Prosecutors have painted a grotesque picture with the case of Celeste Rivas, whose decomposed body was discovered in D4vd’s Tesla, surrounded by nearly a dozen air fresheners. Yet, what do we see in the mainstream media? A shoddy attempt to sensationalize the gruesome details while conveniently neglecting the underlying narratives about mental health or the failure of the justice system. Outlets like CNN want to trot out the image of “murderer meets eco-friendly car,” but this oversimplification plays right into their clickbait agenda.

Instead of delving into the societal implications or the real questions—how someone could allow a body to rot in their vehicle or what drove this man to such depravity—corporate media is peddling a salacious story that’s easy to digest but offers zero substance. Fox News, notorious for its echo chamber, is likely to present it as just another item in their crime blotter, further muddying the waters on the deeper issues at hand.

The focus on detail like air fresheners feels almost like a diversion tactic, a way to distract from the psychological horror or the systemic failures that allowed this to happen. What about discussing the societal or familial breakdowns that contribute to such tragedies? But no, let’s just pile on the air fresheners and keep viewers in a sensationalized frenzy. This is the state of today’s media—more interested in ratings than in truth. Straight up pathetic.