# Rotten.com !?! WTF!!! These guys need to be shot for this shit!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 3, 2001, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506 "2001-09-03T10:01:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/21 "2001-09-03T17:59:27Z")
That quote is misattributed. Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who wrote _The Friends of Voltaire_ penned it, not Voltaire. [Cite](http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/latin-l/00-02/0233.html). [/Hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/22 "2001-09-03T18:55:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > \*\* > “Alive, conscious, and sitting up?” > \*\* That’s the aspect of that photo that completely blows my mind. Anybody who is that fucked up oughta be dead, and if he ain’t, he oughta at least be knocked out. The thing about the way the guy is messed up…it looks like he ate a grenade, everything is blown outward… I wonder how he is? Or if he’s ever seen that picture? Thats the other bummer about these sites…sometimes you really want the backstory on a picture, and you can almost never get it. Which is what I really miss about Dan’s Gallery of the Grotesque, the grandaddy of the Fotos of Fucked up Humanity websites. When he could, he at least explained the pictures, most famously and gratifyingly when he explained the photo series of the white trash couple dismembering her husband… Wonder how those two are doing? stoid Grossout Aficionado ---
**Author:** ![gtzaskar00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@gtzaskar00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gtzaskar00)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/23 "2001-09-03T19:54:32Z")
I am one of those people with that quote… but if it is wrongly credited, I may have to change it a bit… ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/24 "2001-09-03T22:58:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > **Dagan gave a printout of “Nothing Comes Between Me and My Harley” (the case of road rash in which everything in the guy’s face from his lower orbits down was gone) to her driver’s ed teacher. He plans to show it to his students with bikes.** May I recommend a slogan, having seen the picture? **"Wear a helmet. If you’re really smart, wear a full-face helmet. No, they’re not dangerous, and you don’t lose half your vision wearing one."** ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/25 "2001-09-03T23:17:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > \*\*Dagan gave a printout of “Nothing Comes Between Me and My Harley” (the case of road rash in which everything in the guy’s face from his lower orbits down was gone) to her driver’s ed teacher. He plans to show it to his students with bikes. > > First I showed it to Wife, who used to work in xray at a trauma center. > > “Seen worse.” > > “Alive, conscious, and sitting up?” > > “Yep. It’s amazing how much punishment the human body can take.” \*\* I saw that picture, and because of that photo I’ll never go to that website again. Thank god I don’t have her job, or any other job that would require me to work in a place like that. I need to sleep at night. [sub]Oh, and you will NEVER catch me on a motorcycle.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/26 "2001-09-04T00:11:24Z")
While I get no pleasure from looking at what’s there, I feel a little less callow and a little less naive about the world for having seen it all. Death, dismemberment, pig burns, senior citizens having sex… it all exists, and I know what it really looks like, and I feel wiser because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/27 "2001-09-04T01:44:10Z")
My take on it (since I KNOW you’re all dying to hear it) is this: Looking at books that feature photos of dead bodies, or visiting a site that, among other things, displays the reality of death and mutilation and other kinds of physical loss is a way of getting a grasp on such realities. We crave this kind of vicarious understanding of events that are a disturbing, fearful and inevitable experience. If you grow up on a farm you see animals die or get killed and this contributes understanding the reality of such things. If you grew up in a time where life spans were shorter and disease and death part of the everyday experience you might be less fascinated by a collection of photos of dead or decaying people. Because our lives are protected from such events, we are limited to slowing our cars and gawking as we pass an accident, or standing and watching as people jump to their deaths from a burning building. It’s not evil behaviour, just human. What also happens is that as you grow older, and experience loss and death and illness among those you love, the need to see it vicariously diminishes. I think that’s why I can’t even be bothered to go and look at this site myself. It’s a natural instinct, part of our learning, to want to look at a dead body. Those who have suffered least will want to poke it with a stick for a while to see what happens. Those who are scarred by experience will be content to cover it for decency, and call the authorities. On the other hand, my feelings about the people who want to get up a collection of dead bodies for us to look at are more ambiguous. I think they should be channelling their energies into piquant discussions of the worst movie they’ve ever paid to see, or the disturbingly interesting nature of a shorn sheeps rear end, or what their kids should wear for Halloween, or something of that nature. But where could they go for that? Redboss ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/28 "2001-09-04T02:23:39Z")
I’d be more concerned that my friend found [rotten.com](http://rotten.com)’s content “funny”. I’ve been a regular visitor to both [rotten.com](http://rotten.com) and [stileproject.com](http://stileproject.com) for about a year now. I have little sympathy for people who are grossed out or offended by the content of either site. [Rotten.com](http://Rotten.com) is a self-described “archive of disturbing illustration”, sure, but no shocking or graphic images are shown on the main page-- you have to click links in order to view them. Stileproject’s a bit more of a freak show, but you still need to click links and download stuff to be thoroughly grossed out/offended. And to me, once you start clicking links, you’ve been warned, you’re proceeding at your own risk, and if you wind up seeing something you wish you hadn’t seen, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/29 "2001-09-04T02:37:55Z")
I personally enjoy being an innocent 24 year old who shelters himself from the world. That site really didn’t help. That said, I volutarily visited the site knowing the consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/30 "2001-09-04T04:55:45Z")
I agree with them being allowed to show that stuff, because of freedom of speech and all that. What bothers me about that site is people that seem to _enjoy_ seeing mutilations, dead bodies, etc. In HS my friends would go and look at that stuff and say how it was cool, or try to gross themselves out. I don’t think the pictures scared them at all, they never gave the pictures a second thought when they were doing stupid stuff that could result in them looking like some of those pictures. There are people who have jobs where they have to deal with gruesome situations, or have gone off to war and seen things like that in the flesh. From my experience, those people wished they hadn’t seen what they had. Then my friends go and look at this stuff on purpose, because they think it’s cool. I just don’t understand why seeing things like that appeals to people. ---
**Author:** ![BigGiantHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b4bc9f/32.png) [@BigGiantHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigGiantHead)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/31 "2001-09-04T05:09:17Z")
A very well-put reasoning for this site’s existence exists on the very site itself, if one manages to tear one’s eyeballs away from the “train-wreck” images for a few moments. A click on the “words” link on the main page takes you to an excellent essay by the staff on the value of fighting against censorship and the mature use of internet connectivity, to wit: “Please remember that **no child has access to the Internet without the active consent of an adult**. And absolutely no child should be left on the Internet alone. Supervision of children remains the responsibility of parents and teachers, as it always has and always will.” (Bolding theirs) Although the content of the site is shocking, graphic, and occasionally contains nudity, it has a place. And these people do one of the best jobs I’ve seen of displaying it in a reasoned and responsible manner. - Dave ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/32 "2001-09-04T05:11:36Z")
You know, it used to be a standard part of academic art training to draw cadavers in various states of dissection. It was considered essential to one’s ability to draw the human form. One of my favorite photos is a picture I saw of a drawing class at Otis in NYC, in the background is a row of drawing tables with students at work, in the foreground is a partially dissected cadaver hung underneath a 6ft tripod, and standing next to the cadaver is Andy Warhol. If you can’t deal with the human body in all its manifestations, you’re hardly going to be able to deal with all the range of human ideas necessary for any artist. These days, my art school requires students to read a disclaimer, and allows them to skip class, if the lecture even SHOWS an artwork with nudity. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/33 "2001-09-04T05:45:06Z")
Which art school is that? I mean, shouldn’t _The Rape of Europa_ pretty much be required viewing for an artist? (I can’t recall exactly how naked the woman in it is, but I’m sure there are other examples that would work as well if that one doesn’t) I take it then that one could get a degree without ever drawing a nude? That just strikes me like getting an engineering degree without differential equations or something. ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/34 "2001-09-04T06:47:05Z")
Assuming that the picture of the dead baby autopsy is real, free speech or not, there is still something known as respsect in this world. I am sure that the baby has parents and family that miss him dearly. If that was MY little girl, and some sick fuck posted pictures online of HER in that condition, I would go on a murderous rampage looking for the piece of shit that found the picture interesting enough to put on his website. If I asked to have the picture removed from the site, and he did, then I may be able to accept that and forgive. If you think that it is ok to put shit like that online, and disrespect the dead like that, then I hope your tore up dead body shows up on there for people like yourself to gawk at. Maybe they will email your picture around the office to show their friends the “gross” picture. I dont know, maybe you want to be one of those jokes that gets emailed around to millions of people for yuks. You know the one : “This is what happened when Bob tried to fight the steamroller for a parking spot”. Maybe a few years down the line, your family will get the “joke”, open up the attached pic, and “enjoy” looking at their dead relative.Ha Ha. Or better yet, maybe you will stumble upon pics of your child chopped up or burned that were posted online for my gross out entertainment. Yeah right. Fuck you assholes that think that is entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/35 "2001-09-04T08:02:39Z")
Um, last time I checked, you were the only one advertising this site. No one sent you an e-mail with one of those pictures attached and said, “Hey, look at this!” Fact of the matter is, **you’re** the one yelling, “Hey, look at this!” Physician, heal thyself. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/36 "2001-09-04T08:15:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anamorphic \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Mercutio \* > > The first amendment. While I don’t agree with what they do, it’s their right. I’m trying to think of that Voltaire quote that goes something like “I don’t agree with what you say but, I’ll fight to the death to defend your right to say it.” \*\* > > Can’t remember the quote? You could easily look it up in reference material… like, oh, say, the sig four posts above yours. 😃 \*\* Whoops. Glad you got out and posted, morph. Man, I’m out of it lately. Thank too to **occ** ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/37 "2001-09-04T09:02:57Z")
Actually Esprix, if you read the original post, my friend did indeed send me the link with a “check this out” attached. Contrary to what some of these folks think, I was not advertising that shit stain of a website. In fact, I said DONT look at it. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Not reference which website I was talking about? Shit man, I think this is fucked up. Dont shove this shit back on me just to turn this thread into an “Its your own fault Phlip” thread. Almost every thread in the Pit could be turned around that way. I think that website is fucked and I would wipe my ass on the face of the webmaster of that site, and that is what I came here to say. If I would have come on here and said , “Guess whatI saw on this one website! It was fucked up! Im not gonna post the link though. Just take my word for it” what would the reaction have been? I must admit, this is one of the things about message boards that get my goat. Instead of discussing the issue / complaint, some people just post shit to make themselves sound holy and mighty. Oh well, thats life I guess eh? Oh yeah BTW, I didnt mean to link to the site. I just typed [http://www](http://www). [rotten.com](http://rotten.com) (without the extra space). I thought you had to include that other junk about url and http to make it link. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/38 "2001-09-04T11:08:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlip \* > **Contrary to what some of these folks think, I was not advertising that shit stain of a website. In fact, I said DONT look at it. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Not reference which website I was talking about? Shit man, I think this is fucked up. Dont shove this shit back on me just to turn this thread into an “Its your own fault Phlip” thread. Almost every thread in the Pit could be turned around that way.** Oh, quit your bitching. You brought it up, you linked to it, you whined about it. That’s publicity, and it doesn’t matter if you intended it to be negative publicity-- it amounts to the same damn thing. Because of your post, people will visit the site, if only to see why it’s chafing your ass so badly. You don’t like the reactions you’re getting? Tough cookies. It comes with whining on a public message board. Deal with it, or save your whining and bitching for the relevant webmasters. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you. > [@](#): > > **I think that website is fucked and I would wipe my ass on the face of the webmaster of that site, and that is what I came here to say. If I would have come on here and said , “Guess whatI saw on this one website! It was fucked up! Im not gonna post the link though. Just take my word for it” what would the reaction have been?** Probably the same. If the content offends you, don’t visit the website. I’m sure someone would have asked you which site you were complaining about, and I’m sure some others would have said, “Oh yeah?! Check this one out!” and linked to an equally offensive site… but other than that, there’s no reason the thread would have progressed any differently. It all comes down to the same thing: if you don’t like a site, don’t visit it. > [@](#): > > \*\*I must admit, this is one of the things about message boards that get my goat. Instead of discussing the issue / complaint, some people just post shit to make themselves sound holy and mighty. Oh well, thats life I guess eh? \*\* That’s life in The Pit. You want to debate? Take it to GD. BTW, if you previewed your posts, you would see how the Automatic Magical Linking Machine works. ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/39 "2001-09-04T11:55:03Z")
## quote: ## It all comes down to the same thing: if you don’t like a site, don’t visit it. Hmm, that makes alot of sense. I think Ill try that. The next time I think that someone is being wrongly exploited, such as kiddie porn, Ill just turn my head and I wont have to see it eh? Im sure there are people out there whom it doesnt bother, so why should I bitch? As long as I am not forced to see it why should I care? Your arguement is proper in some cases, such as SCAT or BDSM shit, but is fucking idiotic here. You may not feel that there are victims here, but I do. Deal with it. Just because I aint looking at it doesnt make it victimless. It doesnt mean that baby isnt being exploited just because he is dead. And before you start throwing out the legalities of the matter, remember that there are other vices to deal with Morality. Ever heard of it? Seems not. You sound like an ass. ## quote: BTW, if you previewed your posts, you would see how the Automatic Magical Linking Machine works * * * I figured that out right after the OP, shit for brains. Thanks for the tip though! ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506/40 "2001-09-04T12:05:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Assuming that the picture of the dead baby autopsy is real, free speech or not, there is still something known as respsect in this world. I am sure that the baby has parents and family that miss him dearly. If that was MY little girl, and some sick fuck posted pictures online of HER in that condition, I would go on a murderous rampage looking for the piece of shit that found the picture interesting enough to put on his website. If I asked to have the picture removed from the site, and he did, then I may be able to accept that and forgive. The dead baby thing is [fake](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/cannibal/fetus.htm). Try _thinking_ and doing a little research before you get on your high horse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotten-com-wtf-these-guys-need-to-be-shot-for-this-shit/79506.md?page=3)