Reddit shut them down after his snark subreddit reported Irish YouTuber Adam MacIntyre to ICE while he was on a US tour. However, the iceberg is just the tip of the iceberg.
Hiding in plain sight are some of Reddit’s most toxic communities, created with one sole and explicit purpose: to spread hate. Known as ‘snark’, these forums range in size from hundreds to literally thousands of members, all anonymous, who congregate to make derogatory posts.
The subjects in question? They range from minor influencers to full-blown pop stars, with some of the better-known names including TikTok beauty star Mikaela Noguiera, singer Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.
With over 158K members, r/travisandtaylor, aka “The Snark Sub,” is currently one of the biggest. Their goal is to “roast and criticize Taylor Swift’s PR stunts (looking at you, Travis), her questionable ethics, and the never-ending antics she wants fans to (literally) buy,” according to the description.
Any stray Swifties that come here to defend Mother, you’ve come the wrong way, according to an ominous warning posted in their official site.
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Some of the top-rated posts over the past month have downplayed the actress’s relationship with Travis Kelce, which they generally view as a calculated PR move.
And while some topics, like Taylor Swift’s political stances, might be viewed as worthwhile discussions, others are a little more modest. A recent post, for instance, shows Taylor Swift dancing while holding a drink with Travis in her hand at the US Open Final. Taylor’s claims that she is “spiralling” or that she is an “alcoholic” are never confirmed by comments.
But who are the contributors? And why do they do it? A ‘snarker’, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells The Mirror that they have posted previously on the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce snark subreddit. They also used to visit another influencer’s snark.
They first discovered it about two years ago, but they now admit to reading more recently than they have in the last six or seven months. They say, “I don’t check it frequently.” “I read it because it occasionally appears on my algorithm.” I occasionally even make comments about it.
They claim that they have previously posted, but that “having to do it wasn’t a wise decision,” and that all we can do is take away. Not everyone who engages in it has considered how seriously it can harm people, I know.
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However, some bad players are aware of the effects of their actions. They assert that “snark can harm when it’s intended to do so.” Some people want others to hurt themselves and have their own pain.
Another anonymous former snarker acknowledges that this behavior frequently results from hurt. They say they were once a frequent reader of the now-banned r/Trishyland subreddit, which was dedicated to YouTuber Trisha Paytas.
The subreddit became known for coming up with wild conspiracies about the YouTuber and mother-of-two, who formerly co-starred on the ‘Frenemies on the H3 Podcast’ YouTube channel. A popular theory spread on the subreddit was that she was faking her pregnancy.
The snarker claims that she would read it frequently and occasionally even daily. I had no real motivation, to be honest. When Frenemies was airing, I started watching H3. It was evident that the show’s demise was very intriguing and frequently updated. From there, it was interesting to stay abreast of negative gossip about her.
They continued to go down the rabbit hole, explaining that “my life started to unravel and my interest was dying.” She then gave birth to her first child, which I believe caused me to completely reject. I was honestly anticipating that she might be fakeing her pregnancy, but when I realized that wasn’t the case, I was unable to enjoy having a mother.
However, they share that they haven’t fully lost the compulsion to check on hate-centric subreddits. “Now the ‘r/weddingshaming’ subreddit comes across my Reddit home page fairly often and I read the posts when I see them.”
Reading a group consensus about someone’s behavior makes you feel like a morally superior person, in part. one, because you don’t act in “shameful” ways. You are also “educating” yourself on what is acceptable and unacceptable in society. However, they add that “snark is nonsensical” makes it difficult to fully explain the appeal of snark.
What results from an overreaction?
After being reported to ICE, Irish content creator Adam MacIntyre recently made an online statement about his dealings with his own now-banned snark subreddit (r/AdamMacIntyreSnark).
The incident occurred shortly after the Derry-born YouTuber’s US-only Chronically Online Tour began. He expressed his excitement by posting a picture of his O-1 visa to X at the time of its beginning.
O-1 Visas are temporary work visas that are granted to those who have demonstrated extraordinary abilities in the fields of science, art, education, business, or athletics, or have a track record of extraordinary accomplishments in the film or television industries.
However, a member of r/AdamMcIntyreSnark reposted the image with the caption “Someone Posted About Visas” on the subreddit in late June. The “R” on the image, which is intended for those engaged in religious work, was then misinterpreted by users as indicating an R-1 visa.
A commenter even shared a screenshot of a report they sent to ICE asking for Adam to be deported as a result of this.
Adam discussed the situation on his YouTube channel. He said, “When it comes to snark, I usually put my hands up and let people do what they’re doing, even if that person is me,” but there’s something genuinely repulsive about using ICE against people.
On Monday, July 7, Adam’s social media channels released a statement claiming that he had “initiated a formal legal investigation” in response to the snark page’s activities.
Since then, the subreddit has been deleted. According to a Reddit spokesperson, harassment and bullying are prohibited under Reddit’s rules, which also apply to bullying. This includes behaviors that would threaten a person’s safety in the real world.
According to their investigation, it appears that only one user account, which has since been deleted, was the subject of the behavior. The spokesperson added that they will continue to monitor platform behavior for potential violations and take appropriate action.
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Source: Mirror
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