The Kai hoopla: the plot thickens
So after “Kai as Hero” went viral, it turns out there’s another side to the story: Kai’s hatchet didn’t stop the attacker in the case. The Bee’s Marc Benjamin reports:
The driver struck down by Caleb “Kai” McGillivary’s hatchet was able to stand up and move toward the utility worker he had hit with his car, another Pacific Gas & Electric employee testified Friday … Worker Kenneth Simon testified Friday that he and his fellow workers did not know what Kai, the hatchet-wielding attacker of Jett McBride, was doing so they ordered him to leave. Simon said Kai took off running.
No wonder Rayshawn Neely, the injured PG&E worker, hasn’t been so impressed with the media circus surrounding Kai.
It will be interesting to see how KMPH handles this latest development. Sure, it’s still nice that Kai tried to stop the attacker. But Jessob Reisbeck, the KMPH reporter who so breathlessly introduced Kai to the world as a hero, is no longer sitting on such a tidy “laidback surfer dude saves the day” franchise. Drat, that added nuance doesn’t lend itself quite so nicely to over-the-top TV correspondent swagger.
And let’s at least acknowledge that the reason this story went viral is the few precious seconds of Kai miming his hatchet blow while saying “suh-mash, suh-mash, suh-mash.” That’s what gets hits on YouTube and bookings on national late-night talk shows. Kai, you’re a born performer. (But just imagine what a headache for a director.)
Meanwhile, the local video production company Akira Productions is promising music and video interviews with Kai. Here’s a Facebook photo from Patrick Contreras and Matt Molten jamming with Kai:
And here’s Kai getting a violin lesson:
Is a concert at the Saroyan Theatre far behind?
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Bee photo at top by Eric Paul Zamora
Responses to "The Kai hoopla: the plot thickens"
Wait, wait…. Do you mean to inform me, sir, that the journalistic professional with the oh-so-charming social media persona didn’t thorougly investigate and report his story? The story that shone so brightly as an example of good journalism that you would learn from his font of knowledge and deep understanding, thereby gaining more twitter followers? (For by what other measure are we able to guage excellence in reporting, I ask you?)
Shocked. Deeply shocked, am I.
I’m pretty certain that Kai could be the poster boy for the dangers of chronic marijuana use.
I can’t believe the jealousy this paper displays in spite of Jessobs response to you fools. Go digg elsewhere Rayshawns life was on the life,how is he expected to remeber who,what where & when. Not to mention,if the PG&E workers were so patriotic,then they would’ve helped the lady fend off McBride. So I ask you this….”what have you done lately to positively contribute to society,besides try to condemn a guy who has more heart than your whole media team put together.” Your display of media politics is sickening & down right immature!
Spot on, Jeremiah! Kai did what a lot of people don’t think or have the balls to do…Help someone in danger. So his smashing the guys head didn’t stop him, but he did the right thing.