The internet is a weird place.
There used to be a thing called “John Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory” (courtesy of the great Penny Arcade) which was stated as a simple equation:
Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad
Remember that? Remember the days when “anonymity” was required? Now people are just Total Fuckwads by virtue of an audience — or even no audience at all, just the illusion of an audience.
And this, friends, brings us to the comment sections of websites where one is required (or even passively encouraged) to sign in with their Facebook account to leave a comment — which is almost invariably some sort of horrifying, homophobic garbage.
In the old days, that disgusting, bat-shit nonsense would be written by “DaKillaTruth99” or “anonymous” or “User34.”
Only now that insane, raving lunacy links back directly to the person’s Facebook page, with their real name for the world to see, and that’s okay with most people. It’s like they are so disconnected while on the Internet that they think there are no consequences for their public posts.
Let’s take a look at a comment shared on a story written in October, about Kim Kardashian saying she doesn’t like it when Khloe Kardashian talks to her ex-husband, Lamar Odom.
Now admittedly, the Kardashian family does seem to raise most people’s ire a little more than other topics of conversation (although I’d still strenuously argue that you could always just opt to NOT read a story about a family you’re not interested in knowing more about, but whatever), however can you really say that this comment would ever be justified?:
“Kim Kardashian west trash get the hell out of new York bitch cunt loser trash husband move from new York ugly ugly husband like kanye trash Kenye west losers go away from the country trash or ill have people kill you trash people family ill cut yourt neck like a black snake and make a jacket out of you and ugly kanye kim kardashian trash west trash your baby can die in hell the trash where it belongs trash baby this hoe must die in hell the trash kim kardashian her and her trash man.”
Note: I cut this comment a bit short, before he started going into a whole thing about how he hopes Kim Kardashian’s then-unborn baby dies inside of her, then gets her sick and she dies. It was somehow ten times more repulsive than what I actually present to you here.
Think about that for a second. Imagine yourself getting that mad about an article on the internet. Or about anything, ever, anywhere. Would even portion of that ever come out of your mouth?
The part that amazes me about this comment (aside from its truly groundbreaking steam-of-consciousness prose), is that the author signed in with his Facebook account, and his full, real name, to leave what is essentially the kind of thing you read off a crumpled note, covered in blood, left behind at a particularly heinous murder scene.
Now, I don’t believe in public shaming (and I legitimately think this person might be the craziest human being currently living in America who’s not behind bars, so he scares me a little), so I won’t reveal his full name – We’ll just refer to him Sam Shakepeare.
When I first read Sam’s comment, it shocked me with its vulgarity. Then I remembered where I was (the internet) and I remembered that this, in its own way, is par for the course. Maybe a little above (or below, I guess) par, but still nothing out of the ordinary in a comments section.
But I was baffled by the use of his full name. A cursory google search provided me a link to his facebook page, where I was again surprised to learn that this man – who, might I remind you, spends his days threatening to murder babies and celebrities — doesn’t have his Facebook page set to “Private.”
And he should. He really, really should.
You see, I learned a lot about Sam in the 10 or 15 minutes I spent doing very little searching on his profile. I found out where he currently works, I found out the contact information for his employer (which I half-wanted to call to let them know what kind of insane person works for them, but I figured they would have to already know). I found out where he lives, where he goes to school.
All of that is linked back to him writing, “Kim kardashian trash west trash your baby can die in hell the trash where it belongs.”
Going through his status updates, I learned more about Sam — who I weirdly grew to feel kind of bad for, actually.
First, he loves posting the same links to songs over and over. Eminem is one of his favorite artists, and I know this for two reasons:
A) He shared a link to the same Eminem song 12 times in two months (perhaps because he forgot he already shared it?)
and B) He wrote, “I AM EMINEMS STUDY I STUDY EMINEM LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW.”
I’m not real sure what that actually means, but it’s pretty clear he likes Eminem. (To be completely honest, when I first read this I absolutely thought he meant he likes to eat M&Ms while studying. But no, he didn’t mean that.)
Also, his rage issues seem to really boil up from time to time. He’d go long stretches with just calm, albeit somewhat indecipherable, status updates, before sharing:
“My family my dads sisters are not family they are Devils they go to concerts yet they complain they have no money get a life losers please help me god am going kill my self they make me so mad And worst they go out to eat everyday they tell me I can’t Am a man now how are they they tell me what I can and can’t do Am not A baby anymore am mature enough to make my own decisions On my own help me god”
Which he immediately followed up with, “Merry Christmas everybody wish you all the best everyone all the best,” a few hours later.
He also really, really, REALLY hates the Kardashian family.
“Kim ugly Kardashian west must die in hell burn in hell why she lives she must die”
“Kim, Kardashian hope your new York dash Stores burns in hell to the ground up your dash trash stores burns in hell the one in new York store as well burns with you in it as well burn it down to the ground all the Kardashian trash family gold diggers all of them trash”
“Technology is the better way to go then the ugly Kardashians trashy cloths”
To Sam’s credit, I have to agree with the sentiment that “technology” as a whole is, in fact, better than any of the Kardashians’ clothing lines. It’s hard to argue with that.
He also seems to have a problem with Mexicans — or at least that’s the best I could make from this status update — which, again, I stress is public for anyone to see.
“Americans are sick cowerds scard red necks fat asses druged up idiots bunch of losers how ever dose drugs I hope they burn in hell forever and all forever they make me sick some of the stupid Mexicans are all the same drug adics change the world is hard but the Mexicans are sick with there drugs and this world wants to do better with stupid drugs please you all are dum dum tards you make me sick how you supposed to change the worlds with this kind of acting good luck losers you won t change the world its trash already Americas edgeucation is ass low as it is cuss of drugs I say fuck the drugs make me sick id say burn them All”
Although I think the term “dum dum tards” is worthy of future consideration in our lexicon, and the irony of spelling “education” as “edgeucation” is just… wow. It’s almost too much to enjoy all at once.
However, more so than his bouts of rage-fueled vitriol, it think it’s his completely confounding, alsmot philosophical comments that really fascinate me. No hatred, no stuttering bile-spewing, just bizarre, individual thoughts.
“Disk making is cool and all but everything is going to be digital very soon but disks are cool.”
“Video games are the new Hollywood”
“Omg I just throw up I just barfed throw up threw up I don’t feel so good.”
And finally, I’m pretty sure he had some sort of romantic involvement with his cousin, which then turned sour and now he really FUCKING HATES his cousin. Like, a lot. (Note: I’ve changed the cousin’s name as well.)
“I hate my cusin [Allison] forever I don’t want to see her ever again wish she gose away leaves me and my sister alone little gold digger with her ugly new boy friend trash [Allison] is A Hoe and a Whore.”
I mean, why mention the gold digger thing? And why the anger over her “new boy friend”?
“Am the king of this castle and am gonna be treated with respect or am gonna burn everybodys nutts of and feed them to the sharks you know your damn role and shut your damn mouths”
That was back in late October. In December, Sam wrote:
“I Forever hate my cousin [Allison] what ever her last name is she is a bitch a whore and a hoe like Kim Kardashian trash loser like them I hate the Kardashians trash like I hate my Cousin”
Well, way to bring it all back around, Sam.
In the end, after examining this person’s Facebook for an extended period of time, I actually felt somewhat comforted.
While it’s still disturbing that the trend seems to be people caring less and less about their anonymity when spewing hateful garbage on the internet, it’s comforting to know that Sam Shakespeare — who I now know more about than some of my close friends — never fit into the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory in the first place.
Remember: Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad. Well, in no universe could Sam ever be considered a “normal person.” He’s just a crazy weirdo with a tiny little public platform. And somehow, that makes me feel better.
I’ll let Sam close us out with one of his own status updates:
“I don’t care if people love me or hate me for speaking the truth its just my opinion I cant change cuss I want to be smarter and learn more everyday love me or hate me I don’t care anymore.”
Amen, Sam. Amen.
Tags: celeb, comments, creepy, dumb, entertainment, hate, insane, Internet, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, lunatic, weird
Zach Seemayer 
Down the Rabbit Hole: Examining the Life of One Totally Insane Internet Commenter Who Used His Real Name
4 JanThe internet is a weird place.
There used to be a thing called “John Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory” (courtesy of the great Penny Arcade) which was stated as a simple equation:
Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad
Remember that? Remember the days when “anonymity” was required? Now people are just Total Fuckwads by virtue of an audience — or even no audience at all, just the illusion of an audience.
And this, friends, brings us to the comment sections of websites where one is required (or even passively encouraged) to sign in with their Facebook account to leave a comment — which is almost invariably some sort of horrifying, homophobic garbage.
In the old days, that disgusting, bat-shit nonsense would be written by “DaKillaTruth99” or “anonymous” or “User34.”
Only now that insane, raving lunacy links back directly to the person’s Facebook page, with their real name for the world to see, and that’s okay with most people. It’s like they are so disconnected while on the Internet that they think there are no consequences for their public posts.
Let’s take a look at a comment shared on a story written in October, about Kim Kardashian saying she doesn’t like it when Khloe Kardashian talks to her ex-husband, Lamar Odom.
Now admittedly, the Kardashian family does seem to raise most people’s ire a little more than other topics of conversation (although I’d still strenuously argue that you could always just opt to NOT read a story about a family you’re not interested in knowing more about, but whatever), however can you really say that this comment would ever be justified?:
Note: I cut this comment a bit short, before he started going into a whole thing about how he hopes Kim Kardashian’s then-unborn baby dies inside of her, then gets her sick and she dies. It was somehow ten times more repulsive than what I actually present to you here.
Think about that for a second. Imagine yourself getting that mad about an article on the internet. Or about anything, ever, anywhere. Would even portion of that ever come out of your mouth?
The part that amazes me about this comment (aside from its truly groundbreaking steam-of-consciousness prose), is that the author signed in with his Facebook account, and his full, real name, to leave what is essentially the kind of thing you read off a crumpled note, covered in blood, left behind at a particularly heinous murder scene.
Now, I don’t believe in public shaming (and I legitimately think this person might be the craziest human being currently living in America who’s not behind bars, so he scares me a little), so I won’t reveal his full name – We’ll just refer to him Sam Shakepeare.
When I first read Sam’s comment, it shocked me with its vulgarity. Then I remembered where I was (the internet) and I remembered that this, in its own way, is par for the course. Maybe a little above (or below, I guess) par, but still nothing out of the ordinary in a comments section.
But I was baffled by the use of his full name. A cursory google search provided me a link to his facebook page, where I was again surprised to learn that this man – who, might I remind you, spends his days threatening to murder babies and celebrities — doesn’t have his Facebook page set to “Private.”
And he should. He really, really should.
You see, I learned a lot about Sam in the 10 or 15 minutes I spent doing very little searching on his profile. I found out where he currently works, I found out the contact information for his employer (which I half-wanted to call to let them know what kind of insane person works for them, but I figured they would have to already know). I found out where he lives, where he goes to school.
All of that is linked back to him writing, “Kim kardashian trash west trash your baby can die in hell the trash where it belongs.”
Going through his status updates, I learned more about Sam — who I weirdly grew to feel kind of bad for, actually.
First, he loves posting the same links to songs over and over. Eminem is one of his favorite artists, and I know this for two reasons:
A) He shared a link to the same Eminem song 12 times in two months (perhaps because he forgot he already shared it?)
and B) He wrote, “I AM EMINEMS STUDY I STUDY EMINEM LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW.”
I’m not real sure what that actually means, but it’s pretty clear he likes Eminem. (To be completely honest, when I first read this I absolutely thought he meant he likes to eat M&Ms while studying. But no, he didn’t mean that.)
Also, his rage issues seem to really boil up from time to time. He’d go long stretches with just calm, albeit somewhat indecipherable, status updates, before sharing:
Which he immediately followed up with, “Merry Christmas everybody wish you all the best everyone all the best,” a few hours later.
He also really, really, REALLY hates the Kardashian family.
To Sam’s credit, I have to agree with the sentiment that “technology” as a whole is, in fact, better than any of the Kardashians’ clothing lines. It’s hard to argue with that.
He also seems to have a problem with Mexicans — or at least that’s the best I could make from this status update — which, again, I stress is public for anyone to see.
Although I think the term “dum dum tards” is worthy of future consideration in our lexicon, and the irony of spelling “education” as “edgeucation” is just… wow. It’s almost too much to enjoy all at once.
However, more so than his bouts of rage-fueled vitriol, it think it’s his completely confounding, alsmot philosophical comments that really fascinate me. No hatred, no stuttering bile-spewing, just bizarre, individual thoughts.
And finally, I’m pretty sure he had some sort of romantic involvement with his cousin, which then turned sour and now he really FUCKING HATES his cousin. Like, a lot. (Note: I’ve changed the cousin’s name as well.)
I mean, why mention the gold digger thing? And why the anger over her “new boy friend”?
That was back in late October. In December, Sam wrote:
Well, way to bring it all back around, Sam.
In the end, after examining this person’s Facebook for an extended period of time, I actually felt somewhat comforted.
While it’s still disturbing that the trend seems to be people caring less and less about their anonymity when spewing hateful garbage on the internet, it’s comforting to know that Sam Shakespeare — who I now know more about than some of my close friends — never fit into the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory in the first place.
Remember: Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad. Well, in no universe could Sam ever be considered a “normal person.” He’s just a crazy weirdo with a tiny little public platform. And somehow, that makes me feel better.
I’ll let Sam close us out with one of his own status updates:
Amen, Sam. Amen.
Tags: celeb, comments, creepy, dumb, entertainment, hate, insane, Internet, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, lunatic, weird