4chan, Ted Frank, and alt.fan.warlord can all hang up your hats. The greatest troll of all time.

[xiphias]

A troll does inflammatory things specifically to piss off as many people as possible. It's usually a specifically Internet thing, but the Westboro Baptist Church has been doing this in real life. Fred Phelps has carefully designed a worldview so infuriating that he can upset absolutely everybody, everywhere. The WBC is especially interesting in that they've developed a way to monetize trolling: their whole purpose is to piss people off so much that people will attack them in some way -- at which point, the WBC will sue them. These lawsuits are the funding mechanism for the church.

Which is why Phelps is so damn good at what he does. No matter WHO you are, he's got SOMETHING that will piss you off, enough to make you want to take a swing at you -- and, if you do succumb to the temptation, he'll sue you, and win, and that's how he and his family make their living.

But just how good at this IS he? Can he really manage to get EVERYBODY to hate him? I mean, really. EVERYBODY?

Nobody could be THAT skilled a troll, could they?



Read 'em and weep, guys. It's over. 4chan, just give up. Nobody can top that.

Comments

[querldox.livejournal.com]

Actually, the Klan being against them doesn't surprise me. The Klan thinks of itself as patriotic and, except when the National Guard goes after them, is generally pro-military. Phelps' antics at servicemen funerals is probably what led to the above.

Also, just occurred to me that it might be notable that these days we have the ultra-so-far-off-to-the-"right"-that-space-time-curvature-may-actually-have-them-on-the-"left" attacking servicemen, whereas back in Vietnam it was the left who attacked such. These days, save for ridiculous extremists, seems people are of the attitude "We like/hate the policy that has you in the field, but we'll at least respect the grunts who have to carry out that policy".

And finally, I guess if Fred Phelps ran against David Duke for Louisiana Governor, the old "Vote for the crook, it's important" slogan would have to change to "Vote for the Klan Wizard, it's important". : -)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's fair to call the WBC "ultra-right". The WBC is "ultra-whatever-will-piss-the-most-people-off". If they think they can tap into outrage against homophobia, they're homophobic. If they can tap into patriotic outrage, they're anti-American.

I'm sure they're looking, right now, for a way to simultaneously support abortion while denying women the right to control their own bodies.

[embryomystic.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about that. Fred Phelps might be that honest to himself about it, but his kids and grandkids seem to sincerely believe the nonsense they're spouting.