Former Gits Member Pushes for NBC Boycott over Mia Zapata Murder Reenactment

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Jan 7, 2014

Former Gits drummer Steve Moriarty is calling for a boycott of NBC over an upcoming reenactment of the 1993 rape and murder of the band's Mia Zapata on the program Dead of Night.

As the Grungebook Tumblr points out, Moriarty has complained via Facebook that the show, which he called "True Crime in the Dark," uses "actors and canned music" instead of using relevant archival footage of Zapata or the band's music.

"I tried to have civil and logical conversations with the producers of the show, however, NBC did not think that using the Gits music or film footage of Mia playing live was worth paying customary and fair licensing fees as established by ASCAP, BMI and the recording Industry," he wrote.

Moriarty added: "There is nothing artistic, musical or positive about the re-telling of Mia's brutal death. Nothing except a cheap way for NBC to sell ads for a younger, hipper demographic which the network desperately needs."

Deeming the move "Gitsploitation," Moriarty made it known that neither the band nor Zapata's family endorse the upcoming episode.

An air date for the episode is expected sometime in June, to which Moriarty is suggesting local businesses "refrain from advertising products and services on NBC during the month of the one hour episode of 'murder in the dark.' (Or whatever the title) featuring the murder of Mia and the city of Seattle."

Zapata was beaten, raped and murdered on July 7, 1993, in the Central District of Seattle. The case had been unsolved for a number of years before Jesus Mezquia was arrested in connection to the murder. DNA evidence had been used against Mezquia, who has been serving a 36 year sentence since 2003.

Zapata's murder had previously been explored in the 2009 documentary The Gits.

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