My First Troll: A Play-by-Play of My Encounter with a Twitter Troll

I’ve been writing full-length film reviews seriously for over three years now.  Every year, I feel I have made progressive strides forward as a film critic, whether it be improved writing, producing more content, getting more viewership, whatever it may be.  But last week, I hit a new milestone and something I had a feeling would happen at some point, just not yet.

I was verbally attacked on Twitter by troll.

I’ve had spam accounts comment on certain posts on Facebook or Instagram before.  Those accounts that are like “WATCH [Insert New Movie in Theaters] HERE FOR FREE!!!!  CLICK HERE!!!!!”.  I’ve also had actual debates with people about certain movies on social media before, but they were debates on differing tastes and takes on movies, something I rather enjoy.

But this time, it was a troll.  An account randomly made by somebody just to go around and start problems.  I am going to give you a play-by-play of the conversation I had with this troll.  I’ve never been a victim of trolling, but I recognize that responding to them was probably a mistake, especially if I get more of them in the future.  However, what they said about me as a person prompted a response and the subsequent tweets were to get an official answer.

Anyway, here is my encounter with a troll known as @Bey90281445:

I had just recently seen the latest photo-realistic version of Disney’s The Lion King (you can read my full review here) and I wanted to give my initial reaction to the film.  Here was the reaction:

 

Shortly after this tweet was posted, I received a comment from @Bey90281445.  Immediately the name set off a trigger.  The excessive amount of numbers in the handle and their image, which is a picture of Nala from the new Lion King set off some red flags.  When I went to read the comment, I read this:

The random usage of emojis, plus the horrible spelling and grammar had me assuming that this person was an infant or somebody who barely passed second grade English.  However, specifically calling out my race and that I was just another “white man hating on Beyonce” rubbed me the wrong way.  So I replied and it went like this:

I would first like to apologize to Florence Kasumba for mistaking her with Lupita Nyongó for her voice work in the film.  My point stays the same, but I just need to acknowledge that Kasumba rules.

Also, Bey’s Twitter writing was like trying to decipher a code: nothing made sense and nothing was spelled right.  Apparently I hate Beyoncé because I’m a white dude and I hate powerful black women who support Black Lives Matter and because other critics liked the performance and I didn’t, it makes it a personal attack, equalling me being a racist.  Don’t know where this person got their information, but, uhhhhh, incorrect.

This is the first question Bey deflects and not the last.  No answer about the power of James Earl Jones, Chewitel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, Alfre Woodard, or the rest of the black actors in the case.

Also, since I don’t have a “blue stick” by my name, I am a hater, but does that mean if I had one and said Beyoncé was bad, I wouldn’t be?

I think my GIF game was on point here.

I was also about to pull the “I would have voted for Obama for a third term” quote from Get Out, but it would have gone over Bey’s head.

My question at the end was one I knew I wasn’t going to get a real answer from, but one I was hopeful for, but I was wrong.

Shout out to my girlfriend coming clutch to defend me.  She rules.

And apparently I could have said anything about any other black actor in the cast and it would have been okay, but I mention Beyoncé and I am a racist.  That’s a new one.

Also, “it proven racists don’t like her” is probably the funniest thing written in 2019.

Everyone was getting in on the laugh.  Yet, I still haven’t gotten an answer.

 

So now, according to Bey, Beyoncé is representative for all black people and whenever somebody says something bad about her that means they are saying something negative about ALL black people, hence making me a racist?

What?

I thought we were almost civil here.  They called me a professional critic, which was nice, and I told them they can criticize anything they want because art is subjective.

Bey must’ve gone somewhere because it took them a while to respond.  Maybe they went and watched LEMONADE again or something.

Delighted to have Bey back in the convo, I decided to pull out another gif.  Yet another gif I was proud of.

Radio silence from Bey, so I decided to ask the “hard” questions.

This would be the last time Bey and I would ever communicate.

Bey never responded.  The great mystery of how I am a racist for saying Beyoncé gave a bad performance will be one of the great unsolved Twitter mysteries.

 

So what did I learn in this interaction:

Beyoncé represents all black people.  If you say something bad about Beyoncé, you say something bad about all people.

Beyoncé is the only celebrity who will draw “attention”.

Saying anything bad about Beyoncé makes you a racist, however, saying anything bad about any other black performer isn’t.  I think?

“It proven racist don’t like her [Beyoncé].”

 

Upon further research, all Bey90281445 does is troll Twitter and attempt to attack people who say anything bad about Beyoncé.  Bey only has two followers on Twitter and only follows three people.  Their sole reason for being on Twitter is for hate and I don’t play that.

 

This whole experience was utterly laughable.  I am not a racist, I actually do like Beyoncé in a lot of what she does, and her performance in The Lion King is still trash.  I think I asked the right the questions and kept my cool during this idiotic exchange.  I don’t like when people attack me on a personal level, but in the future, I will probably ignore them and move on with my life.

 

‘Til next time, trolls.

 

 

 

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