The woman who spent 4 years in an Italian prison before her murder conviction was overturned, is now about to star in a one woman comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Amanda Knox describes “Cartwheel” as a show about “juggling motherhood and finally getting around to being furious about the whole wrongful-imprisonment thing.” Friends and family of murder victim and former roommate of Knox, Meredith Kercher, say the comedy show trivializes violence against women and mocks the horrific events surrounding Kercher’s murder. They are asking for it to be canceled, but Knox has a pointed response to her detractors.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, that folks, it is Friday, August seventh. Then did
you know that Amanda Knox has her own one woman
show and it's a comedy with that Welcome to this
episode of Amy and TJ. It's a comedy. And if
(00:23):
you're a little confused, the family of the woman who
was murdered in that whole saga ain't laughing at all. Rops,
this is a little bizarre. She's free to do what
she wants, but this was interesting to hear that this
is what Amanda Knox has been up to.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Look Bizarre is a good word to use, because anyone
who has followed this story from its inception, which is
back when she was falsely imprisoned for the murder of
her roommate, Meredith Kircher back in two thousand and seven.
But the name of the comedy show reflects some of
the bizarre behavior she was accused of initially, which led
(01:07):
to a lot of people believe her arrest doing that
cartwheel in the hours after her murder. Her friend was.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Murdered, her roommate was murdered. Actually, oh, absolutely, we talked
about it.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Had nauseum on the on at least where I think
I was at the Today Show at the time, and
it was a big deal because how strange you've got
your roommate has been viciously murdered in your home and
police are there, and it's shocking and it's scary, and
what do you do? You you do a cartwheel while
you're while the police are It was just, well, you're
(01:38):
being you're being questioned, your boyfriend's being questioned, and it
just seemed like a strange thing to do. She described
it later. I believe is just a release basically, but
still it was something that actually a lot of folks
pointed to as part of her behavior that led to
her arrest and ultimately her conviction, because she wasn't behaved
(02:00):
being the way people expected someone to behave when their
roommate's just been murdered.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Well, the show is called Cartwells, she says, a play
or a reference to that story, which was just a
reported story, a rumor, something came out of the Italian
police station at the time.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Heart Wheel.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
That's what the claim is, and that's why she's able
to make a play on that infamous story. But yes,
it's called Cartwheel's and she is performing this one woman
comedy show in Scotland. There's a festival going on there.
But the family of the victim robes, and I guess
I can understand that to a certain degree. I don't
even I don't know if you're doing a one woman
show about your ordeal. It's her story. She can tell
(02:40):
her story. She has a right to it. I don't know.
I haven't seen the show. I don't know if it's
im poor taste or not. But initially it sounds a
little uncomfortable to be making light of what she went through.
But what she went through was something that came about
because of the murder of somebody, and so it's I
don't know, this is I don't know. We're gonn let
(03:00):
you hear what the family is actually saying. But and
there's a petition out there this morning to get the
show shut down. But just the initial reaction to it robes.
It seems like an odd choice. I don't want to
condemn her for it, but it just seems odd, you
know what.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I can't imagine what and how she has processed everything.
Look she went through, and not to minimize what Meredith
Kircher's family has gone through and will continue to live
with for the rest of their life, the loss and
the vicious murder of their loved one. But I do
think that Amanda Knox has had her own version of
(03:36):
trauma and this is how she is trying to deal
with it express it. And while I totally understand why
Meredith's family is upset and outraged, I also understand maybe
why Amanda Knox needs a creative outlet for what she's
been through, and both sides can have a point. And
(03:57):
you know, I don't even know how I feel about
it because we haven't it, and that was part of
what Amanda Knox and we'll get into her reaction to
Meredith's family's reaction, but her bigger point is you haven't
seen it. You don't know what it is. You don't
know what I'm saying, you don't know what I'm doing.
And she's insisting that she is actually honoring Meredith. So
I just think before everybody gets up in arms and
tries to cancel folks and say you can't put this
(04:19):
on look, I do think that Amanda Knox has a
story to tell, and I know she's written a book
and she's there have been plenty of made for TV
movies and all sorts of entertainment that has arisen from
this horrific real life tragedy. But don't we see that
in most cases as well, where look, a lot of crimes,
(04:39):
given enough time even become a source of entertainment for
a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
And I could see at this point, I guess it's yes,
it's been a while, bro, but I'm sure it's still
for I mean, well, it never goes to was twenty
nineteen twenty at the time, so she still would have
been a pretty young woman at this point. But the
show is described kark Will is described this way. Amanda
Knox is approaching forty, juggling motherhood and finally getting around
(05:06):
to being furious about the whole wrongful imprisonment thing, especially
when half the world is telling her to get over
it while the other half still thinks she's guilty. How
on earth will she explain it all to her daughter,
who is now asking to hear the story. Mama goes
to Italy and she can protect her from well everything
(05:28):
during her own mother couldn't protect her no matter how
hard she tried. That's the description that they do lay out,
And it's just her up there, and that's supposed to
be it. She's telling this story of what happened to
her trip to Italy to her daughter, and she goes
about telling it in some comedic way. That's the pitch
how to I mean, I frankly sounds kind of clever
(05:50):
way to go about it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yes, And I do think, look, oftentimes we deal with tragedy,
we deal with really hard topics through humor. I mean,
it does help in the healing process for some, but
I can understand how it's a rub to others that
it makes perfect sense that Amanda Knox would take this approach,
I think in a lot of ways, because it's so
(06:11):
awful what happened to her and the time in years
she lost of her life, and as she points out
in that description, part of the rest of her life
has been taken from her in a lot of ways,
because there are still so many people out there who
believe she did commit that murder, that she is guilty
of viciously violently stabbing her roommate for some bizarre sn m.
(06:36):
I think that was the Italian prosecutor's narrative, that she
was what was it, foxy Noxy, that she was into
some deviant sexual behavior. There were drugs and things got
out of hand.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That's tough.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You don't ever fully shake that. And so she's trying
to take back a narrative and making at least giving
at least a comedic through line to us.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
All of that. And again that was her and her reminder.
Her and her boyfriend were convicted. They did spend time
in prison. I believe she ended up with four years.
They were Eventually those were thrown out and somebody else
was convicted of those murders has served his time. The
case is closed, the case is done. However, this still
(07:21):
wrote she was the only one for a long time,
she was the only person that we were associating with
the murder. She was the only suspect they were talking about.
And yes, young white girl doesn't look like she's some
vicious murderer. Yes, this was an international phenomenon of a story.
So here she is, all these years later. If you
(07:41):
don't know, and you probably do, she has been out there.
She's been an advocate for people wrongly convicted. She's told
her story. She's told it, and what Network had her
story as one of the streamers. It was a big
whoopie do. Monica Lewinsky helped produce that thing. Right, She's
been out there, she's been active, So this isn't necessarily
a surprise that she would choose, like you said, a
creative outlet to do something, but had no idea she
(08:04):
was doing this. So what does the sister say. She
did a sit down interview with BBC. I do believe,
and this is how she put it. It very much
normalizes and trivializes violenced against women, and Meredith in particular.
That wasn't my first thought, but she is making a
point there. We will let you hear more of what
(08:25):
she said, but I guess the point there were OBEs
is you're you're making light of something. It was a
man who killed, who was convicted of killing. You're making
light trivializing as a is the word.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
She used, trivializing violence against women. I look, and I
just I understand where she's coming from. I understand her
anger and her pain and being very frustrated and outraged
by this one woman comedic act. But again, none of
us know what's what the script is, what a man
(08:55):
an Ox is going to do or say when she
takes that stage. And look, look there was a petition
going around and I say, you've just updated the signatures
because this morning earlier I think, or the last article
I saw it was six thousand signatures. It's now up
to eighty two o seven.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Look at it right now as of this recording.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
And the petition is on change dot org and anyone
can read it, but we can read part of it
for you, because this is exactly basically this is coming
a friend from a friend who created this petition. So
she writes, I met Meredith Kircher years ago when she
worked with me saving money for her gap year trip
(09:37):
to Perusia. During that time, I became friends with her sister, Steph.
Meredith was bright, full of dreams, and had a life
filled with promise ahead of her. Tragically, in two thousand
and seven, her life was brutally cut short. The rape
and murder of Meredith devastated her family left a scar
that will never fully hear A heel excuse me. Sadly,
their pain was compounded when their mother's succumb to co
(10:00):
nineteen and their father was killed in a tragic hit
and run accident. I had no idea that those two
events occurred. Recently, I learned about a stage performance titled Cartwheel,
said to be showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The
show mocks the horrific events surrounding Meredith's murder and aims
to somehow turn this tragedy into entertainment. Meredith's surviving siblings
(10:25):
have bravely spoken out against this production, labeling it as
absurd and a gross trivialization of their sister's death. The
show not only disrespects Meredith's memory, but it also risks
normalizing violence against women by making light of such a
harrowing event. And then they go on to talk about
(10:46):
the Edinburgh Fringehip Festival. How yes it freedom comes with responsibility.
So they say, yes, we understand artistic expression, but they
also need to value empathy and respect. They want Cartwheel
to be canceled. They say the performance cart Will must
be canceled not only out of respect for Meredith's family,
but as a stand against the normalization of violence against
(11:09):
women in popular culture.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I don't know what we do or robes. I'm this
is one of those that maybe I say that from
my seat. I've never been wrongfully convicted of murder in
a foreign country and then been exonerated. So she went
through a hell and continues to a certain degree to
go through some kind of hell in public. So I
don't know how to it's even before seeing it, even
(11:35):
if it's a hilarious show from start to finish, I
don't know how to go about necessarily criticizing or condemning
because I haven't walked in her shoes, Robes. And yes,
there was a horrific murder, but that was also could
argue this horrific injustice. She experienced something too, and she
has a story to tell and she's telling it in
(11:57):
that respect, Robes. I can't imagine her mocking in some
way the death.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
No, I can't imagine that either. And if she did,
then of course yes something should be said. But look,
when you hear Amanda Knox's Instagram response to this petition,
I do think it puts it into perspective because she
does defend the show and talks about the petition to cancel,
and she says Cartwheel is a show about motherhood, raising
(12:26):
a daughter in a world that is unfair and dangerous
for women, and what it costs to be the kind
of mother who tells her the truth about that. Neither
the author of this petition, nor anyone who signed it
has seen Cartwheel. The petition contains many false assumptions and
completely mischaracterizes the show. Cartwheel honors Meredith Kircher's memory and
(12:51):
calls out the violence that was done to her and
to me. A petition to cancel the show no one
has seen on the grounds of false accusation intended to
shame and vilify a wronged woman into silence is not
an argument against Cartwheel. It's a fairly precise description of
what Cartwheel is about and why it deserves to exist.
(13:14):
And she says the Edinburgh Fringe is the perfect place
for a show like this, and she talks about how
that particular film festival uses comedy as a way to
explore difficult subjects like grief, trauma, mental health, addiction, illness,
identity politics. So she's saying, this is the perfect place
for a show like this, and everyone, hold up, hold
(13:35):
off your judgments and hold off your accusations until you
see what I'm going to put on the stage.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I don't know what to judge. I mean, I really don't.
I mean nothing you do in a comedy show about
your experience. I don't have a next thing some people.
And it's fair if you say it's in poor taste.
It shouldn't be done, or you shouldn't be seen to
even profit. But it's her story. She's been profiting from it,
she's written books about it and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
It's and she paid dearly for And.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
So I don't know, Robes, I'm and it is and
I am not at all going to get close to
criticizing anyone for that. Loved Meredith to hear about this
and not immediately react and be pissed by no judgment
in that. But it's a healthy enough debate, Robes, And
(14:22):
I think it's getting attention for the show. Maybe it
will change. I mean, we are talking right now, as
she put it, and that was the best line in there.
You actually are talking about silence and a woman from
telling her story. That lends this the problem.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
And she was another victim in this horrific tragedy.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Yes, in this No, we don't need to do any
comparative suffering. Someone died. We know that was the worst suffering,
but there is a there's still a living victim of
that whole situation. I don't know. I'm curious to see
the show. I don't know how much bigger it's going
to get. This could just be a one off. This
festival has been around for fifty or something years. I
didn't know about it, but it is and artsy type
(15:01):
and this is they invite folks like this who are
up and coming. I have story to tells. And it
goes for a couple of three weeks.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Three weeks, I would imagine they're going to have sold
out shows, especially after this back and forth.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
I looked for them. There's no tickets available. I did
I there are non available. It's not like a huge venue.
It's not selling out a ten thousand seed stadium, but
still there are no tickets available. But stay here. We
do want you to hear precisely what Stephanie Mercher said
the sister of the victim, and you know what both
(15:35):
sides robes. I think you'll agree in how they're talking
about it. They come off sincerely, they should be listened to,
and they don't sound like they're attacking each other. So
we'll let you hear from the sister of the victim
and see if that changes your mind one way or another.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Stare Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. We are
talking about Cartwheel. It is a new one woman comedic
show Amanda Knox has written, produced and is storing in
(16:12):
it and it's going to be taking place at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival a three week and we just learned
a sold out show. And look, she's exploring what she
went through, her difficulties, explaining it as a mother to
her daughter, and she's doing it through a comedic telling
(16:33):
of her experience and that has obviously I mean, I
say obviously, but it's understandably upset the victim in this case,
Meredith Kircher, or at least the murder victim in this case,
and her sister is speaking out about her feelings on
Amanda Knox's decision to put this show together.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
And even in doing sol robe she pointed out if
the presenter it was a British now saying that the prisoner,
what the hell? The journalist, oh yeah. It was actually
pointing out to the sister, you don't talk, you haven't
been talking, and was asking like why on this one?
And she did. She come through and kind of explained
(17:14):
this is different, this was worth speaking up and speaking
out about. She said it calmly, she was an emotional
and whatnot, and was very sweet lady in what she
was describing, but this is where she's coming from, she said,
quote Amanda is naturally free to continue with her life
as she wishes. But I think the problem with this
particular project is that it is comedy. While I appreciate
comedy is here to push the boundary, it very much
(17:35):
normalizes trivializes violence against women, and Meredith in particular. I
think in this case, it's a position where it's not
a generic topic. It's targeting an individual trauma and an
individual person and family. I feel very strongly that Meredith
would agree with that. She I don't think anything unreasonable
is in there.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
No, not at all, and she went on to say
it's not about whether people think she's guilty or innocent.
If someone else was doing the show specifically against Meredith,
I would still feel the same. It is obviously an
added wound that it's coming from her at the same time,
but I do feel very strongly that it should be
something that's not given a platform in the past. Rightfully,
(18:15):
so we've maintained silence and we wanted to preserve Meredith's memory.
Amanda has put herself back in the public eye. This
particular project is around comedy and when you're broaching that
subject in a comedy, there needs to be an essence
of responsibility there, and she says, this is giving a
platform to something that affects more than just my family
(18:35):
and Meredith. It affects a lot of people out there,
and it shouldn't be given a platform that specific topic. Look, Amanda,
she's arguing, is put herself back in the public eye.
And yes, I understand where she's coming from creating a
show around this, but I would imagine being Amanda Knox.
It's hard not to always be a public spectacle with
her name, her likeness, everyone not like it's kind of
(18:58):
like it's funny you mentioned Monica Lewinsky. I feel like
in a similar way, those are names that are always
and forever going to be associated with something incredibly painful
and negative, and it's hard to escape it. So if
you embrace it, if you acknowledge it, if you find
a way to turn it into something good, make your mess,
your message, et cetera. I can understand she's it's not
(19:18):
as if she just can go live a private life
and no one would be whispering and talking. It's I'm
sure a very difficult balance to strike.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
However, she wants to strike it. I have no problem
with whatever however she wants to go about it. And
she should be commended to a certain degree for not
going away and hiding, for being an advocate for folks
who are wrongly convicted. But me, yes, she's making a
choice to go do a public show. Absolutely knock yourself out.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It might be part of her healing, part of her therapy.
And look, no one has to go see this if
they don't want to. It's being done on a stage.
It's not being broadcast for millions to watch. But I
will be interested in hearing the reviews, hearing what it
is that she does put on on that stage.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I would watch and if it comes to Broadway, sign
me up.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Alright. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate listening to us.
I'm made me Roeboch alongside TJ. Holmes.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
We'll talk sim
Hey, that folks, it is Friday, August seventh. Then did
you know that Amanda Knox has her own one woman
show and it's a comedy with that Welcome to this
episode of Amy and TJ. It's a comedy. And if
(00:23):
you're a little confused, the family of the woman who
was murdered in that whole saga ain't laughing at all. Rops,
this is a little bizarre. She's free to do what
she wants, but this was interesting to hear that this
is what Amanda Knox has been up to.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Look Bizarre is a good word to use, because anyone
who has followed this story from its inception, which is
back when she was falsely imprisoned for the murder of
her roommate, Meredith Kircher back in two thousand and seven.
But the name of the comedy show reflects some of
the bizarre behavior she was accused of initially, which led
(01:07):
to a lot of people believe her arrest doing that
cartwheel in the hours after her murder. Her friend was.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Murdered, her roommate was murdered. Actually, oh, absolutely, we talked
about it.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Had nauseum on the on at least where I think
I was at the Today Show at the time, and
it was a big deal because how strange you've got
your roommate has been viciously murdered in your home and
police are there, and it's shocking and it's scary, and
what do you do? You you do a cartwheel while
you're while the police are It was just, well, you're
(01:38):
being you're being questioned, your boyfriend's being questioned, and it
just seemed like a strange thing to do. She described
it later. I believe is just a release basically, but
still it was something that actually a lot of folks
pointed to as part of her behavior that led to
her arrest and ultimately her conviction, because she wasn't behaved
(02:00):
being the way people expected someone to behave when their
roommate's just been murdered.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Well, the show is called Cartwells, she says, a play
or a reference to that story, which was just a
reported story, a rumor, something came out of the Italian
police station at the time.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Heart Wheel.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
That's what the claim is, and that's why she's able
to make a play on that infamous story. But yes,
it's called Cartwheel's and she is performing this one woman
comedy show in Scotland. There's a festival going on there.
But the family of the victim robes, and I guess
I can understand that to a certain degree. I don't
even I don't know if you're doing a one woman
show about your ordeal. It's her story. She can tell
(02:40):
her story. She has a right to it. I don't know.
I haven't seen the show. I don't know if it's
im poor taste or not. But initially it sounds a
little uncomfortable to be making light of what she went through.
But what she went through was something that came about
because of the murder of somebody, and so it's I
don't know, this is I don't know. We're gonn let
(03:00):
you hear what the family is actually saying. But and
there's a petition out there this morning to get the
show shut down. But just the initial reaction to it robes.
It seems like an odd choice. I don't want to
condemn her for it, but it just seems odd, you
know what.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I can't imagine what and how she has processed everything.
Look she went through, and not to minimize what Meredith
Kircher's family has gone through and will continue to live
with for the rest of their life, the loss and
the vicious murder of their loved one. But I do
think that Amanda Knox has had her own version of
(03:36):
trauma and this is how she is trying to deal
with it express it. And while I totally understand why
Meredith's family is upset and outraged, I also understand maybe
why Amanda Knox needs a creative outlet for what she's
been through, and both sides can have a point. And
(03:57):
you know, I don't even know how I feel about
it because we haven't it, and that was part of
what Amanda Knox and we'll get into her reaction to
Meredith's family's reaction, but her bigger point is you haven't
seen it. You don't know what it is. You don't
know what I'm saying, you don't know what I'm doing.
And she's insisting that she is actually honoring Meredith. So
I just think before everybody gets up in arms and
tries to cancel folks and say you can't put this
(04:19):
on look, I do think that Amanda Knox has a
story to tell, and I know she's written a book
and she's there have been plenty of made for TV
movies and all sorts of entertainment that has arisen from
this horrific real life tragedy. But don't we see that
in most cases as well, where look, a lot of crimes,
(04:39):
given enough time even become a source of entertainment for
a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
And I could see at this point, I guess it's yes,
it's been a while, bro, but I'm sure it's still
for I mean, well, it never goes to was twenty
nineteen twenty at the time, so she still would have
been a pretty young woman at this point. But the
show is described kark Will is described this way. Amanda
Knox is approaching forty, juggling motherhood and finally getting around
(05:06):
to being furious about the whole wrongful imprisonment thing, especially
when half the world is telling her to get over
it while the other half still thinks she's guilty. How
on earth will she explain it all to her daughter,
who is now asking to hear the story. Mama goes
to Italy and she can protect her from well everything
(05:28):
during her own mother couldn't protect her no matter how
hard she tried. That's the description that they do lay out,
And it's just her up there, and that's supposed to
be it. She's telling this story of what happened to
her trip to Italy to her daughter, and she goes
about telling it in some comedic way. That's the pitch
how to I mean, I frankly sounds kind of clever
(05:50):
way to go about it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yes, And I do think, look, oftentimes we deal with tragedy,
we deal with really hard topics through humor. I mean,
it does help in the healing process for some, but
I can understand how it's a rub to others that
it makes perfect sense that Amanda Knox would take this approach,
I think in a lot of ways, because it's so
(06:11):
awful what happened to her and the time in years
she lost of her life, and as she points out
in that description, part of the rest of her life
has been taken from her in a lot of ways,
because there are still so many people out there who
believe she did commit that murder, that she is guilty
of viciously violently stabbing her roommate for some bizarre sn m.
(06:36):
I think that was the Italian prosecutor's narrative, that she
was what was it, foxy Noxy, that she was into
some deviant sexual behavior. There were drugs and things got
out of hand.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That's tough.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You don't ever fully shake that. And so she's trying
to take back a narrative and making at least giving
at least a comedic through line to us.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
All of that. And again that was her and her reminder.
Her and her boyfriend were convicted. They did spend time
in prison. I believe she ended up with four years.
They were Eventually those were thrown out and somebody else
was convicted of those murders has served his time. The
case is closed, the case is done. However, this still
(07:21):
wrote she was the only one for a long time,
she was the only person that we were associating with
the murder. She was the only suspect they were talking about.
And yes, young white girl doesn't look like she's some
vicious murderer. Yes, this was an international phenomenon of a story.
So here she is, all these years later. If you
(07:41):
don't know, and you probably do, she has been out there.
She's been an advocate for people wrongly convicted. She's told
her story. She's told it, and what Network had her
story as one of the streamers. It was a big
whoopie do. Monica Lewinsky helped produce that thing. Right, She's
been out there, she's been active, So this isn't necessarily
a surprise that she would choose, like you said, a
creative outlet to do something, but had no idea she
(08:04):
was doing this. So what does the sister say. She
did a sit down interview with BBC. I do believe,
and this is how she put it. It very much
normalizes and trivializes violenced against women, and Meredith in particular.
That wasn't my first thought, but she is making a
point there. We will let you hear more of what
(08:25):
she said, but I guess the point there were OBEs
is you're you're making light of something. It was a
man who killed, who was convicted of killing. You're making
light trivializing as a is the word.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
She used, trivializing violence against women. I look, and I
just I understand where she's coming from. I understand her
anger and her pain and being very frustrated and outraged
by this one woman comedic act. But again, none of
us know what's what the script is, what a man
(08:55):
an Ox is going to do or say when she
takes that stage. And look, look there was a petition
going around and I say, you've just updated the signatures
because this morning earlier I think, or the last article
I saw it was six thousand signatures. It's now up
to eighty two o seven.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Look at it right now as of this recording.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
And the petition is on change dot org and anyone
can read it, but we can read part of it
for you, because this is exactly basically this is coming
a friend from a friend who created this petition. So
she writes, I met Meredith Kircher years ago when she
worked with me saving money for her gap year trip
(09:37):
to Perusia. During that time, I became friends with her sister, Steph.
Meredith was bright, full of dreams, and had a life
filled with promise ahead of her. Tragically, in two thousand
and seven, her life was brutally cut short. The rape
and murder of Meredith devastated her family left a scar
that will never fully hear A heel excuse me. Sadly,
their pain was compounded when their mother's succumb to co
(10:00):
nineteen and their father was killed in a tragic hit
and run accident. I had no idea that those two
events occurred. Recently, I learned about a stage performance titled Cartwheel,
said to be showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The
show mocks the horrific events surrounding Meredith's murder and aims
to somehow turn this tragedy into entertainment. Meredith's surviving siblings
(10:25):
have bravely spoken out against this production, labeling it as
absurd and a gross trivialization of their sister's death. The
show not only disrespects Meredith's memory, but it also risks
normalizing violence against women by making light of such a
harrowing event. And then they go on to talk about
(10:46):
the Edinburgh Fringehip Festival. How yes it freedom comes with responsibility.
So they say, yes, we understand artistic expression, but they
also need to value empathy and respect. They want Cartwheel
to be canceled. They say the performance cart Will must
be canceled not only out of respect for Meredith's family,
but as a stand against the normalization of violence against
(11:09):
women in popular culture.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
I don't know what we do or robes. I'm this
is one of those that maybe I say that from
my seat. I've never been wrongfully convicted of murder in
a foreign country and then been exonerated. So she went
through a hell and continues to a certain degree to
go through some kind of hell in public. So I
don't know how to it's even before seeing it, even
(11:35):
if it's a hilarious show from start to finish, I
don't know how to go about necessarily criticizing or condemning
because I haven't walked in her shoes, Robes. And yes,
there was a horrific murder, but that was also could
argue this horrific injustice. She experienced something too, and she
has a story to tell and she's telling it in
(11:57):
that respect, Robes. I can't imagine her mocking in some
way the death.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
No, I can't imagine that either. And if she did,
then of course yes something should be said. But look,
when you hear Amanda Knox's Instagram response to this petition,
I do think it puts it into perspective because she
does defend the show and talks about the petition to cancel,
and she says Cartwheel is a show about motherhood, raising
(12:26):
a daughter in a world that is unfair and dangerous
for women, and what it costs to be the kind
of mother who tells her the truth about that. Neither
the author of this petition, nor anyone who signed it
has seen Cartwheel. The petition contains many false assumptions and
completely mischaracterizes the show. Cartwheel honors Meredith Kircher's memory and
(12:51):
calls out the violence that was done to her and
to me. A petition to cancel the show no one
has seen on the grounds of false accusation intended to
shame and vilify a wronged woman into silence is not
an argument against Cartwheel. It's a fairly precise description of
what Cartwheel is about and why it deserves to exist.
(13:14):
And she says the Edinburgh Fringe is the perfect place
for a show like this, and she talks about how
that particular film festival uses comedy as a way to
explore difficult subjects like grief, trauma, mental health, addiction, illness,
identity politics. So she's saying, this is the perfect place
for a show like this, and everyone, hold up, hold
(13:35):
off your judgments and hold off your accusations until you
see what I'm going to put on the stage.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I don't know what to judge. I mean, I really don't.
I mean nothing you do in a comedy show about
your experience. I don't have a next thing some people.
And it's fair if you say it's in poor taste.
It shouldn't be done, or you shouldn't be seen to
even profit. But it's her story. She's been profiting from it,
she's written books about it and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
It's and she paid dearly for And.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
So I don't know, Robes, I'm and it is and
I am not at all going to get close to
criticizing anyone for that. Loved Meredith to hear about this
and not immediately react and be pissed by no judgment
in that. But it's a healthy enough debate, Robes, And
(14:22):
I think it's getting attention for the show. Maybe it
will change. I mean, we are talking right now, as
she put it, and that was the best line in there.
You actually are talking about silence and a woman from
telling her story. That lends this the problem.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
And she was another victim in this horrific tragedy.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Yes, in this No, we don't need to do any
comparative suffering. Someone died. We know that was the worst suffering,
but there is a there's still a living victim of
that whole situation. I don't know. I'm curious to see
the show. I don't know how much bigger it's going
to get. This could just be a one off. This
festival has been around for fifty or something years. I
didn't know about it, but it is and artsy type
(15:01):
and this is they invite folks like this who are
up and coming. I have story to tells. And it
goes for a couple of three weeks.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Three weeks, I would imagine they're going to have sold
out shows, especially after this back and forth.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
I looked for them. There's no tickets available. I did
I there are non available. It's not like a huge venue.
It's not selling out a ten thousand seed stadium, but
still there are no tickets available. But stay here. We
do want you to hear precisely what Stephanie Mercher said
the sister of the victim, and you know what both
(15:35):
sides robes. I think you'll agree in how they're talking
about it. They come off sincerely, they should be listened to,
and they don't sound like they're attacking each other. So
we'll let you hear from the sister of the victim
and see if that changes your mind one way or another.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Stare Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. We are
talking about Cartwheel. It is a new one woman comedic
show Amanda Knox has written, produced and is storing in
(16:12):
it and it's going to be taking place at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival a three week and we just learned
a sold out show. And look, she's exploring what she
went through, her difficulties, explaining it as a mother to
her daughter, and she's doing it through a comedic telling
(16:33):
of her experience and that has obviously I mean, I
say obviously, but it's understandably upset the victim in this case,
Meredith Kircher, or at least the murder victim in this case,
and her sister is speaking out about her feelings on
Amanda Knox's decision to put this show together.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
And even in doing sol robe she pointed out if
the presenter it was a British now saying that the prisoner,
what the hell? The journalist, oh yeah. It was actually
pointing out to the sister, you don't talk, you haven't
been talking, and was asking like why on this one?
And she did. She come through and kind of explained
(17:14):
this is different, this was worth speaking up and speaking
out about. She said it calmly, she was an emotional
and whatnot, and was very sweet lady in what she
was describing, but this is where she's coming from, she said,
quote Amanda is naturally free to continue with her life
as she wishes. But I think the problem with this
particular project is that it is comedy. While I appreciate
comedy is here to push the boundary, it very much
(17:35):
normalizes trivializes violence against women, and Meredith in particular. I
think in this case, it's a position where it's not
a generic topic. It's targeting an individual trauma and an
individual person and family. I feel very strongly that Meredith
would agree with that. She I don't think anything unreasonable
is in there.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
No, not at all, and she went on to say
it's not about whether people think she's guilty or innocent.
If someone else was doing the show specifically against Meredith,
I would still feel the same. It is obviously an
added wound that it's coming from her at the same time,
but I do feel very strongly that it should be
something that's not given a platform in the past. Rightfully,
(18:15):
so we've maintained silence and we wanted to preserve Meredith's memory.
Amanda has put herself back in the public eye. This
particular project is around comedy and when you're broaching that
subject in a comedy, there needs to be an essence
of responsibility there, and she says, this is giving a
platform to something that affects more than just my family
(18:35):
and Meredith. It affects a lot of people out there,
and it shouldn't be given a platform that specific topic. Look, Amanda,
she's arguing, is put herself back in the public eye.
And yes, I understand where she's coming from creating a
show around this, but I would imagine being Amanda Knox.
It's hard not to always be a public spectacle with
her name, her likeness, everyone not like it's kind of
(18:58):
like it's funny you mentioned Monica Lewinsky. I feel like
in a similar way, those are names that are always
and forever going to be associated with something incredibly painful
and negative, and it's hard to escape it. So if
you embrace it, if you acknowledge it, if you find
a way to turn it into something good, make your mess,
your message, et cetera. I can understand she's it's not
(19:18):
as if she just can go live a private life
and no one would be whispering and talking. It's I'm
sure a very difficult balance to strike.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
However, she wants to strike it. I have no problem
with whatever however she wants to go about it. And
she should be commended to a certain degree for not
going away and hiding, for being an advocate for folks
who are wrongly convicted. But me, yes, she's making a
choice to go do a public show. Absolutely knock yourself out.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It might be part of her healing, part of her therapy.
And look, no one has to go see this if
they don't want to. It's being done on a stage.
It's not being broadcast for millions to watch. But I
will be interested in hearing the reviews, hearing what it
is that she does put on on that stage.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I would watch and if it comes to Broadway, sign
me up.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Alright. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate listening to us.
I'm made me Roeboch alongside TJ. Holmes.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
We'll talk sim
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