Tag: trolling

Our coursework spent a week focused on mental illness/addiction and how social media can effect this. “The Biggest Troll on the Web” from Gawker was one of the most shocking and at time distrubing articles we’ve read so far. Storytelling Media Diversity is about examining the different aspects of diversity that the roll they play in the media. Mental illness and social media were the primary topics of this article.

Violentacrez is an internet troll but he’s not just a bored teenager trying to “shake things up” on the internet. At 49 years old, Michael Brutsch produces some of the most offensive content on the web. He calls himself the “creepy uncle of Reddit,” posting things like “creepshots” in which he posts close up photos of women breasts or butts without their consent. His content gets creepier and more offensive the deeper you dive, reaching its peak at his apparent fetish for underage girls or as he calls them “jailbait.”

Though he insists that he is not a pedophile, his interest in underaged girls is concerning to say the least. Besides his photo forums, Brutsch has content that is offensive to jewish people, African Americans, women and others.

“People take things way too seriously around here,” Violentacrez said. ” I was not surprised by the outrage of the person who made the post, because I see it all the time. What was surprising was the community support for it. Most posts that complain about these things never do very well, and are quickly buried or deleted. I think it’s interesting how many people defend my right to act the way I do, while decrying my posts themselves.”

The article raised questions in my mind about thought policing. Sure, Violentacrez is extremely offensive in his content, but is what he’s doing illegal, or just irritating?

Over this past weekend, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson came under fire for comments he made between 2004 and 2011 on a shock jock radio station. He reffered to women in derogatory way, used offensive langauge, and stated that his beliefs on statutory rape and how he doesn’t feel that young men can be raped. Carlson took to his Fox News show after these tapes were released. Instead of apologizing, he condemed the “left” for trying to silence him.

I’m not a fan of Tucker Carlson, I find his content to be self-righteous and I don’t think he treats his guests who disagree with him with respect. The tapes of him saying these things were disgusting to me, but what can I do? It was a reminder that it’s not illegal to be offensive or crude.

Other members of Reddit have praised Violentacrez for his use of free speech. The issue arises, however, with his “Jailbait” content. It’s not illegal to be annoying, but sharing and consuming child porn is illegal. All I could think while reading this article was “How is this guy not in jail?” The photos that Violentacrez shares, though disturbing, do not classify as child porn. They are simply suggestive images, lacking actual nudity.

The expose published on Gawker was the first to expose Michael Brutsch’s real name. His private name was made public, but he exposed his private life to his readers long ago. Posting stories about his sexual experiences with his stepdaughter and even getting his son involved in the Reddit forums, Brutsch wasn’t hiding much.

Violentacrez and Tucker Carlsons situations present the idea of the media sharing information and allowing the public to form their own ideas. Violentacrez deactivated his account, admitting defeat and saying “Reddit hasn’t been fun for a while.” Carlson took the opposite route, stating that he is a victim of the left trying to police his thoughts, and that he would not be silenced.

While Carlson may just be an outspoken individual with controversial views, Violentacrez appears to be a deeply disturbed individual. Whether his addiction is to underaged girls, porn, or social media itself, “The Biggest Troll on the Web” exposes the way some people use social media and the internet to further feed their addictions.