Political Parties Weaponize Online Harassment Tactics Against "Lolcows"

Key Quotes

"I would say a lolcow is somebody who posts online a lot in a way that is particularly cringe or particularly unself aware and also is not neurotypical in some way shape or form and so the combination of the extremely cringe posting with the lack of self awareness basically means that they leave themselves open to criticism and then the lolcow piece of it just is that a lot of people who enjoy doing targeted bullying and harassment will identify that subject and subject them to online harassment basically."

June Sternbach defines a "lolcow" as an individual who posts online in a way that is both cringe-inducing and lacks self-awareness, often coupled with neurodivergence. This vulnerability, according to Sternbach, makes them targets for those who engage in targeted bullying and harassment. The term itself implies that these individuals are "farmed" or "milked" for amusement.

"The thesis of today is that the republican party in its co option and weaponization of extremist online spaces absorbing the cultures of forchan of reddit of kiwi farms have effectively turned the discovery of lolcows of these people that you could follow and demonize and obsess over into a I would argue their core political weapon."

Ryan Broderick presents the central argument of the episode: that political parties, specifically the Republican Party, have weaponized extremist online cultures like those found on 4chan and Kiwi Farms. Broderick posits that the practice of identifying, demonizing, and obsessing over "lolcows" has become a primary political strategy. This co-option of online behaviors, he argues, transforms vulnerable individuals into tools for political gain.

"I don't really get the impression that she initially understood that people were making fun of her didn't really understand the the I think there's a lot of context collapse does that sound fair to say."

Josh Boerman suggests that Christine Chan, the central figure in the discussion, may not have initially understood that she was being mocked. Boerman posits that there was a significant "context collapse," implying a failure to grasp the social and online dynamics at play. This lack of understanding, he implies, contributed to the ongoing harassment and exploitation she experienced.

"The greatest example of that the largest one is like in cell online in cell communities where people will start posting about how maybe something in their life improved maybe they are like working out and they're feeling confident about their like physique for the first time and all like people in these communities will all of a sudden be like no you have to stop like you can't do that don't become a normy don't do this don't do that try to pull people back down into this never ending doom spiral essentially."

Boerman further elaborates on the dynamics within certain online communities, using incel communities as an example. He describes how individuals who experience personal improvement or express confidence are often met with resistance and discouraged from deviating from a perceived norm. Boerman characterizes this as an effort to pull people back into a "never ending doom spiral," highlighting a pattern of discouraging positive change within these groups.

"The greatest example of that the largest one is like in cell online in cell communities where people will start posting about how maybe something in their life improved maybe they are like working out and they're feeling confident about their like physique for the first time and all like people in these communities will all of a sudden be like no you have to stop like you can't do that don't become a normy don't do this don't do that try to pull people back down into this never ending doom spiral essentially."

Boerman further elaborates on the dynamics within certain online communities, using incel communities as an example. He describes how individuals who experience personal improvement or express confidence are often met with resistance and discouraged from deviating from a perceived norm. Boerman characterizes this as an effort to pull people back into a "never ending doom spiral," highlighting a pattern of discouraging positive change within these groups.

"The lesson of christine chan the reason why i think it is it is important to to dig into this story and and try to responsibly talk about it is that anyone now can be chris chan if you do not understand the dynamics here do not understand the forces at play do not understand like what the internet will do and how it's media literacy in a way and i think the fact that we now have this extremely aggressive right wing government that is very comfortable acting like a kiwi farms user acting like a 4chan user and going after people particularly trans people but also people who are neurodivergent immigrants people of color any vulnerable community they have no issue it is worth learning sort of where the chris chan trains starts and how to get off of it before you're stuck in this cycle."

Ryan Broderick concludes by emphasizing the broader implications of the Christine Chan story. Broderick argues that the dynamics and forces at play, particularly concerning internet culture and media literacy, mean that "anyone can be Chris Chan." He highlights the concerning trend of aggressive right-wing political actors adopting behaviors similar to those found on platforms like Kiwi Farms and 4chan, targeting vulnerable communities. Broderick stresses the importance of understanding these dynamics to avoid becoming ensnared in similar cycles of harassment.