What’s a ‘LOLCow’? TikTok’s responsible pleasure flirts with bullying.

When curious minds Google “LOLCow,” a phrase making the rounds throughout TikTok, the primary hyperlink to populate is to an outdated weblog server, its mission preserved solely in Google’s archived web page description: “Anonymously share juicy gossip and candid opinions about silly and weird individuals, also referred to as lolcows. Freedom of speech pleasant.”

City Dictionary suggests a number of related, however various, definitions for a LOLCow. An individual “who is straightforward/secure for almost all of individuals to mock. It is a money cow however you as an alternative milk ‘lols’ from it,” describes one. One other: “A lolcow is an individual you get in depth laughs from, who does not know they’re being made enjoyable of. They’ll usually assume they’re admired for what they’re doing, however secretly are being laughed at always.” And, much less to the purpose, “Somebody who makes a idiot of themselves on the web time and again. Often drug spurred.” A last one for the sports activities followers: “A time period that can be utilized to explain a perennial manufacturing unit of disappointment in sports activities…”

The idea, whereas contemporary in TikTok’s vernacular, is not significantly new, a vestige of early web days the place nameless accounts gave customers the gall to brazenly harass one another as a part of the digital carnival. It is a time period integral to the 4Chan lexicon, and plenty of level to Christine Chandler, a former blogger now embattled by on-line trolls and accusations of each unlawful and unethical conduct, as one of many web’s preeminent LOLCows.

What has advanced because the days of accepted on-line trolling is most people’s entry to the LOLCow. New one-stop-shop platforms like TikTok supply creators intense spikes of virality (and cash) almost in a single day, usually stemming from the algorithm’s crowning of a brand new app obsession.

Not simply fodder for a fleeting meme or an obsessive sub neighborhood, these people change into the star of everybody’s FYP. They’re flown out to collaborate with massive creators, pegged for model offers, and given the instruments to show their on-line persona — which, in lots of instances, stems from the power to be mocked — right into a supply of revenue. An setting rife for manipulation, TikTok obscures the trendy LOLCow below the guise of affection and fandom. Obsessive posters aren’t all the time following simply to be merciless, some imagine, at the very least based on their feedback, they’re constructing neighborhood with the web’s underdogs.

‘Milking’ LOLCows: trendy bullying or innocent enjoyable?

In a 7-minute lengthy video posted by consumer @PinkBinz on Aug. 31, TikTok’s model of a “LOLCow” is described because the goal of “center faculty bully” conduct, wherein a consumer is uplifted by disingenuous engagement from viewers. To be extra exact, based on the creator, the LOLCow is thinly-veiled cruelty, if not outright ableism. “LOLCows are nearly all the time picked out by the web as a result of they primarily have disabilities,” she says, pointing to the rise of creator Shawty Bae, who has not recognized as somebody with a incapacity. “Ninety-nine p.c of the time, if these individuals have been by no means concerned within the web, their life would have been utterly completely different. A lot of the issues that occur to them of their actual life have occurred due to the impression of individuals on the web bullying them.”

In a remark favored greater than 13,000 occasions, one viewer added, “lolcows are proper wing pipelines to attempt to make it appear to be disabled persons are risks to society. It’s weight loss program eugenics.” 

One other video, posted in 2023 by @GamerMagee, argues that extra consideration must be paid to the people who find themselves baiting creators. “The extent of depravity of the people who find themselves f*cking with them is simply mindboggling,” he mentioned. Commenters likened the rise of LOLCows to the recognition of TV reveals on channels like TLC, parading “uncommon” behaviors, appearances, or trauma for scores. 

Not all watchers really feel that manner, nevertheless, arguing they discover these creators relatable or that they solely wish to “verify in” on them out of compassion. “In case you are ever questioning why you might be drawn to shawtybae, it’s as a result of she doesn’t attempt to be anybody however herself. In a world that desires perfection, she doesn’t take herself too critically and he or she’s extremely humble regardless of her fame,” wrote one consumer on a YouTube video that includes Shawty Bae.

“Genuine” is joined by different, much less form phrases used to explain the TikTok creators pegged as new period LOLCows: “straightforward targets,” “gullible,” “weak,” “memeable.” Viewers on @PinkBinz’ video chimed in with dozens of examples falling below these classes, every with fervent “fanbases,” together with viral pages of these like Tophia Chu, trans creator Elphaba Orion Doherty, Daniel Larson, and — some of the controversial — @WorldOfTshirts. Joshua Block, the face of World of Tshirts, shot to recognition within the pandemic-spawned TikTok growth, identified for his each day vlogs round New York Metropolis that includes spontaneous performances, verbal assails, and harmful consuming. His account, adopted by 3.6 million individuals, boasts much more tens of millions of views by onlookers who proclaim to obsessively watch his movies out of morbid fascination. 

Block and Chandler are examples of the grim route “LOL farming” can head, the place incessant goading leads creators down more and more dangerous pathways and sometimes abusive conduct, lobbed towards themselves or others. In some examples, LOLCows are outrightly doxxed or the victims of swatting. In others, they change into engagement-getters for different creators, like the connection between Block and creator Mr. Primarily based NYC, utilizing them to develop their very own channels.

LOLing exterior of TikTok

There exist extra mainstream situations, too: The obsessive protection of YouTube star Gabbie Hanna’s erratic conduct and subsequent manic breakdown, documented in its completeness on her TikTok web page. Or the mass consumption and meme-ing of Britney Spears’ eccentric social media movies, particularly these posted throughout her combat for independence from her conservatorship, that nonetheless continues as we speak. 

Much more sophisticated: Among the hottest LOLCows are, within the eyes of the web (and sometimes the regulation), “unhealthy” individuals, the perpetrators of authentic crimes, threats, or problematic conduct. Others branded with the title are right-wing, and even white supremacist, figureheads. Cancel tradition thus collides with LOLCows in a flurry of retaliatory on-line conduct. 

Off TikTok, there are devoted subreddits and Discord servers tasked with following the spirals of those creators, together with Block, with posts oscillating between concern and mockery. This on-line voyeurism additionally features a 15-year-old Wiki web page devoted to Chandler’s actions and a whole host of “snark” pages providing boards for widespread LOLCow dialogue. 

TikTok & LOLCows: Made for one another

To many, TikTok is greater than a hub for viral humor and suggestions, it is a LOLCow manufacturing unit farm. 

And the place blogs of yore have been extra up entrance with their cruelty, the trendy notion of a LOLCow is much less on-the-nose in its detestation of distinction. As an alternative, individuals say they interact out of the urge to supply recommendation or, extra generally, actuality checks — take the incessant commentary spawning from the courting weblog of life-style creator Molly Rutter as instance. Others, for all intents and functions, say they’re real followers of the creator. Feedback like “you already know what, hell yeah” or “cannot inform the chat I f*ck with this” convey the concept that these human beings are an embarrassing responsible pleasure. However what’s much more regarding is how the trendy social media panorama exacerbates these urges. Platforms harnessing infinite scrolling, pushing e-commerce alternatives, and including all-encompassing search integrations, preserve individuals locked to their gadgets, a suggestions loop between creator and consumer that promotes much more obsession.

Will web tradition develop out of LOLing at individuals?

Within the age of on-line profitability — the chances of the creator economic system not but found within the early 2000s — this parasocial relationship can lead down surprising paths. Among the aforementioned personalities and different ridiculed creators have pivoted to grownup content material, linking Solely Followers pages of their bios to capitalize off of their virality. Within the case of ShawtyBae, specific photographs taken from her Solely Followers account have been leaked on-line with out consent, extra gas for the fireplace. Others lean into money-making ventures by way of model offers, movie star appearances, or product endorsements. Public ridicule turns into inextricably tied to their livelihood. 

At massive, increasingly persons are reckoning with the moral repercussions of posting on social media, from the generational trauma of household vlogging, to the platforming of individuals with disabilities by creators, with or with out their consent. The revival of the phrase LOLCow in public consciousness, whereas a regarding continuation, suggests extra persons are changing into conscious of social media’s darkish facet.

Alongside rising self-awareness, and a renewed love of criticism, amongst customers, some are repositioning the phrase as a behavioral verify for his or her friends on-line: Are you actually partaking with a creator out of sympathy, enjoyment, or care…  or are you milking them for “LOLs”?