The jokes have already begun. One meme juxtaposed a photograph of an F-117 Nighthawk and a caption declaring its formidable stealth capabilities, with a picture of a Boeing 777 similar to that used in flight MH370 and the tart retort, 'Bitch, please.' Another featured Hervé Villechaize's Fantasy Island character Tattoo, whose claim to fame was crying 'The plane! The plane!' to announce the arrival of a new set of resort guests — perhaps he should help with the search for the Malaysia Airlines passenger flight that went missing two weeks ago?
Contrast these wry gibes with the image of Erlina Panjaitan, mother of 24-year-old MH370 passenger Firman Chandra Siregar, slumped in anguish among the consoling arms of her family. Of four Chinese men, sagging and sombre in a dark hotel ballroom, as they watch news coverage of the disappearance. Of a woman weeping, and a man crumpling a damp tissue in the fist that props his stooped head. Of other relatives of passengers, locked in an embrace ahead of a meeting with airline officials. These are the human faces of the tragedy.
There is little doubt that it is too soon and the story too tragic to be the butt of jokes. But the fact that such responses exist speaks to the ways in which this story has permeated the public imagination in unhealthy ways. The engagement is frequently marked by genuine concern, but also contains a deeply voyeuristic fascination that is divorced from the humanity of these events. People love a mystery, and an unhappy ending even more. It seems likely that the greater the drama of the eventual truth, the more satisfied we will be.
Despite the slim hope that the aircraft has landed in remote terrain, stranded but safe, the sad truth is that the story will probably turn out to be one of heartbreak for the families and loved ones of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Yet it is not the human tragedy but the chords of uncertainty and mystery — the lack of debris, the formal sign-off that came from the plane some hours after things had ostensibly started to go awry — that have captured the public imagination. MH370 has already become the stuff of legend.
Some commentators predict a mundane, albeit tragic outcome. Writing for wired.com, Chris Goodfellow, a pilot with 20 years experience, outlines a commonsense theory involving a cockpit fire, that encapsulates some