The internet can be an amazing tool. Its vast variety of websites can help the world learn more about any subject, as well as connect with anyone from anywhere across the world! Those people also include many of your favorite celebrities!
Connecting with their fan base is a great way for a celebrity of any magnitude of fame to interact with the people who are incredibly fond of their work. While in the decades of the past it was hard for these people who seemed so larger than life to mingle with those they owe so much to, social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter allow these stars to have a more personal relationship with their consumers- I mean “adoring fans”.
Just because something can seem amazing, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it’s downsides. A trend that has spiked in recent years has been random people online attacking celebrities through these different social media outlets. Some comments the attackers make can be in good fun, while others seem down-right nasty and weirdly thought out. Like, they get real personal. More personal than someone who spends their income on "V for Vendetta" merchandise has ever been with another human being.
Cyberbullying has been proven to take it’s toll on human beings. Why I specifically say “human beings” is because no matter how well-known you are or what your career is, something that affects a human-being will affect a human. These celebrities we see as “larger-than-life” can still be affected by cyberbullying. Just because someone has more money or is more widely-known than you are, doesn’t mean being harassed online won’t get to them.
Past examples include SNL cast member Leslie Jones, and veteran British comedian, Stephen Fry, both leaving social media to avoid constant harassment.
While the thought of cancer calling up someone's accountant and asking if their income will suffice a visit from itself is amusing (especially if animated), it doesn't work that way. Something against your mental health won't do the same either. Well, this past week the internet decided to aim its guns towards a certain celebrity, though most wouldn’t consider him human…
After this past week, the famed video game character, Sonic the Hedgehog, was attacked on the internet.
Sonic the Hedgehog came to fame with the release of his 1991 self-titled game on the Sega Genesis. The game was a huge hit, establishing a strong-franchise of 2D platformers throughout the 90s, on par (and even besting at one point) Nintendo’s own mascot, Mario.
Sonic has also established himself a following on social media. A huge PR change on Twitter has gained the Hedgehog many fans, with the account reaching over 500k followers. Unfortunately when that many people are watching you one mistake can cause a huge eruption…
A picture has been spreading across the internet faster than the Hedgehog himself, which is a picture of Jamaican athlete and Olympian, Usain Bolt, smiling during his winning run of the Men’s 100m dash semifinal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The silly picture of the 6-gold medal winner may not appear offensive, but it was what the Hedgehog did with it that caused much outrage
As a joke, Sonic photoshopped himself running ahead of Bolt in the race with the caption “Gotta go fast!”. What seems like an innocent picture in some eyes, can be majorly offensive and racist in another’s. Many claimed the picture was “racist” because the Hedgehog was saying he could beat Usain. Here is the picture
Wow, Sonic. Nice going. You really should have thought about what you post because now, NowThis! “Entertainment” is gonna have a fucking field day on your blue, racist ass. You can outrun Doctor Eggman, but you CAN'T run from my Tumblr post!!!
Before NowThis! And their incredible picture-book journalism could reach the Hedgehog, many people online got a head-start on the fastest thing alive.
Sonic is no stranger to controversy, even being confused of beastuality after the “kissing scene” from his 2006 outing, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2006”. It was a mix-up. He clearly was just making a joke about the race for the gold medal, not the race of the color of their skin. Well, Sonic couldn’t turn a blind eye when someone’s tweet got really personal toward something physical about him.
“Why the hell would you even think you could beat Usain Bolt? You’re slow as f*ck” said someone on Twitter… this hurt Sonic… a lot.
“It just got really, really personal” said Sonic in an interview we got with him. “Like, all it was was a mix-up and they thought it was okay to call me slow. That’s no good. That is way-far from being way-past cool” said a tearful Sonic.
The Deviantart community has been very vocal about their support and love for Sonic, making art of their Sonic OC's in sexually explicit positions with Usain Bolt to show he isn't racist. This differs from their usual support of the character, in which they draw pictures of their Sonic OC's in sexually explicit positions with OTHER Sonic characters.
While Sonic should have thought before posting the picture, it maybe also didn’t give someone the right to call him “slow” over something that was crystal-clearly not racist. Making a stretch from something like that can take away the severity of something that is actually racist.
Attacking someone online is just as wrong as doing it in person. Some people just don’t feel that way because that person isn’t right in front of them. Tweeting something awful at someone can detach someone from the guilt of what they say, simple because they don’t see the person they are attacking reaction. Even though it isn’t in person, doesn’t mean the attack isn’t personal.
