Ethel Kane Advocates for Executives to Face Consequences: “Instill Fear for Their Lives”

Ethel Cain’s Controversial Views

Ethel Cain shared her thoughts on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, saying that while she wasn't “reactionary,” violence was “sometimes” the answer, using the hashtag “KillMoreCEOs.”

• READ MORE: Ethel Kane 'Perverts' review: Bold discomfort from a true cult star

Details Surrounding the Shooting

Health chief Thompson was shot and died outside a Manhattan hotel last December, with the killer remaining at large for several days afterward. The suspect, initially described as a white male wearing a mask, fled the scene.

Police later arrested prime suspect Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee recognized him from New York Police Department images. They found a three-page manifesto in his possession, in which he criticized the American health care system.

In a series of Instagram Story posts made yesterday (January 10), the “Punish” musician also expressed frustration with the system, only recently calling American politics a “breeding ground for violent hatred.”

Cain initially shared a post by Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who criticized powerful groups such as the NRA (National Rifle Association), Big Oil, and insurance companies that were able to “bribe Congress.”

Ethel Kane explains why she called for more executives to be killed:

“It's simple: you make them fear for their lives and you hit them where it hurts, otherwise nothing will get done. (…) the world is burning, and it is absolutely clear who holds the matches.” pic.twitter.com/UJQhmJiAo5

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 11, 2025

Reflections on Systemic Change

In a follow-up story, Kane shared her side of the story, writing, “Even without trying to be reactionary or ‘edgy’ or saying this crap for shock value, I truly mean what I say. Corporations chuckle at the protest.

“Why would anyone voluntarily step down from his throne, which he spent years building on the suffering of his fellow men? No one is haunted by the ghost of Christmas future, no one changes their mind.”

She went on to say that “it” – provoking change – was simple: “You make them fear for their lives and hit them where it hurts, otherwise nothing will be done,” and questioned why it was a “radical” idea.

“It seems pretty simple to me,” she wrote. “Violence is never the answer” is wrong. Sometimes it is.” She concluded: “The world is burning and it’s clear who holds the matches.”

As for Mangione, he has dominated the headlines in recent months and created something of a cult online, with his supporters either taking his political beliefs more seriously and positioning him as a “folk hero” or, simply put, calling him “hot killer” husband material.

Since his arrest, Mangione has become an internet meme phenomenon, with variations of “#FreeLuigi” being shared on X/Twitter more than 50,000 times (according to BBC News), and two documentaries about him are already in the works.

Back in December, Chris Rock joked about Thompson's death in his monologue. During his fourth term as Saturday Night Live (SNL) host, he touched on the Internet’s reaction to Mangione.

“Everyone is obsessed with how good this guy looks,” he said. “If he looked like Jonah Hill, no one would care. He had already been given a chair.

He continued: “But he actually killed a person, a man! A man with a family, a man with children… I offer my sincere condolences to the Director General of Health… but you should also know that sometimes drug dealers get shot.”