Why Jack?

One of the things that I have been thinking about when considering Jack the Ripper as a misogynist symbol is 'why him?' How has the myth survived for so long? And what is it about this 'man' that makes his status so untouchable?

I have a feeling that the answer lies in the question; Jack the Ripper was untouchable.

The fact that the perpetrator of the Whitechapel murders was never caught is a very large factor. Almost every other serial killer since Jack the Ripper has been caught and shown as someone whom, in spite of their power to kill, ultimately gets defeated by justice. Jack the Ripper killed at least five people and then vanished into the ether. Never to be caught and never to be made accountable for their crimes.
The amount of suspects coupled with the immense amount of information gathered on the case in over 100 years has, you could argue, buried the truth in a sea of suspects and theories.

If anyone was going to have a serial killer as an idol, Jack the Ripper is the obvious choice. As not only did he commit his crimes with such precision and subtlety; he was able to slip away into anonymity forever while his legacy remained like an open book to the public for the same amount of time.

Even if not you were not looking for someone to try to work towards the level of as a serial killer. Jack the Ripper is, in a way, the world's ultimate villain. The man who succeeded his evil mission and defeated justice. What better name to use to instill fear and vunerability into a law-abiding person, especially a woman? Someone who is unaffected by the laws created to protect us.

-Cameron Rose