18 votes

YouTuber in Barcelona receives fifteen-month prison sentence, 20,000 euro fine, and five-year ban from social media for toothpaste-filled Oreo prank

12 comments

  1. asoftbird
    Link
    Fuck that guy. Positive? Really? Seems he wouldn't have had a smidge of regret if it didn't blow up so much.

    but added that there was “a positive side,” saying, “This will help clean his teeth — I don’t think he has cleaned them since he became poor.”

    Fuck that guy. Positive? Really? Seems he wouldn't have had a smidge of regret if it didn't blow up so much.

    11 votes
  2. spit-evil-olive-tips
    Link
    Crucial detail is that even though he got a jail sentence, he's unlikely to actually go to jail: And also part of the judgement: ... Seems to me like a fairly even-handed punishment.

    Crucial detail is that even though he got a jail sentence, he's unlikely to actually go to jail:

    He is unlikely to serve any time behind bars, however, as Spanish law normally allows sentences under two years for first-time offenders in nonviolent crimes to be suspended.

    And also part of the judgement:

    The Barcelona court, in a verdict published on Friday in the Spanish news media, also ordered Mr. Ren’s YouTube and other social media channels to be shut down for five years.

    ...

    after being challenged by one of his 1.2 million followers to carry out the prank

    Seems to me like a fairly even-handed punishment.

    10 votes
  3. [3]
    culturedleftfoot
    Link
    I'm guessing "It was just a prank, bro!" didn't work on the judge. Have there been any legitimate cases of social media stars messing up in a major way and actually reforming?

    I'm guessing "It was just a prank, bro!" didn't work on the judge.

    Have there been any legitimate cases of social media stars messing up in a major way and actually reforming?

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      Heichou
      Link Parent
      No, because to get that big off of something so absolutely inconsequential, you have to have an eccentric (read: insufferable/narcissistic) personality in order to pull in gullible idiot viewers....

      No, because to get that big off of something so absolutely inconsequential, you have to have an eccentric (read: insufferable/narcissistic) personality in order to pull in gullible idiot viewers. These people are big because they can spend so much time talking at people and showing only the sides of them they want. It's no surprise that many are predominantly shitty people

      1 vote
      1. mrbig
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I don't know the law, but, from an ethical standpoint, I think this is actually an underreaction. The perpetrator showed a perverse disregard for the moral integrity of another human being and did...

        I don't know the law, but, from an ethical standpoint, I think this is actually an underreaction. The perpetrator showed a perverse disregard for the moral integrity of another human being and did so for frivolous reasons. In my language, we call this "danos morais" (moral damage), and that is a factor in the calculation of sentences.

        AFAIK, around here this kind of thing can only make you pay fines and face sanctions, not jail time. But I'm not opposed to it.

        4 votes
  4. [6]
    Octofox
    Link
    Am I the only one who thought this was a massive overreaction? Sure its not nice to trick someone but as far as youtube pranks go this one wasn't so bad, no one was hurt and nothing was destroyed....

    Am I the only one who thought this was a massive overreaction? Sure its not nice to trick someone but as far as youtube pranks go this one wasn't so bad, no one was hurt and nothing was destroyed.

    If it was up to me I would require the uploader to give all ad profit made on the video to the person in the video and require them to take the video down and post an apology.

    4 votes
    1. [3]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. [2]
        Octofox
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Its hardly a punishment because its hardly even a crime. In most countries you would be fine doing something like this legally but maybe looked down on by others. The punishment should fit the...

        Its hardly a punishment because its hardly even a crime. In most countries you would be fine doing something like this legally but maybe looked down on by others.

        The punishment should fit the crime and a minor punishment seems fair here. The law doesn't have to enforce we be nice to each other. I can call up my friend and say "You're an ugly piece of shit and everyone hates you" Its obviously the wrong thing to do but legally its fine. And thats ok.

        1 vote
        1. [2]
          Comment deleted by author
          Link Parent
          1. Octofox
            Link Parent
            You might be right tbh. Youtube pranksters are definitely a drain on society and I would hate to think how kids who watch these videos thinking they are an acceptable way to behave end up.

            You might be right tbh. Youtube pranksters are definitely a drain on society and I would hate to think how kids who watch these videos thinking they are an acceptable way to behave end up.

            3 votes
    2. aphoenix
      Link Parent
      There are a lot of reasons to not consider this an overreaction: the perpetrator isn't going to see jail time. He got a sentence, but 2 years sentences in Spain for first time offenders are...

      There are a lot of reasons to not consider this an overreaction:

      • the perpetrator isn't going to see jail time. He got a sentence, but 2 years sentences in Spain for first time offenders are suspended sentences, so this becomes a mark of a serious misdemeanour.
      • shutting down his channel is appropriate. He clearly does not deserve an audience if he makes his living by abusing other people. It is possible that in 5 years, he will have learned that abuse isn't an appropriate thing to make a living from.
      • he tried to buy his way out of this, which indicates that he knew he made a bad mistake, but he really lowballed the guy because of the power disparity.

      As a society, we have a real problem with power disparity, and that's a big part of what makes this the big deal that it has become. People need to be significantly dissuaded from abusing their power and privilege for entertainment; this sort of coercion is deplorable, and examples need to be made to prevent it from happening in the future.

      12 votes
    3. spit-evil-olive-tips
      Link Parent
      To me, that's more a sign that Youtube pranks as a whole are a toxic swamp. Previously, Youtube pranks have involved bomb threats and child abuse. So yes, compared to those, giving a homeless man...

      as far as youtube pranks go this one wasn't so bad

      To me, that's more a sign that Youtube pranks as a whole are a toxic swamp.

      Previously, Youtube pranks have involved bomb threats and child abuse. So yes, compared to those, giving a homeless man a fake Oreo is not so bad. But it's still pretty bad.

      If it was up to me I would require the uploader to give all ad profit made on the video to the person in the video

      If you rob a bank, and get caught, the punishment isn't just "give the money back to the bank". It's much more severe, because it's something we recognize as harmful to society beyond the money taken.

      This guy had 1.2 million followers, and turned "lol this homeless man is desperate for food, let's give him some fake food and film his reaction" into a joke that he could exploit for further fame and profit.

      require them to take the video down and post an apology.

      A forced apology is not an apology. This probably would have been a "I'm very sorry I got caught...make sure to like, comment and subscribe!" video, and then going on with videos as usual.

      6 votes
    4. Pilgrim
      Link Parent
      From the article:

      From the article:

      He is unlikely to serve any time behind bars, however, as Spanish law normally allows sentences under two years for first-time offenders in nonviolent crimes to be suspended.

      1 vote
  5. mrbig
    Link
    Not enough.

    Not enough.

    2 votes