moldy @expiredcheese - Tumblr Blog

sources : BBC, latimes

Historically, public humiliation rituals were almost always accompanied by moral explanations of why the victim deserved what was happening. People locked in stocks or paraded through town squares were accused of adultery, blasphemy, abuse—individuals whose public shaming supposedly served the greater good. The humiliation of the offender reassured everybody else that justice had been served, and warned the rest of the community to stay in line. Online ridicule operates through a similar framework, although the line between criminal behavior and cringe often blurs. Some internet figures targeted as lolcows have committed actual crimes or expressed reprehensible views, while others have done little more than exaggerate their talents or fail to realize they’re being made fun of. In both cases, the same dynamic emerges.

And yet the targets almost always hold no power. For lack of a better word, lolcows are “nobodies.” They are highly visible online precisely because they lack the kind of protection afforded to other members of society. What does it mean to demand accountability from a homeless man with schizophrenia? What punishment could you inflict that life hasn’t already? Surely, there is an abusive CEO—or politician, or priest, or soccer coach—out there equally “deserving” of harassment. But in those cases, the lolcow dynamic would be impossible to replicate. Most powerful people aren’t isolated, sourcing their only human connection from the internet. If their cringeworthy video went viral, friends or family members would tell them to delete it, to stop replying to comments, to walk away. If the harassment escalated, they’d hire a lawyer. So while a scandal involving a powerful institution might briefly dominate the news cycle, it rarely manifests the kind of long-term participatory obsession that surrounds a lolcow. A politician who lies may be criticized for a week, but a mentally ill livestreamer who behaves erratically may be taunted for years. The crowd returns, day after day, to the person least capable of defending themselves.

The Insidious World of Lolcows

shuttershocky-deactivated202512

Western passport holders will never understand. To go anywhere with a third worlder passport like a Filipino one, you need your tax returns, certificate of employment, bank statements, marriage certificates, sometimes a recommendation from a citizen of the country you want to travel to, everything possible to prove that you have a job and a family at home and you're not planning to be an illegal immigrant, JUST to get hit with a rejection because the embassy didn't believe you had enough proof.

Did you have travel plans? Already booked the plane tickets and hotels? Fuck you, better hope they issue refunds (they don't).

bloodmech

Americans and Western Europeans will never understand how insanely hard and bothersome it's to travel anywhere with a weak passport, let alone immigrate.

You want to study abroad? Show us proof that there is a quadrillion dollars in your bank account. Oh, an average monthly salary in your country is $400 and you plan to work when you arrive? You can't do that, silly, a student visa only allows you to work 2 hours every third Wednesday, and if we find out that you're working a second more we will deport you.

You want to work abroad? Better be a programmer, then of course you are welcome. Doctor, scientist, white-collar or, god forbid, blue-collar worker? You can fuck right off, your visa application goes straght into trash.

But if you marry one of our first-world citizens, then fine, you can come. Because we can't upset them, after all, they are a real person, unlike you.

xantissa

EU Advice to people who have friends in places with weak passports- go to your department of foreigners and ask for something that called Formal Letter of Invitation or something similar. It usually is called something similar and costs a few euro/whatever currency you have. It will not be more than a fancy coffee at Starbucks or such place.

You will have to prove that you can afford a guest, have some income and also usually take responsibility for possible deportation cost.

But if you really are inviting a friend over, they will give you a formal document you can send to your friend. Then the friend applies for a visa while attaching the Very Official document with it. They will get the Schengen visa and most probably will get it expedited too.

It's some effort, but if it's for a friend it's worth it. And it's way less costly than the ridiculous loops the friend is being forced to go through and pay for multiple 3rd party services just to get a freaking visa for a month.

Gotta tell you guys something wild in the Chinese fan sphere

So some fanartist drew a “sexy” (read: booby) version of a (cartoon) character who is traditionally very non-sexualised. Fans of the character got mad about it because it’s kind of groundbreaking how that character is written and portrayed and this art totally ignores the entire point of the character. They demanded the art be deleted. In response to that other people said, well what the fanartist did may be distasteful but they have every right to draw what they’re into. The two sides fight for days and each starts a harassment campaign and even report their “opponents’” accounts.

So far so typical. But things eventually come to a head and they decide that this will be settled by votes - not through a poll. Through donations to a children’s education charity via each side’s portal. Whoever can get the highest amount of donation wins.

And that is how this charity received over 1 million in donations in three days lol. Oh btw the “freedom of expression” side won by a landslide (960k to 40k)

mapsontheweb

Fonts used by US courts of appeals in opinions (2026)

(by u/zummit)

oneswordstyle

Level of respect a class of teens I have to teach art to have for me when I walk in: 0%

Level of respect after I draw sasuke from memory on the whiteboard: beyond anything you could possibly imagine

oneswordstyle

the true reason i rarely teach classes is to keep my ego at bay

xalatath

I have never, and will never, use "ofc" to mean "of fucking course". It literally stands for OF Course...

subaru-copilot

looks inside procrastination -> it's anxiety -> looks inside anxiety -> it's fear -> looks inside fear -> it's shame

teaboot

Surely these circumstances will improve with additional shame

synchodai

Convenience isn't bad because of some inherent value in toil or it rots your soul. Convenience is bad because it often comes at the cost of an exploited underclass. I don't care if someone wants to taxi their meal to their house instead of making it themselves or even driving to the restaurant themselves. I care that meal delivery apps underpay their workers (they don't even consider them their workers), provide no workplace protections, and prey on their desperation.

The desire for convenience is a morally neutral thing (no matter how many capitalists want their workers to see unproductivity or aversion to the "grind" as a moral failing). Companies that sell you only convenience by making it worse for yourself and for others are not.

synchodai

I'm sorry but this is the exact thing I was talking about when I said "convenience does not rot your soul."

You talking to a person over the counter to order food at a restaurant is not an anymore meaningful interaction than talking to someone who delivered that food. Delivery and take-out have always existed. That option to pay more for that convenience has always existed. The major difference now is that most restaurants no longer employ people in-house to do delivery, because it's being done by contracted gig workers who get absolutely no benefits or protections. The major difference now are the working conditions.

I agree societal connections are good, but you just going outside to order food and the coming back is not meaningfullly participating in society. Removing deliveries or any sort of accesibility service (cafes not having wifi for example) will not force people to interact with strangers if they don't want to do that. Convenience facilitates people who already don't want to interact with others, but convenience isn't what's making people lonely! You cannot passively consume your way to community.

Most people aren't gonna talk or build relationships with folks in that restaurant. They're gonna eat and leave, and that's less "community building" than someone who ordered take-out so they can stay home to participate in an online book club or zoom their loved ones in another country. Do not romanticize past toils and lack of accessibility. Convenience and accessibility leads to people having more time to connect with each other, not less.

synchodai