed AccountApr 18, 2007
Those plays were comedic gold, too bad he didn't have a lot of people read these before hand he'd be a big hit as a stand up act.
peeeaceluvaApr 18, 2007
It was pure jealousy and self-consciousness that caused Cho Seung-Hui to act in such a horrific manner. What is more frightening is the fact that it is not only Cho who thinks this way. It is supported by the entire Korean culture. They are taught from very young that they are the most superior race of all. They are very proud just to be born Korean. Therefore, Cho always had a racist point of view towards foreigners and especially “rich” kids from the beginning. His pride did not allow him to open up to others, because if he did, it meant he would have to obey them. For Cho to cause this massacre, he was playing “god”. Or else, why would he think that he could easily destroy all of these precious lives? This is an extreme case, however, similar crimes might happen again unless the Korean people change their mentality. Let me sum up their way of thinking: Koreans rule, winning is everything as long as you win (even if their game is unfair), their nature is to lie (they never feel guilty or remorseful because they are not taught to think this way). Therefore, be aware of these people around you!!
jamesowen237Apr 18, 2007
I like your post. I also feel for his parents and hope they are well through all of this. I heard the same second-hand "quote" from his father, and also found it pretty interesting; what sort of reputation was he needing to escape? But we have to keep in mind that the quote came from the family's landlord in Korea-- the quote itself, second-hand in the first, may have become deformed in translation. Also, I read that they were a poor, povertous family in South Korea. I wouldn't be suprised if poverty brings with it some extremely negative social stigmas in the South Korean culture-- perhaps poverty had detrimented Cho's father's reputation. (Also, the landlord was quick to mention that the family was poor, indicating that in saying that he may have actually been passing judgement).Interesting argument about the superiority complex of these peer-killers. Perhaps he imagined himself as pseudo-heroic, called to some pseudo-divine mission.As far as the connection between the thematic sexual abuse in "McBeef" and accusations made against him regarding other girls on the campus: Cho was a shy guy, we know that much. He very rarely said a word, in fact, I haven't heard a single Cho-attributed second-hand quote through all of this. Maybe these girls who were purportedly "stalked" by him had simply caught his eye, and in a fleeting moment (or multiple) he attempted to speak with the girls, but failing, ending up merely following them without a single word of explanation. Who knows. But if this was the case, or generally, that he did not want to scare these girls, but to just chat with them, drop a line or two, and maybe get a number or a screen name, etc. The accusations against Richard's good intentions (in "McBeef") may represent the accusations against him throughout his own innocent intentions of meeting a girl (or girls).As far as the letter he left in his dorm room, that has become secondary to NBC's package, which I'm assuming you haven't heard about yet. Apparently, between the first and second shootings, Cho sent a package to NBC which included pictures, videos, and writings of a rambling nature. NBC handed the package over to the FBI this morning, who has yet to release any details. I can't wait until they do.
larcencielroxApr 19, 2007
No I disagree. The step-dad was supposed to be innocent and framed by the boy. I think Cho was supposed to be the step-dad, especially since he winds up killing the boy. The boy and the mother I think symbolized how he thought the world treated him, no matter how many people tried to reach out and help him. He really should have been hospitalized when he was first recommended for such a treatment.
rain7337Apr 20, 2007
The boy is using the media now to make a point. We need to stop displaying so much violence that is corrupting our children. Turn on the news! He has created an epidemic! Hysteria!I am in no way sympathizing with how he has chosen to make this point. But a point has been made.We didn’t do anything about it when columbine happened. We didn’t stop pumping filth into our children’s head then. Are we going to stop it now? Are we going to quit letting the TV tell our children how to dress and how to act?Filth is glamorized. Our children choose to role model it. We are producing a filthy generation of children. We leave our children to be raised by the media while work hard to buy them the things it says they are supposed to have to be normal. To be accepted. They don’t value education, but they want to have wealth. I know not all children are being raised this way, but too many are. We are being given a serious wake up call. Who is going to stand up and demand that we make changes within our society? Stop pointing the finger at our brothers and sisters as unworthy because they are different, because you don’t have the right shoes or car. We are glutens. We have grown away from family and place little worth in raising our children. Who has time for that when I there is money to be made and stuff to be bought. We don’t listen for good news, only bad. We feel good when others feel bad. Why else do we spend so much time glued to the TV when its full of the tragedy it is displaying now. Turn on the news! Is this healthy? We are polluting our souls with tragedy. We feed on drama. Two more have died because the media created hysteria when they pumped our minds full of this tragedy. He started a chain reaction, and he was betting this would happen. Will you listen now?I think we need to quit covering these events now. The more the media covers these tragedies, the more copycats we will have. This is going to be bad.
rain7337Apr 21, 2007
the answer is, gods children are being corrupted, polluted, led astray. we are s**tting on their faces. shoving garbage down their throats. if you listen to what this boy has to say as if he were speaking for our children about the media they are exposed to, the tv, the computer, video games, etc. the media tells them that they need more and better things to be good enough. they are spoiled brats, nothing is ever enough. this is the generation we are raising. these are the values we are instilling in them. the constant exposure our society has to violence, sex, and corrupt ideas is killing our nation. our values are warped and selfish. we dont do the right thing because we dont know what the right thing is anymore. the only thing we respond to is violence. cho said this is all we will listen to. he makes reference to violent movies when he posed for the pictures holding different weapons. they are depicting the covers of movie boxes. would have listened to him on the tv had he not been a murderer? this is the only reason people are noticing him now. they didnt notice him throughout his life as a quiet child. we were happing to let him live in his pain, as long as he didnt bother us. he is depicting our warped society in his plays. not his experiences as an abused child. his plays depict the abuse our society has inflicted on them from the different types of media we use to pollute our minds with evil. not good. we dont listen to good anymore. our society is breeding evil. we only listen to evil. we are amused by evil. it is so clear to me, why cant you see it? we need to take care of our children. protect them from violence. not expose them to it all day long. we teach them to love violence. glorify trash and smut! this boy knew that in the days it would take for his manifesto to reach the news and all of us, we would have already played this violent act for all of our children, the unstable members of our society, and the evil members, that would in return mimic what they have seen. and they did. there have been copycats all over america. his plan worked. his point was made. are we listening? would we have listened to him had he done done this hedonistic thing? let the revolution begin is what he said. a revolution against our hedonistic ways. our society is judgemental and unwilling to accept differences. he says he didnt want to have do this, but we wouldnt listen any other way. i am not sympathising with him, only the mesaage he is sending. he is a product of our society. jst as many unworthy members of society are products of their environment.
rain7337Apr 21, 2007
Mr brownstone is references the way the system takes advantage of its members, the most vulnerable members of our society. we use others and then take credit for their work. these plays are about american culture!these plays are about us. i cant be the only one who sees this.read between the lines!he is talking about us!will we listen?we dont want to listen because it is not what we want to hear. we are failing ourselves, our children, our next generation, our futures.this is the root of our evils as a socirtythese plays are about the evil in our society.when i haerd the manifesto, i knew who he was talking to, and what he was talikng about. when i read the plays, i got chills.i understand, do you?someone out there tell me you see this to. he has made a plea for us to stop our hedonistic ways as a society that thrives on conflict and wealth.
cb4realAug 24, 2008
It is sad that people like you praise frat boys and date rapists because they were given things. You think justice should only be served on those who can't buy it?CHo was wrong but your fratboy jack rabbit bodied rapists and you whores who slut yourself out to the highest bidders are no less guilty than Cho.