Conspiracy Theorists Who Think “Mainstream Media Is The Virus” Are Smashing Their TVs In Protest
"One of them can't light a piece of paper. I think we are safe."
Remember when Samuel L. Jackson talked so much shit about Trump that his supporters threatened to boycott his movies? Like a true icon, Jackson replied, “I already cashed that cheque. Fuck you. Burn up my videotapes, I don’t give a fuck“.
Well, this story is kind of like that.
Conspiracy theorists have begun smashing their televisions to protest mainstream news, which they accuse of trying to “program them” with lies and “fake news” over coronavirus.
“Mainstream media, you are the virus,” one lady read off a sheet of paper.
“This is what I think of your neurological linguistic programming bullshit,” said another before she started beating her TV with a hammer.
Another man took aim at the media’s “Freemason, COVID-19 bullshit propaganda”.
As for my personal favourite, it’s a toss up between the man who smashed his TV then took out his phone to read a message; or the invisible person you can hear saying “she’s crazy, man” as a woman takes to her TV with a pickaxe.
While a bit of healthy scepticism never hurt anyone, coronavirus conspiracy theories are dangerous — right now they’re being used to push for restrictions to be lifted, which experts agree could lead to many more deaths if done too soon.
Right now the big conspiracy theory doing the rounds is that coronavirus is caused by 5G . You wouldn’t think we’d need to waste time explaining why a human virus can’t be spread through radio signals — but we have anyway, right here.
Another one claims the pandemic — which has so far killed more than 250,000 people — isn’t real, and is just a hoax to force people to vaccinate. Considering there is currently no vaccine I’m not really sure how they came to that conclusion, but anyway.
Researchers have found people tend to cling to conspiracy theories when they feel threatened or out of control, which certainly fits the bill of the current climate.
Regardless these people are seem to be trying really hard to make a point, considering they could always … change the channel? Switch to Netflix instead?
I have so much commitment to this propaganda stunt that I’ve dragged my 23″ tv from the spare room to tenderise with this kitchen mallet.
— Rohan Gaiswinkler (@Gaiswinkl) May 4, 2020
On our smaller screens!
— Compassionate Downsizer (@avrilduck) May 4, 2020
“How to own Captalism”
Step 1: destroy your own capital.
Step 2: think about what you have done.— Thermos Jeeperson (@flatuselatus) May 4, 2020
One of them can’t light a piece of paper. I think we are safe.
— Dermot (@Dermot1955) May 4, 2020
Not a single functioning television was harmed during the filming of this infomercial.
— David Talko-Nicholas (@dtalkonicholas) May 4, 2020
Mocking aside, I don’t think smashing your $1,000 TV is going to put Channel 7 out of business.
Stay tuned for part two of the video, which will probably come once they read this story on the smart phones and computers they still own.