What's worse? Offensive Pranks or Violence and Harassment?

What's worse? Offensive Pranks or Violence and Harassment?

  • Offensive Pranks

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Violence and Harrassment

    Votes: 14 48.3%
  • They're both just as wrong

    Votes: 11 37.9%
  • It's Complicated

    Votes: 4 13.8%

  • Total voters
    29
Status
Not open for further replies.

Gwazi Magnum

Previously Gwazi Magnum
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. One post per day
  3. 1-3 posts per week
Online Availability
This changes too frequently to give anything reliable.
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
Genres
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure.
Note I bring up this question due to the recent situation popping up with JoeySalads.

Basically what happened was he made a video where he and his friend both dressed up as a Muslim and a Christian. Each of them walked up to people, throwing a suitcase at them and yelled "Allhu Ackbar" or "Praise Jesus" (Another note though, he also added "Orlando" tags to the video).

This got a lot of negative reactions, to which he made another video claiming that it was a social experiment. But then that spiralled to a new level just recently when he made a third video saying that he was physically assaulted and DOXed over it.

*Note, a TV Show did something like this before (but admittingly, no fake bomb) and no such reaction took place.


Even if that turns out to be false though, looking at people's reactions of it made me curious as to what Iwaku thought. Not about this case in particular (I'm using it as an example) but in general.

Are pranks or social experiments like this the bigger crime for you?
Or are the people who are responding to this with Violence, demanding he remove his channel and/or taking joy in said events more in the wrong?
 
Last edited:
They sound like dumbasses
*Clicks first link*
Yep. Dumbasses.

As for the second video... that is such a load of bs. He's trying to disarm people accusing him about being insensitive due to all the radicalism around the world and how his little prank can bring attention to it? To get people talking?
Hell no, people call him insensitive (and a dumbass) because he tried to apply humor (distasteful humor) to a topic that has been a seed of fear for most Westernised countries. The prank as he calls it wasn't even good/well thought out or funny. Ultimately, he tried to get a few laughs by striking a controversial topic that's already been plenty discussed by everyone and failed and is trying to not be hated on by his peers who may have watched his videos.

His droopy eyelids look stupid too.

So yeah, I don't advocated offensive pranks, harassment or any of that social experiment garbage (since most of it is fake) that youtubers make to get views. I do like violence though, assuming its with a couple assholes (like these guys) getting their asses beat for ticking off the wrong kinds of people.

Kick a dog's butt and expect to get your face chewed on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wen
I'm not about to watch any videos at the moment, but just by reading what you mentioned, I think both are equally ridiculous.

Social experiments are all nice and dandy, but stuff like throwing a suitcase at someone and yelling a religious term? Of course a person would panic! Any sane person would, no matter if the person yelled "Allahu Akbar" or "Avada Kedavra". There's a flipping object flying your way! This is stupid, a prank that will only heighten fear, even if it's just for a few moments. It's got nothing to do with how a person reacts toward a religion/race/what not.

As for violence and harassment, I don't condone those, even if the person is an idiot and probably deserves a punch to the face. Call the authorities and leave it to them.
 
Note I bring up this question do the recent situation popping up with JoeySalads.

Basically what happened was he made a video where he and his friend both dressed up as a Muslim and a Christian. Each of them walked up to people, throwing a suitcase at them and yelled "Allhu Ackbar" or "Praise Jesus" (Another note though, he also added "Orlando" tags to the video).

This got a lot of negative reactions, to which he made another video claiming that it was a social experiment. But then that spiralled to a new level just recently when he made a third video saying that he was physically assaulted and DOXed over it.

*Note, a TV Show did something like this before (but admittingly, no fake bomb) and no such reaction took place.


Even if that turns out to be false though, looking at people's reactions of it made me curious as to what Iwaku thought. Not about this case in particular (I'm using it as an example) but in general.

Are pranks or social experiments like this the bigger crime for you?
Or are the people who are responding to this with Violence, demanding he remove his channel and/or taking joy in said events more in the wrong?
Regardless of one's intentions, terrorizing someone is wrong...especially in a manner that was done in the video. Not only that but considering the fact that Muslim terrorists are a sensitive topic in many people's hearts from incidents like 9/11 and so on make this social experiment intolerable. That's saying a lot coming from me.

What I will say though is that the violent response is wrong as well. However, when it comes down to which side is more wrong, I'd have to say JoeySalads undoubtedly. As such, he deserves to endure with the end result of his actions because what he did was pretty much equivalent to smacking someone in the face(Or a large group) and I don't know about you but if I got smacked then I would likely retaliate. I would explain my reasons for why I feel this way but if I have to delve into why I feel this way anymore for you or anyone else to understand my views on this particular matter then I'll likely assume you or whoever to be nothing but an ignorant child who is unaware of the problems associated with the world. With that being said, I'm done.
 
I was going to vote both are equally wrong, but I went with it's complicated.

Case in point, a lot of pranks are horrible, but other than annoying people most of the time, they're usually harmless in the long run. Others can actually be hugely inappropriate and going into harassment/ trauma territory, like the one where the guy and his friend pretend to execute the one friend while the other is tied to a chair, for instance, or the one where the guy is shown a convincing fake news story about people in the area waking up in ice with their organs removed. He passed out drunk at a party and his friends did that to him and made it look like he had his kidney taken away.

On the topic of harassment and violence, under no circumstances is that ever acceptable, and the internet thinks it gets the right and the obligation to destroy the lives of people because they disagree with something, and it can be super fucking petty, like the threats and constant harassment that drive this one artist in the Steven Universe fandom to try and commit suicide because people didn't like one of her drawings. I wish I was making that shit up.

In short, the internet is a horrible, stupid beast that breeds and enables the most hateful, close-minded fucksticks that only want to hurt people because they don't suffer any consequences for it.
 
There's a flipping object flying your way!
I seem to have misspoke(typed). I didn't mean throw as in a hard throw directly at the person. I meant lightly throwing it a few feet so that it landed on the ground near them.
 
I seem to have misspoke(typed). I didn't mean throw as in a hard throw directly at the person. I meant lightly throwing it a few feet so that it landed on the ground near them.
Even then. In the world we live in today, things like this only incites more fear and trepidation. Adding in a phrase that's already (unfortunately x.x) taboo makes it even worse. There are so many 'what if' situations that can take place, from medical to people going on the offensive, literally with a weapon.

Want a social experiment? The show 'What Would You Do?' has good ones. Stuff like that I can appreciate, like seeing who'd help a woman with a hijab in fixing her tire, or how people react to a Christian family praying before eating in a public place. Experiments that won't cause a major big deal.

I recall there was something like this in Hamilton, a social experiment where two friends wanted to see how people reacted to a guy making a fuss about a Muslim going on a bus. Those are much more positive.

As for pranks... honestly I'm not the biggest lover of them. Unless it's something like ghosts entering an library and the Ghost busters chasing them out.
 
Even then. In the world we live in today, things like this only incites more fear and trepidation.
I know. But since you didn't see the vid I figured I should clarify the type of throw. I wasn't disagreeing with your point.
to people going on the offensive
This actually happened in the video.
 
  • Thank You
Reactions: Greenie
It ain't complicated. Violence & Harassment are infinitely worse. A bad prank is fucking annoying, might even ruin someone's day. Violence & Harassment can ruin lives, and can cause mental and physical damage and anguish that lasts into the long term.

Guy throws suitcase at me, yells "Allah Akbar", I think I'm going to die, I don't die, he says "it's just a prank bro." End result? I'm irritated. Fuck that asshole. Same guy later that day pulls the fire alarm in a movie theater. Well, there goes the day's plans, fuck you asshole. (Mind, that latter one is a crime anyway, so...)

Person beats my ass?

Well. Even taking death out of the picture, I can be bruised, have bones broken, be injured into the long term, gain scars both mental and physical.

Harassment?

Person stalks me, finds out everything about me, spreads rumours behind my back, won't leave me alone no matter where I go, destroys my social life, damages my workplace reputation, causes long term mental damage.

Basically the same difference as crimes which get you a fine, and crimes which get you several years in prison. "Severity" is a thing that exists when considering the depravity and damaging effects of a person's actions. I will take having some asshole do some stupid, insensitive prank over getting my ass beaten or harassed any day of the week. Fake violence is far more preferable to actual violence. The guy's still an asshole, but he's not the asshole who is going to take me out with an actual suicide bomb. Just putting that into perspective for you.

Another example: If someone eggs my house, that's a crime. (Mischief.) If, however, I respond by chopping his fucking head off with one of the swords I own, I'm fairly sure the (completely understandable) reaction will be "what the fuck is wrong with you, you deranged psychopath."

tl;dr: Two wrongs don't make a right, especially if your wrong is demonstrably more severe. Either demand amendments to the law to make the intolerable behaviour in question illicit (ex: pulling a fire alarm when there's no fire is a crime), or don't give these people the reaction they're looking for. Be the better person. Ignore them and move on with your life. Don't feed assholes attention. Hell, if they're monetized on youtube, all the rage being flung at them is getting them paid in ad revenue from clicks on their video, this shit isn't new.
 
Hell, if they're monetized on youtube, all the rage being flung at them is getting them paid in ad revenue from clicks on their video, this shit isn't new.
I was thinking the same thing, to be honest. Which kind of sucks. But then again that's how the world works.
 
  • Bucket of Rainbows
Reactions: Brovo
I was thinking the same thing, to be honest. Which kind of sucks. But then again that's how the world works.
Hell it ain't perfect, but I'll take a few assholes trying to monetize stupid pranks than a police state or theocratic dictatorship any day, you know? There's always consequences to everything. At least the worst I get with this is some guy might run up and throw a box at me while screaming about Allah and giggling as he runs away. That's not so bad. :ferret:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Greenie
@Brovo - when you put it that way, I guess I can agree with that. I guess I just find it rather annoying seeing there's already so much turmoil going on.
 
@Brovo - when you put it that way, I guess I can agree with that. I guess I just find it rather annoying seeing there's already so much turmoil going on.
People can throw an outrage over some pretty minor things. So even if we did somehow find a utopia way to stop all "Social Experiments" from happening without infringing on using violence or whatever people would just find a complete non-issue to get angry about.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Greenie
People can throw an outrage over some pretty minor things. So even if we did somehow find a utopia way to stop all "Social Experiments" from happening without infringing on using violence or whatever people would just find a complete non-issue to get angry about.
I do agree with that as well. I know myself I tend to get ticked off at many things, though most definitely not to the point of what's been mentioned, and I keep it to myself as is.

I guess what bugging me is that it's something very serious being made out to be a prank.

But lol I feel I'm repeating myself so I'll pipe down now.
 
How is this even a question? Offensive pranks hurts feelings and can be disregarded basically immediately after the prank is done; actual violence and harassment on the level of doxing people does lasting damage that can't be easily rectified. The latter is absolutely worse, no question about it, no complication.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gwazi Magnum
How is this even a question? Offensive pranks hurts feelings and can be disregarded basically immediately after the prank is done; actual violence and harassment on the level of doxing people does lasting damage that can't be easily rectified. The latter is absolutely worse, no question about it, no complication.
I'm asking to get a general gist of Iwaku's opinion on these situations. My own personal views are pretty on board with you, Brovo and Dervish.
 
It ain't complicated. Violence & Harassment are infinitely worse. A bad prank is fucking annoying, might even ruin someone's day. Violence & Harassment can ruin lives, and can cause mental and physical damage and anguish that lasts into the long term.
+1

I mean why is this even a... *stares at poll*

Yeahok.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gwazi Magnum
@Gwazi Magnum - Did the pranksters get off scot free or did they have some consequences to bear (aside from the obviously illegal harassment etc)?
 
@Gwazi Magnum - Did the pranksters get off scot free or did they have some consequences to bear (aside from the obviously illegal harassment etc)?
You mean other than the Internet hate he's currently getting?

No, there's no legal repercussions being done.
 
  • Thank You
Reactions: Greenie
O_O Violence and harassment is definitely worse.

I'm not saying that offensive pranks and social experiments are always a good thing (right Sam Pepper?), but, like, for all the bad that comes out of all of them... At least it's not as bad as physically hurting or harassing people.

And I'm not really a fan of the "he got what he deserved" mentality either, because, where do we draw the line with it? How do we decide who 'deserves' that kind of treatment? And who do we let decide it? Mobs on the internet who have no problems participating in a witch hunt against celebrities and e-celebrities on the basis of rumors about 'problematic' things they've done that may not even be true? Mobs that are capable of bullying a fan artist into attempting suicide just because she drew a character too skinny? Fuck no. That is an awful idea.

Those of you who have seen me post around the forums before know that I'm a bit more sympathetic towards the stereotypical Tumblr mentality than most around here, and I'm perfectly alright listening to people's comments about why things are 'offensive' -- and sometimes I feel like I've even learned things from these people, or at least learned something valuable about their perspective, and sometimes I even agree with them. But the moment "I'm offended" turns into an excuse to bully and harass someone else, especially to the point of physical violence, well, that's the moment when you've lost all support from me.
 
Last edited:
  • Love
Reactions: Gwazi Magnum
Status
Not open for further replies.