A long, long time ago while browsing Hulu I came across the movie Compliance (2012) and since the actress on the poster was June Colburn from my favorite tv show Don’t Trust the B---- From Apartment 23 (2012-2013)—btw real quick: it’s obscene the number of times I have rewatched the series throughout the years, mind you, I still do up to this day and highly recommend it to anyone craving original content about an unapologetic, politically incorrect, adorable badass b---- #teamChloe—so, naturally, I decided to give the trailer a go and, oh wow, I couldn’t even finish it and immediately stopped it as my blood started boiling in anger! No, thank you, that movie was definitely not for me. What kind of an idiot would follow random directions from a stranger over the phone and terrorize another human being!? There is no way! Absolutely not! I hate it!

Fast forward to today when I found about the 2004 true crime case of then 18-year-old Louise Ogborn, a McDonald’s employee from Kentucky who was the victim of not only an illegal strip-search but also of sexual assault by her Manager and her Manager’s fiancé, respectively, all because they were told to do so by a man on the other side of the phone. The man was 38-year-old David Stewart, a security guard and, most importantly, an utterly pathetic wannabe-cop from Florida who had done the same to—prepare to gasp in horror—over sixty other fast-food establishments across rural areas in the U.S. from 1992 to 2004. Stewart was arrested and charged for unlawfully impersonating a police officer and for soliciting sodomy, however, in his 2006 trial he was found non-guilty on all chargers, I mean, wow, that’s... I… I hate it here.

So, anyway, after my psyche was traumatized by the horrible phone scam story, I told myself, Hey, hold on, wait a minute, wasn’t there a movie with a similar plot? Yes, Compliance. I have to watch Compliance right now! And so I did, and re-traumatized myself. Sigh. (Why do I do this!?)

Before I leave for the night, I would like to share with you a YouTube link in the event you want to learn more about the outrageous crime committed against Louise Ogborn: click HERE for an analysis by Dr. Todd Grande, Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH). And remember, trust no one, question authority, be smart, stay safe, and, most importantly, look after each other.

In Love and Fear,

-Marath