Man creates realist body-cut-in-two illusion and scares people [video]

[PhasmaFelis]

@anon47741163

It completely depends on whether the accuser appreciates the original gag. No doubt Candid camera had the occasional outtake, maybe someone didn’t sign the release at the end, and the footage was lost. If you have a problem with anything on candid camera, you can be accused of being a concern trolley. Likewise for naked model photoshoots in public, or dead cat quadracopters. If someone appreciates the stunt, but you don’t, then you’ll be a called concern trolley if you raise any objection.

@L_Mariachi

As far as I can tell it means something like “disapproving on behalf of others.” Tut-tutting not because you have a (acknowledged) negative reaction, but because you’re concerned that someone else might. It’s not necessarily a bad thing if it’s honest — “I noticed that unmarked open manhole but someone else might not,” but I suppose what makes it trollish is when it’s used to mask one’s own reaction. When Helen Lovejoy shrieks “think of the children!” she’s using the hypothetical children as sock puppets through which to express her own hyper overreaction without taking ownership of it.

That does seem to be Mark’s intention. It’s just weird, because it has nothing to do with any previous or comprehensible meaning of the phrase. Originally a concern trolley was someone who said something like “I’m concerned that marching naked in Pride parades is alienating a lot more people than it empowers.” “Concern” is because the traditional start is “I’m concerned…” or “I have some concerns…”, and “trolley” is because anyone who isn’t sufficiently radical is assumed to be a mole from the opposition. Which, of course, they might be, the internet being what it is.

Now it’s suddenly being used to mean “anyone who disapproves of something I like,” kinda like Mary Sue somehow came to mean “any fictional character I don’t like.” I expect someone to come along and call me a “language concern trolley” now, or something.

[Kimmo]

@bcsizemo

I highly doubt people would do much more than the occasional stare or possibly just avoid him altogether if it wasn’t for the fact he was forcing the situation with that fake “roar”.

I’m pretty sure just going ‘Raaar’ by itself would’ve amounted to squat… it’s an odd bit of context for apparent dismemberment, though.

I certainly wouldn’t have predicted such startled responses, ‘Raaar’ or no. For some reason I find most of those reactions pretty disappointing, particularly the idiot who sped off in her car.

[dman]

It’s not just about vocally criticizing it, it’s about trying to disavow that criticism and blaming the (imagined) victim for your need to say it.
A concern troll disapproves of the jape, but in order to be in with the crowd voices their concern in the third party. “I get it, but other folk who are not as worldly-wise as clever-old-me may be genuinely offended”.
You see it in activists speaking up for folk that they really have no business being spokespeople for.

In this case “What if their victim had a heart attack ?!!” is paraphrasing “I wouldn’t think it funny if someone did that to me”.
Voicing feigned concern for the children/infirm/minority/victim without coming out and saying “I just don’t think it’s funny/clever/necessary/appropriate” is concern trolling. It’s not me that’s offended, I’m offended on behalf of people less clever than me.

[anon47741163]

I appreciate the distinction. I’m often not very articulate when I first voice disgust at something on the internet. If my knee-jerk reaction is to imagine that I was there, and how different that would feel from merely seeing it on the glass teat, then I’m going to empathize with the victims of the prank. Which may sound a lot like a concern troll.

The Transparent Society had a lot to say about public sphere versus private sphere, and how the internet blurs that distinction. I’ve endured people on the bus talking on their cell phones about things I’d really rather not hear. But if I then re-posted my own video of them talking on the phone, I’d be degrading the space even further.

“In B4 Concern Trolls” sounds a lot like, “if you find this offensive, then you’re clearly not as witty as I am.”

This reminds me so much of last year’s dead cat quadracopter On youtube, they are both funny gags that I get to opt-in to by clicking the button. It’s a tiny little screen, I’m clearly not going to be startled by what I see, having been warned what to expect.

But if either of these were to happen on my street, when I’m just trying to live my life? And if my reaction were then posted all over the internet for the amusement of others? You bet I’d be annoyed myself!

That’s why this video in particular reminds me of the happy slapper craze. It’s just creepy to play candid camera on random strangers.

Yes, there’s a slippery slope here. The most extreme event I can think of that this stuff reminds me of, is the Kitty Genovese murder, nearly 50 years ago. Back then, people mistook what was happening in their neighborhood for a TV show. I don’t like the idea of my physical space someday becoming someone’s youtube fantasy, whether it’s someone jumping out of the bushes yelling “boo” or some upskirt video posted to a porn site.

Now if these videos were taken in some kind of altered space where the unusual is somehow implied- like a street fair or a protest or a festival, I wouldn’t feel the same kind of "yuck’ reaction when I see these things. It’s the same reason I’ll tolerate more surveillance at an airport than at the grocery store. But when I’m just living my life and not bothering anyone, I don’t want to star is some yahoo’s youtube fantasy any more than be in some NSA surveillance footage. That shouldn’t be a concern troll thing, that should be a human rights thing.

[smldg]

While the discussion over what constitutes concern trolling is certainly interesting, the reality is there doesn’t appear to be much reason for concern in the first place. When ‘real people’ in a video appear to be going about their business with no notice of someone clearly standing next to them filming with a camera it’s a pretty good indication that you’re watching “reality” rather than real; I’m pretty sure most (if not all) of the people in the video were in on the whole thing.

[PhasmaFelis]

If the[quote=“dman, post:23, topic:4922”]
A concern troll disapproves of the jape, but in order to be in with the crowd voices their concern in the third party. “I get it, but other folk who are not as worldly-wise as clever-old-me may be genuinely offended”.
You see it in activists speaking up for folk that they really have no business being spokespeople for.
[/quote]
That person may be disingenuous, but they’re not a troll. A troll is someone who pretends to hold a position they don’t actually hold in order to provoke a reaction. The person you describe is projecting an opinion they actually do hold onto a proxy for greater credibility.

[SamSam]

Am I the only one that is going to start designing this year’s halloween costume right now?

Oh wait… there was that article about procrastination. I guess I probably won’t actually do it until October 30th…