Debunking the Allegations, Part 1: Cannibalism and Murder
Read: The Allegations, Part 2: ‘Real Life Cannibal’ and ‘Murderer’
Is Armie Hammer an actual Cannibal?
It is now September of 2022, more than a year-and-half since Hammer was accused of being a cannibal, and we still have no known instance of Armie Hammer actually cutting, cooking, or eating anyone. What he seems to have, however, if the claims by his ex-lovers are true, is a cannibalism fetish/kink.
We’ve already noted that Effie tweeted (and deleted) on 12 February 2021 that she was the one who fetishized his ribs, and again on 21 May 2021 that cannibalism was indeed just a kinky fantasy and that it was originally hers, and lamented, “When I was endlessly ranting to someone about my rib fantasies and joking he should become a doctor to take my lowest ribs and make a show called ‘Curb your Cannibalism’ and he ended up going around creeping out random vanilla girls asking if he can have their ribs removed”, suggesting that the cannibalism fetish/kink is a niche not many people would understand.
The question now arises, what is a cannibalism fetish anyway?
In a 2018 interview, erotologist Katharine Gates, who published a book in 2000 called Deviant Desires, shared with Vice what she learned about the cannibal fetish/play from cannibal fetishists and the BDSM community during her research for the book:
[…] one of the things it made clear to me is that anything and everything can become erotic fodder.
One of the stories that sparked the first book was from a friend I knew who was a dominatrix, who had a client she called the Turkey Man. Whenever he was traveling in her town, she would come to his hotel room, strip him naked, tie him up, put him in a box, and say she was cooking him. And he would just have an orgasm right then and there. I just thought, wow, this seems really unique and specific and niche, the desire to be a Thanksgiving turkey — maybe he’s the only guy like this. But then if there’s ten people who have the same interest no matter where they are in the world, the internet makes it possible for them to find each other. You may be the only turkey man in New York, but there may be one in England and one in Australia. There are, in fact, turkey men all over the world now, and there are now real-world communities of people who meet up to talk about what’s called cannibal play. And that became a whole new chapter in the book.
[Cannibal play] is a scene where the majority of those involved want to be turned into food for other people. They want to see themselves transformed into an object, so they’re being objectified, but they’re also an object of intense desire, so they want to be something that other people are going to find so good that they’ll want to eat it. They might want to be in a small enclosed box, because that form of containment is very exciting, or they may want to imagine themselves cooked in a pot, almost like a cartoon.
[There’s a real DIY approach in this community, from the 90s zines to today] and that’s what gets me so excited, honestly. Because the audience for cannibal stuff is small enough that there’s no huge corporate conglomerate that’s going to decide that it’s going to serve up cannibal porn, you know? And so people have to make it themselves. And they are making it themselves, and they’re doing it ingeniously. I mean, as one of the meat girls I interviewed said, she just loves to go to fancy cooking stores like Sur La Table and think to herself, ‘How can I use that in sex? Oh, look at that giant baster. That looks like something I can use.’
Dustin from Savage Minds, a group blog that has been writing about socio-cultural anthropology since 2005, writes:
The connection between eating and having sex is a fairly obvious one. Many of the words we use to describe sexual desire (hunger, voracious appetite) and sex acts themselves (eating out, munching), and even various body parts (my favorite: “the split knish”) refer to food — an obvious parallel given the importance of the mouth to both eating and sex. The connection is deeper than just slang, though — Edmund Leach noted in 1964 that the way we categorize the animals we eat and the way we categorize potential sex partners are parallel as well […]
With such a thin line between eating and “eating”, it seems unsurprising that some people would seek to combine the two more explicitly. Enter the cann-fetish […] — cannibal fetishism (or cannibalism fetish). While many of us are familiar with the case of Armin Meiwes, the German man convicted recently of killing and eating a partner he met and coordinated the killing with over the Internet, Meiwes represents an extreme distortion of what is becoming a significant, if small, fetish community. For the most part, cann-fetishists stop short of actually eating or hurting anyone, rather indulging in a rather elaborate pretend-feast involving trussing the “meal” (generally a willing female, who is bound and whose various orifices will be poked, prodded, and filled with various trimmings and cooking implements), coating her (or, apparently far more rarely, him) with oil, butter, honey, and other basting substances, and “cooking” her in a make-believe oven.
Given the elaborate bindings and the rich fantasy elements, it would not be too far off the mark to describe cann-fetishism as a sub-genre of BDSM (bondage/domination/sado-masochism), replacing the leather-and-chains aesthetic with a playful June Cleaver look. Central to both “mainstream” BDSM and cann-fetishism is the (voluntary) passivity and objectivization of the subject — as one enthusiast puts it, “I like to think I’m inanimate, without a conscience. There’s a feeling of transcendence when I’m being transformed.” For the subject, there’s also an element of exhibitionism, of being the center of attention. The same woman says, “It’s the same attention you give the turkey on Thanksgiving. Everybody is just obsessed with that turkey. Ooooooh, the turkey the turkey the turkey. When is the turkey going to be done? It’s so exciting!”
While to outsiders (like myself, I must admit), BDSM, including cann-fetishism, seems centered around degradation and humiliation, for its practitioners there’s something rather more complex at work. BDSM participants […] get off on playing with power roles, in a way that is often strikingly subversive. The power that a “dom” enjoys over their “sub” comes with great responsibility for the emotional and erotic satisfaction of the “sub”, as well as for their physical and psychological health. […] Participants in this kind of play are binding themselves to their partner with promises and gifts of trust, making very explicit the “rights and obligations” that anthropologists see at the root of all social relationships. The question of “who is in control” can become muddied rather quickly.
What sets cann-fetishists apart in this regard is not so much the ritual consumption of the “sub” as the rich semiotic and aesthetic stew in which their particlar brand of BDSM is marinated. Unlike […] “mainstream” BDSM, cann-fetishism […] draws on — and, I believe, subverts — images of domestic bliss straight out of “Leave It to Beaver” and “The Donna Reed Show”, images laden with power relations between dominant husbands and submissive wives only a short step away from climbing onto the table and offering their own bodies up for the sustenance of their families. […] One […] cann-fetishist […] even collects old-fashioned gag images of cannibals boiling their victim in giant stew-pots […]. Although tinged with a kind of nostalgia, the parodic “Ozzie and Harriet” aesthetic represents a conscious break with and rejection of these roles, reserving them for “playtime” and transforming them into scenes of orgiastic perversion. I doubt very much June Cleaver ever used the word “assplay”.
In a comment under, the writer further elaborates on the enthusiast he mentioned in his blog and explains that their quote is from an article in Feministe, a now defunct website, which was the source for the whole post. He quotes Jill, the writer of the article:
As to how this is subversive, I am, of course, aware that we are confronted with a woman bound and gagged for the erotic/sexual gratification of (I assume) men. And this is, of course, problematic. At the same time, we have the testimony of a woman who is not only willing to be displayed in this way, but *enthusiastically* embraces her objectification. Now, I could claim “false consciousness” — she’s really being exploited and is brainwashed to think it’s ok. Or I could say that she’s internalized the male gaze, which has a lot of merit — after all, a big part of the thrill for her comes from *being looked at*. But any woman can be looked at, under virtually any condition — think “Girls Gone Wild” — so we have to wonder what it is about this particular set of conditions that is appealing to her, as opposed to flashing her chest in a club or on the street, or having sex in public, or even “plain vanilla” S&M. In S&M in general, there is a sense that the sub — as much as, or even more than, the dom — is empowered by their submission. I admit it’s hard for me to wrap my head around — I tend to feel that S&M play is often about replaying the form and practice of domestic abuse is a context that makes it “ok” — but this is the way several people have described their experience to me. Add to that the parodic riffing on “traditional” gender roles and consumption, the ironic detachment from the images they are enacting, and I have to believe something other than mere “objectification” is going on. Interestingly, a lot of subs are people who are “in charge” in much of their day-to-day life — which is similar, now that I think of it, to the case of a lot of male cross-dressers. The sense I get is of women who live their day-to-day lives at the opposite extreme from the June Cleaver pole, pushing the “submissive woman” role from the domain of “real life” into the domain of “fantasy”. Just like you’d never *actually* offer yourself up to be killed and eaten, you’d never actually put up with the crap Betty Friedan put up with before her “mystical” (mystiqual?) awakening.
Researchers Amy D Lykins and James M Cantor, in the abstract to their 2013 research paper, Vorarephilia: A Case Study in Masochism and Erotic Consumption, write:
Vorarephilia (“vore”) is an infrequently presenting paraphilia, characterized by the erotic desire to consume or be consumed by another person or creature. Few data exist on vore though several cases have been reported which appear to be consistent with basic vorarephilic interests. Because this sexual interest cannot be enacted in real life due to physical and/or legal restraints, vorarephilic fantasies are often composed in text or illustrations and shared with other members of this subculture via the Internet. Similarities with aspects of bondage/dominance sadomasochism interests, more specifically dominance and submission, are noted. The current case report describes a man with masochistic sexual interests which intersected with submissive vorarephilic fantasy.
The findings of the research are noted in the Wikipedia page on Vorarephilia as:
[…] case study analysis […] suggested that it could be motivated by a desire to merge with a more powerful other or permanently escape loneliness.
It would be interesting to note here that in October 2020 — the same year he was in relationships with Courtney Vucekovich and Paige Lorenze, both of who accused him in early 2021 of ‘wanting to consume’ their blood, flesh, and bones — Armie Hammer opened up to British GQ during a conversation for the GQ Heroes series on YouTube, and said that during the early stages of the pandemic, he was getting therapy, something he didn’t realise he required for a very long time, and that at the time of the interview, he continued to work with the therapist at least once a week. Hammer said:
I think like everyone else on the planet, I felt like the rug was ripped from under my feet and I felt like I could feel it happening in slow motion, like the rug was just being ripped from my feet and I was falling face-first and I was gonna smash my face on the ground. I felt like I was in a state of like, free fall almost. Like it was just, it was really difficult.
I had a wake-up call one day. I had a very intense wake-up call one day and I realized that I needed more help than I realized. So I called a friend of mine, Brendan, who works in mental health and I was like, ‘Dude, it’s not good. It’s not good for me,’ and he goes, ‘I know, it’s not good for anyone,’ and I go, ‘Yeah, but really not good for me, like I’m having a really hard time. I don’t know what the answer to this is.’ And he ended up getting me on the phone with a therapist who I started working with multiple times a week just to get me through sort of like the crisis aspect of what was going on.
I think that this has been a very interesting time where when we stripped away everything that society said, ‘Oh, you can distract yourself with going out to dinner,’ ‘You can distract yourself with night clubs,’ ‘You can distract yourself with pubs,’ ‘You can distract yourself with whatever.’ When that was stripped away, we were stuck dealing with ourselves. And I think a lot of people realized that they didn’t like what themselves looked like. They didn’t like where they’d gotten to, and I was in that position as well and I decided to just take whatever steps I could to make a difference and to help myself.
After the allegations came forward, on 8 June 2021, Vanity Fair reported that Hammer had checked into a treatment program ‘for drug, alcohol and sex addiction’. Julie Miller for Vanity Fair wrote:
A source close to Hammer confirmed that the actor reached out to Chambers in late May, asking for help and telling her that he was ready to seek treatment — and pledging to stay at the Florida facility, outside of Orlando, as long as it takes to get healthy. Hammer checked into the facility on Monday, May 31, with the support of Chambers and his family, and has been in treatment for over a week, according to two sources.
“Everyone looks at Armie thinking that he’s had some sort of privileged life — and that must mean there were no problems in his youth and everything was peachy keen,” said a close friend of the actor. “But that’s not necessarily the way things go. Just because you come from an upbringing where financial resources are plentiful doesn’t mean life isn’t without problems.” […] The close friend of Hammer’s added, “This is a clear sign that he is taking back control [of] his life and knows that this [is] a step towards his overall well being.”
[…] Says the ex-girlfriend, “He’s addicted to drugs because he has so much trauma that he cannot deal with stillness, face himself, or sit alone with his shit.” “Everything he’s doing he has essentially said out loud in a tweet or an interview. He’s not that secretive,” she says, pointing to interviews in which Hammer talks about guns, drugs, and rough sex. “He’s been about to explode for so long, but everyone laughs it off.”
On 16 October 2021, TMZ reported:
It’s been nearly 6 months since Armie Hammer checked himself into a treatment center — and the actor remains there — committed to spending as long as it takes to get better. Sources close to Hammer tell us he’s “thriving” in the Florida facility, those around him feel he’s changed (for the better) from when he arrived and you can hear the difference in his voice. Not only that, we’re told Armie has kept in constant contact with his kids and loved ones — FaceTiming with them regularly and sharing his progress.
On 10 December 2021, The Sun US reported:
A source close to the actor told The Sun exclusively: “Armie is out of the treatment facility where he spent almost 9 months. He is doing really well and it’s wonderful news for his family. He’s back in the Cayman Islands.” The insider added that he’s looking forward to spending quality time with his children amid his divorce around Christmas and New Year.
As for the allegations of cannibalism by Lorenze and Vucekovich, if they really did believe that Hammer wanted to hurt and literally consume them, not as a sexual fetish, we wonder why neither woman has yet approached the police or filed a lawsuit that we know of against Hammer. We will work on debunking the entirety of their claims after we study their allegations in future posts.
Is Armie Hammer a Murderer?
It is now September of 2022, more than a year-and-half since Hammer was accused of being a murderer and ‘a serial killer in the making’ by several self-styled ‘activists’ and ‘investigative experts’ such as Sophie Ross and Lauren Skae [and anyone else who drew similar conclusions], and we still have no known instance of Armie Hammer murdering anyone or being a suspect in any investigation for murder. In fact, the one murder speculation was specifically debunked by the police when on 8 February 2021, the Public Information Officer for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office exclusively confirmed to The Sun: “Armie Hammer’s name hasn’t come up as a suspect at all. We have no plans to investigate him.”
If there is any reality to the DMs, we think Hammer comes across as a very impulsive and rather careless individual given that he left evidence of his desire to commit crimes in text messages from phone numbers and social media accounts that can easily be attributed to him. Of course, whether the DMs are real at all, and if they are, whether there was context to those conversations, is something we will discuss in upcoming posts.
Coming back to the assumption that the DMs are real, on 20 November 2011, Hammer was arrested at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint in West Texas after marijuana was discovered in his car. El Paso’s attorney declined to prosecute the case, as the amount of marijuana Hammer had (0.02 ounces of marijuana, three medicinal marijuana cookies and one brownie) would amount to a misdemeanor. It was reported that he spent about a day in jail before paying a $1,000 bond. We think, if Hammer couldn’t cover up such limited amount of drugs, or couldn’t think twice before carelessly leaving text messages that could be used against him in social media and in Court, it is unlikely he has managed to get away with murder.
Additionally, we’re not attempting to debunk any of the the astrology-based and pop-psychology-style ‘proof’, or forced circumstantial evidence without corroborative evidence based on the fact that he was dropped by his agent and publicist, put forth by by several self-styled ‘activists’ and ‘investigative experts’ such as Sophie Ross and Lauren Skae, and anyone else who drew conclusions that Hammer has committed ‘murder’ or is a ‘serial killer in the making’ or ‘has a body in a freezer’.
We’re reminded of what neuroscientist Abhijit Naskar wrote in Mucize Insan: When The World is Family, “All conspiracy theories are the product of the subconscious attempt of an ignorant yet creative mind to counteract the fear of the unknown with tales of fantasy.” We imagine that a cannibalism fetish is ‘unknown’ and therefore, fear-inducing to both Sophie and Lauren, and anyone else who drew similar conclusions.
Further, given that we still have no known instance of Armie Hammer murdering anyone or being a suspect in any investigation for murder and that the police already debunked the murder claims, we’re also reminded of what author Philip K Dick had written in VALIS, that it is important to employ the Principle of Scientific Parsimony: the most simple theory to explain a given set of facts, instead of shooting for the baroque.
If, in the future, there are any credible updates on any of these allegations, we will update the same.
Note: Everything published has been sourced from newspapers, tabloids, and Armie Hammer fan accounts. Updates on any missing relevant information will be made as soon as we find them or are notified about them. If you have information, please reach out to us at isarmiehammerinnocent@gmail.com. We will maintain your privacy unless we are subpoenaed and required by law to disclose our sources to the Court.
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