A $350 interpretation of the Casey Anthony trial, using dolls and the Middle School-respected medium of diorama — available on Etsy on Thursday— is now nowhere to be found.
Could it be someone snapped up this one-of-a-kind rendition of the Trial of This Century soon after Jezebel drew our attention to it? Thing is, we can find no sign that the diorama's seller, gooddeals99, ever existed on the artisan website. Maybe this bit of criminal Americana got the hook from the online marketplace for its questionable taste. Alas, Etsy's privacy policies prevent the website from telling us whether they've yanked any product or seller ever (oh, we asked).
Prohibited items on Etsy include the obvious, such as alcohol, live animals, pornography and firearms ... but nothing about dioramas. You don't have to squint however, to see how such a craft might fit in either of these Etsy "Don't" contingencies:
Even beyond these standards, Etsy members are responsible for making important moral or ethical decisions regarding what they buy and sell on Etsy.
We reserve the right to remove listings that we determine are not within the spirit of Etsy. Such listings will be removed from the site, and the member's selling privileges may be suspended and/or terminated.
Turns out, eBay also had a "a courtroom diorama featuring dolls of Casey Anthony, George Anthony, Judge Belvin Perry and Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton," almost two weeks ago, reports the Orlando Sentinal's Beth Kassab. We couldn't find it today, but Kassab notes that the online auctioneer will, and has, yanked Anthony-related items that crossed the line, and provided the reporter this statement:
"eBay has removed some listings that did not comply with our Offensive Materials policy. Out of respect for victims of violent crimes, eBay does not allow listings that attempt to profit from human tragedy or suffering."
While many are outraged at the possibility Casey Anthony could earn millions from book deals and the media, others see opportunity in the outrage and are looking to make some money of their own.
Casey Anthony-related items remain available on both eBay and Etsy, though on eBay it's mostly newspapers and magazines with trial-related headlines and content. Also on eBay, Casey Anthony's high school yearbook and an autograph from Jose Baez, Anthony's lawyer (because you really need that), T-shirts, and the same "Remember Caylee Marie" vinyl laptop decals and "I support Caylee's law" stickers available on Etsy.
While the diorama is gone, other Casey Anthony-inspired crafts called out by Jezebel and the Daily Dot remain available on the artisan website, including a felt doll with her mouth sewn shut, called "The Trial" ($30), as well as portraits of Anthony, Judge Belvin, and defense attorneys Jose Baez and J. Cheney Mason ($30 each).
Meanwhile, pendants booted from eBay —"Justice 4 Caylee" featuring a picture of the little girl, and "Guilty" with a picture of Anthony ($8.99) —are now on Etsy.
Julie Prytherchal, a full-time mother of three, told the Daily Dot that she was "spitting mad" over the Casey Anthony case and made the pendants because "I just wanted to see how many people felt the way I did." After eBay booted Prytherchal, she says she asked Etsy if she could sell there and got the go-ahead. As of her Daily Dot interview, she'd sold only two. Prytherchal, it seems, is into the arts and crafts as an outlet for her anger, and not for profit.
More on the annoying way we live now:
- Internet explodes over Casey Anthony verdict
- Casey Anthony iPhone apps are best-sellers
- Amish sexter busted for buggy sex invite to girl, 12
Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook.