VMI: Vanquishing Malevolent Invaders, the crimes of Home Alone

A LONG TIME AGO IN HOME ALONE: In an enormous house in Chicago, the enormous McAllister family is preparing to leave for a Christmas trip to Paris. But, when designated naughty child Kevin causes a ruckus at dinner, he is sent to sleep in the attic as punishment. Then in the chaos of being such an enormous family with shitloads of kids, the McAllisters accidentally fly off to Paris without Kevin, leaving him Home Alone. Thus, an 8-year-old who has never even packed a suitcase before has to fend for himself in a hostile adult world. AND fend off two serial burglars who are determined to break into the enormous McAllister house! Even after Kevin subjects them to multiple kinds of potentially fatal harm. A grim cavalcade of child neglect and violence: ho ho ho Merrrry Christmas! Join Jenny Owen Youngs, Helen Zaltzman and resident legal expert Lo Dodds to investigate the crimes that take place in the harrowing cavalcade of ultraviolence that is Home Alone, and learn what the penalties would be for such misdeeds as hanging a child on a hook, stealing a toothbrush, leaving your 8-year-old unattended while you jet off to Paris, and shooting a burglar in the dick. Content note: Home Alone contains storylines concerning child neglect and violence.  For more about this episode, and to read the transcript, visit the podcast’s official site VMIpod.com/home-alone. And to keep posted about what's coming up on the show, follow @VMIpod on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and sign up for our mailing list at vmipod.com/vmimail. Next episode, we will be recapping Logan Echolls's favourite film: BRIGADOON! A once-in-a-hundred-years occasion, so join us mid-December for that. This episode was edited and mixed by Helen Zaltzman; the music is by Martin Austwick and Jenny Owen Youngs. We also have MERCH - get your pins to show your love for Weevil or non-love for milk at hellomerch.com/collections/veronica-mars-investigations. Our ad partner is Multitude. To sponsor episodes of the show, contact them at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by: • Orphan Black: The Next Chapter: the official podcast sequel to the TV show Orphan Black! Season two has just begun, with fave characters returning, plus more clones than ever. Listen in the podplaces and at realm.fm. • Girlfriend Collective, sustainable, ethically made, size-inclusive activewear made from recycled trash. Get $25 off your purchase of $100 or more when you shop at girlfriend.com/veronica. • Dipsea, the app full of sexy stories and somnolent soundscapes. Get an extended 30 day free trial at DipseaStories.com/veronica.Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TWQYZDRGZUGH8&source=urlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.