# Why do people act like this on Youtube? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839 "2013-02-19T22:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/1 "2013-02-19T22:53:21Z")
Far to weak for the pit but several things that make me wonder about people when I see it done. Here we have a pretty cool video of someone backflipping a car: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JOmgblulTik/maxresdefault.jpg "Guerlain Chicherit Car Backflip in Tignes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOmgblulTik) And below it we have someone commenting: "nuke00 2 hours ago fake and gay" Now leaving aside the fact that the video appears to have little or no homosexual content why do people feel the need to accuse every…single…goddamn…video of being faked, even when as in the video above it pretty obviously _isn’t_ fake? They do it all the frikking time! And then here we have an apparently innocuous video of foxes jumping on a trampoline: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/c8xJtH6UcQY/hqdefault.jpg "Foxes Jumping on my Trampoline") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY) So for the love of god why have 986 _(at last count)_ people hit the ‘dislike’ button?!? :eek: Seriously, you pressed a link called ‘Foxes jumping on my trampoline’, watched a video that was indeed of foxes jumping on a trampoline and you still felt the need to use the muscular effort required to ‘dislike’ it?!? I mean is there no video so harmless, cute and inoffensive that someone, somewhere, won’t dislike it. Why do people do this? The mind, it boggles… Other video related websites are available. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/2 "2013-02-19T23:08:18Z")
Because (many) people are douchebags, and it gives them some kind of sense of power to be “better” than whatever they’re looking at. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/3 "2013-02-19T23:09:02Z")
You read the comments? I just watch them, no like, no dislike and I care not what others have to say about them. A super cool one I might share with someone. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/4 "2013-02-19T23:19:15Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Because (many) people are douchebags, and it gives them some kind of sense of power to be “better” than whatever they’re looking at. Good point, if a little depressing. > [@Lanzy](#): > > You read the comments? I just watch them, no like, no dislike and I care not what others have to say about them. A super cool one I might share with someone. Rarely, and usually just to get a bit more info on a video…unfortunately it also tends to be the sort of video where the above-mentioned douchbags have to chime in with the ‘fake!’ refrain. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/5 "2013-02-19T23:22:20Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY) > > So for the love of god why have 986 _(at last count)_ people hit the ‘dislike’ button?!? :eek: > Seriously, you pressed a link called ‘Foxes jumping on my trampoline’, watched a video that was indeed of foxes jumping on a trampoline and you still felt the need to use the muscular effort required to ‘dislike’ it?!? I mean is there no video so harmless, cute and inoffensive that someone, somewhere, won’t dislike it. Why do people do this? You _do_ realize some people followed that link expecting to see multiple attractive girls bouncing up and down, right? I’d say about 986 at last count… ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/6 "2013-02-19T23:27:06Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > You _do_ realize some people followed that link expecting to see multiple attractive girls bouncing up and down, right? I’d say about 986 at last count… Well more fool them in that case! Still that was only an example, choose any totally innocuous video you can think of and someone, somewhere, will still have disliked it. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/7 "2013-02-19T23:34:06Z")
I suspect the accusations of fakeness have to do with allowing the poster to feel superior (both smarter and more cynical) to those who don’t automatically assume the worst. Cynicism is ‘cool’. Keep in mind the age of a typical YouTube poster. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/8 "2013-02-19T23:54:45Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Because (many) people are douchebags, and it gives them some kind of sense of power to be “better” than whatever they’re looking at. > [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > I suspect the accusations of fakeness have to do with allowing the poster to feel superior (both smarter and more cynical) to those who don’t automatically assume the worst. Cynicism is ‘cool’. Keep in mind the age of a typical YouTube poster. Mix well with the perceived anonymity of the web, with a squirt of testosterone, immaturity, and ego, and you have your answer. That and not enough chlorine in the human gene pool. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/9 "2013-02-19T23:57:02Z")
[Greater Internet F\*wad Theory](http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19) ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/10 "2013-02-20T02:35:36Z")
I’m going to go straight to blaming the victim here. YouTube wouldn’t be so littered with idiot/malicious comments if people would only maintain their channels. If you (general you) have a YouTube channel, it’s very easy to go to the channel page and one click, “Remove,” gets rid of stupid, asshole comments. If your channel’s been targeted and it seems like for every one you Remove another one pops up, it’s very easy to change the settings to approve comments before they get posted to the page. Check it every few days or once a week or once a month or whatever, approve the interesting/intelligent/legitimate comments and delete the rest. Why people don’t maintain their own channel pages is beyond me. The idiots win because the channel owners let them run roughshod over their pages. It doesn’t have to be that way. I have about 10 or so YouTube channels (my own or ones I have admin rights to) and I rule them with an iron fist. I get emails when a comment is made on a page (they go to their own folder) and if someone makes a jerkish, asshole comment, they’re gone within seconds of me seeing it. Adios bitch, go somewhere else to be a jerk. _Remove_ ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/11 "2013-02-20T04:03:38Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Because (many) people are douchebags… Nailed it in one. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/12 "2013-02-20T05:53:40Z")
I wonder how many people realize you can turn off voting and commenting for Youtube videos? And if they did, would they do it? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/13 "2013-02-20T14:04:51Z")
I turn - well, turned - off commenting for my videos when I had them up. What always gets me is everytime there is a Bollywood song posted, the comments devolve into a Hindu Muslim flame war. What?! ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/14 "2013-02-20T14:56:35Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > You read the comments? I just watch them, no like, no dislike and I care not what others have to say about them. A super cool one I might share with someone. YouTube comments are notorious for being the gathering place of the lowest of humanity, so you’re right for ignoring them. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/15 "2013-02-20T15:49:11Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > You read the comments? I just watch them, no like, no dislike and I care not what others have to say about them. A super cool one I might share with someone. I bet you don’t read the cover of the Enquirer when your waiting in the grocery store line either, huh? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/16 "2013-02-20T16:00:29Z")
Jesus Christ… you don’t know? Nobody in here **knows**? Doing reaaaaally dense comments in youtube videos is sort of a meme. Otherwise capable people go there to say stupid things, on purpose. They compete in the same thread to see who manages to say the dumbest thing. It’s sort of artistic, in a way. I’m being completely serious about it. Oh, not all of them are ‘fake’ dumb, of course, there are plenty of genuinely unintelligent posters here and there, but enough of them to actually create a sort of, let’s say, culture around the youtube commenting community celebrating stupidity and nastiness. It’s pretty much like /b/ took over the youtube comment. You either go with it or disable the (or should I say ‘teh’) commenting. Everybody knows that. It’s not personal, every single video, specially those featured in the main page get a lot of trolls. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/17 "2013-02-20T17:07:03Z")
I find this browser plugin to be helpful: [Herp Derp YouTube Comments – Tanner's Website](http://www.tannr.com/herp-derp-youtube-comments/) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/18 "2013-02-20T17:32:50Z")
> [@Cheez\_Whia](#): > > I find this browser plugin to be helpful: [Herp Derp YouTube Comments – Tanner's Website](http://www.tannr.com/herp-derp-youtube-comments/) Interesting, it actually raises the intelligence level. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/19 "2013-02-20T21:16:18Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > And then here we have an apparently innocuous video of foxes jumping on a trampoline: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY) > > So for the love of god why have 986 _(at last count)_ people hit the ‘dislike’ button?!? :eek: I wanted gray foxes. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839/20 "2013-02-21T01:31:14Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > [Greater Internet F\*wad Theory](http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19) And obligatory xkcd links: 🙂 [YouTube](http://xkcd.com/202/) [Listen to Yourself](http://xkcd.com/481/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-act-like-this-on-youtube/650839.md?page=2)