The Firehose and the Fury
One viral video, 40 angry comments, and a crash course in internet rage.
July 1, 2025
10:18 am
Be careful what you wish for; it might come true.
Was it just one month ago that I started my TikTok experiment? On May 27, I wrote, “I started posting on TikTok a few days ago.” Fast forward to—legit—one month later, and I have my first real viral video (watch it and see what all the hubbub is about), not on TikTok, but on Instagram via TikTok. Currently sitting at 22K views (which may seem laughable a month from now) and about 40 mean comments.
Look. They weren’t all mean. But a vocal chunk came from very passionate F1 fans, ready to fight me in the comments. I was unprepared.
At first, I laughed them off—oh, they boost engagement, I thought. Then I got mad. They were WRONG, and I—not only was I not wrong—I would not be insulted. I sent snarky messages back, drawing from a deep well of stored vitriol. Every nasty comment I'd swallowed over the years, every insult I hadn’t flung back in the name of karma—I released them. I unleashed my fury, and it was wrathful.
They shriveled.
But the messages kept coming. A monsoon of messages. A firehose of shit. I didn’t even care that much about the subject. I’d made a 30-second video about a movie. Why was I now expected to defend beliefs I barely held?
I turned off the comments. Life must move forward. Every angry dude without a username and photo doesn't get a seat at my table.
What now? I’m not sure. I’m not dissuaded from making more videos—just a little more cautious. A little more empathetic, too. To every celeb who gets dragged for their “bikini body” or lack thereof. To every content creator who needs two phones just to manage the hate.
Is it strange to admit that I’m a little proud—proud to have touched a big enough nerve to send so many boys scrambling to their keyboards, furiously typing their screeds? To be undeniable, insistent, loud.
Could I get some nicer commenters, though? Maybe a few who understand the concept of nuance? Or, if that’s too much to ask, could we at least bring back the Kindergarten rule: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
I’d love to engage. I really would. But let’s keep it thoughtful, yeah?