More on YouTube phenom Justin, aka "Tsimfuckis" aka "Chick3n Little"
Aude Baron, the French journalist who interviewed "Tsimfuckis" for that article in Lepost.fr (article: French original / English robo-translation), wrote in to Boing Boing to say...
That's really cool to talk about this kid, with whom I exchanged few mails last week. Just one little thing. At the end of your post, you talk about his YouTube account. Here's what happened...Previously: Justin (aka "Tsimfuckis," aka "Tsimfuckus," aka "chick3n little.")Justin's first YT acount was "Tsimfuckis". He closed it on June, 2nd because he was fed up with comments coming from the "haterz", as he calls them. But then, his friends and fans told him that it was too bad, that he should keep going on YouTube. So he opened another account with the nickname "Tsimfuckus" on June 3rd. So it's him who controls it.
You may have seen there is another "Tsimfuckis" account on YT, recently created. This one is not Justin's. It's a f*cking "haterz", and who announced Justin's death...
Justin is a real cool kid, and I hope he'll see your article, and the great reactions following it.
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Xeni, if BoingBoing readers wanted to go to 4Chan or FARK they would do that. I come here for posts that are smarter, more intelligent and rise above the “look at the freak” fray.
And yes, this is simply a freakshow. Unless you can provide some proof that YouTube/Google are sharing ad profits from his video views to help him out. Selling out as a freak is still profoundly sad, but at least he’d get something out of this.
Very disappointed in this BB “meme” rising again.
@Jack, Tsimfuckus certainly doesn't think of himself in the cruel terms you use -- your comment is judgemental and mean. I think he's getting revenue from the YouTube channel, too, which is totally awesome.
Jack, you need to calm down, maybe take a walk or something. The kid's doing what he wants to do. He's got his face out there and all we're doing is noticing. Maybe you need to think about why you're so quick to call everybody a freakshow.
I'm glad to see chick3n little is still going in spite of all the whooping retards out there.
And yes, this is simply a freakshow.
You want him to stay in the cupboard under the stairs? Because that's how your comment comes off.
And BB isn't written just for you. As evidenced by the comments in the previous thread, plenty of people found him interesting in a compassionate way.
Jack, I find it sad that you can only see a freak and a charity case when watching those videos.
And did anybody else read the word "haterz" in a heavy french accent?
I applaud an update because 4chan, Fark and the likes have long since moved on.
And while we're at it, let's talk about freakshows. They weren't closed down by the freaks. They were closed down by the puritanical villagers. And it put them out of a job when they had few, if any, other opportunities for employment, which remains true to this day.
There's at least one woman who marches in the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco every year, topless and with an unreconstructed mastectomy. I'm sure that some people are shocked, but good for her for refusing to hide her differences. If you have the wherewithal to make a video for YouTube or take a bus downtown to the parade, why should anybody tell you to hide yourself?
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@gorillasushi, and unlike them, I'm not blogging this for speedy drive-by thrills, I'm interested in the story about the person in the videos.
More power to Justin. Despite the moronic "freak show" comments, he *is* an inspiration and his willingness to put himself out there is literally awesome. I'm glad he's still around, doing what he's doing. Best wishes for him and his friends who support him.
i think pdiddy should have justin as a guest in some of his music videos! Now that would be a verry classy and well deserved giant ass middle finger to all the haters! Bricks will be $h4t all accross the collective hatorsphere. I can just imagine snoop dog and pdiddy pulling this off with style, cuz if theres any hip hop artists out there that can pull this stunt off with class, style, hipness & funky beat its these two pdiddy and snoop!
How is this noteworthy other than the fact that this person is different looking? How are we not just gawking at a freak? There are thousands of people on YT doing the same thing who don't have some heartbreaking medical condition, and no one cares. It doesn't matter what you say or how you try to spin this, we are all gawking at someone who is different.
@frenchtoastkiss
Pity your language led to a disemvowelment because it did make me think. Yes, if he wasn't looking like that, I may only have seen him as a "dumb kid listening to hiphop" and I'd still be wrong.
There's a human being in there even if you or I may only see the stereotype.
Yeah, I gotta give this kid props... he sure as hell isn't ashamed of his uh... well I dunno what... but hell, he's doing a better job of getting himself out there in the public eye than most of the bloggers and podcasters, etc out there wishing for some slice of fame... and he sure as hell looks like he's having a good time.
Fuck ze haterz, mon amie...
Haha, oh wow. I didn't realize there was a filter for naughty words on here...That's gross...
posted in: CIVLIB
@frenchtoastkiss, there's no filter for naughty words, but we do filter people behaving like mean assholes.
Oh I see. Sorry 'bout that.
Thanks, Xeni, I was wondering what this was doing here. To me, he's just another foul mouthed kid on youtube. However, "I'm interested in the story about the person in the videos. " sums up a pretty good reason. It's not a freak show, you're curious about this odd kid who has, in fact, put himself out there anyway. I can dig it.
@ #12 Charlie lesoine
I believe the point is this kid wants to he like every other youtuber out there making silly videos like everyone else & the attitude you and others that may not sympathize with him is that he doesnt have the right to do that cuz he doesnt look "normal" what makes him diffrent is that he doesnt let his differnce stop him from being a normal teenager and it shouldnt stop him. That is the point! Not an OMG why doent people just ignore him and segregate him cuz he's diffrent nonsese you and others seem to imply. This is kind of like the classic cases of people who are diffrent/disabled ECT., who do ordinary things that are ordinary to me and you like learning how to walk again after a car accident, being able to see again after being treated for a medical condition, or learning to skateboard and doing an ollie for the very first time after a lifetime living with crutches. Little things like this that seem ordinary to people like you and me but are extraordinary for people who defy fate and a cruel roll of the genict dice who look past the hand that fate has dealt them and put forth evry effort to move on with their lives and ignore what others tell them they can or cannot do because of their infirmities. This in my eyes and in the eyes of many others who see these feats as extraordinary applause these efforts by those people whether or not you take your daily accomplishments as routine or not.
And thi is why viewing justins videos isnt some freakshow because he is an ordinary kid doing ordinary things in spite of what others tell him he cant do, that and the fact that it takes balls to put yourself out there knowing you run the risk of ridicule, hate or worse APATHY...
It's good for BB to post this kid's story, if only so he can read the (mostly) positive comments. I looked him up on encyclopedia dramatica and nearly wept for the poor kid. I can't believe I belong to the same species as these heartless fuckers encouraging him to 'an hero'.
He's trying to be himself- or to figure out what 'himself is'- like ALL young teen kids. This dude is an inspiration... and that video is freakin hilarious. Long live TsimFuckis!
I'm gonna say this again - "freak show" isn't a bad thing. When you use the word 'freak' or the term 'freak show' in such a manner all you do expose (further) your ignorance - particualrly of the very words you are 'trying' to use to express an essentially wrong headed notion. Take even a brief look at the history, contributions, and cultural context of freaks and freak shows and it becomes readily apparent that using these as insults requires a full bending over backwards and shoving of ones head up ones ass.
If we are going to talk about whether or not this is a freak show the debate should be whether or not it is good enough to qualify as such.
If I might attempt to intervene in this little argument, nobody is calling this kid a worthless freak who should "hide under the stairs." What I think is meant by "this is just a freakshow" is that the only reason we care is because he's strange looking. In other words, that he's able to act like a normal kid despite his problems is nice, but it doesn't make him some kind of hero. It makes him a normal kid, who we're being condescending to. In still other words, he's not the reason "it's a freakshow," we are, by acting like freak show patrons (and pretending we're not).
I don't necessarily agree with that, but I can certainly understand the viewpoint. I do think it's heartwarming he can "be normal" like that (although I also feel like I'm being condescending and thus ironically pretty much preventing him from being normal), and I have to admit I'm curious about his condition. Maybe we should all just stop handwringing and approach it honestly....
the only reason we care is because he's strange looking.
Perhaps, Moriarty, you are unaware of a multi-trillion dollar industry called Hollywood, which produces a product that allows billions to view other people solely because they have pretty faces, big boobs or six-pack abs. If you want everyone to stop watching media based on the appearance of the players, Blockbuster is going to need to buy a lot more copies of My Dinner with André.
So you're agreeing this is analogous?
little kid swearing on youtube=little over privileged brat.
little kid with terrible disease swearing on youtube= brave little kid expressing himself.
wtf??
moriarty, perhaps we all should approach this honestly. You first.
@#2 POSTED BY XENI JARDIN
Can you provide evidence that there is revenue? For that matter is there a reason why you can’t contact him directly? Why is this “verification” via proxy.
What’s cruel is that a child with a disastrous disease is being used as a form of entertainment by cyber hipsters.
@#3 POSTED BY PINEHEAD
Who is calling everybody a freakshow? In this case I am saying that one kid will a horrible disease is being used as a source of Interweb freakshow entertainment by folks who degrade him... Like this guy below...
@#3 POSTED BY PINEHEAD
Amazing! You call him "chicken little" and think that’s a compliment?
@#4 POSTED BY ANTINOUS
No I don’t. Why are you polarizing the choices one who has a disease such as this has. Perhaps you are the one who wants to place this guy in a cupboard under the hipster entertainment stairs? No it isn’t. But this is a supposed directory of “wonderful” things? I’m sure Xeni could spin some reason why this is “wonderful” but I’m 100% sure that the majority of folks sharing this kid’s videos are just treating him as a freak. When 4Chan, Fark and Gavin “hipster racist” McInnes of Vice/Street Carnage fame elevate stuff like this it’s because they are mocking it in the worst way. Pretending otherwise is laughable and delusional.
@#5 POSTED BY PANTOGRAPH
Actually I see a kid with a painful life trying to be a kid as much as possible and getting “fame” via web hipsters deciding he’s cool. When the reality is he’s in bad shape and his videos are popular because he’s a freak.
How about this. Can BBTV do a segment to really humanize this guy? Or is that too much of a crazy idea? Oh yeah, there’s probably some elaborate reason that can’t happen.
Congrats on increasing your page views though BB. I see Bing is getting nice placement. Wonder how their conversions are doing?
Oh and reading BB staff and moderators tripping over themselves to justify this is thrillingly disturbing. C’mon folks, denial ain’t just a river in Egypt. You’re exploiting this kid and patting yourself on the back.
Hmmm, so we've gone even farther in proving the already-known, that people project things onto that which they observe. How fascinating.
I think the kid's fabulous, and hella brave. I also think Jack is tiresome.
Jack,
You're raving. Take a few days off to regain your composure.
Jack is a complete bummer at parties, I would guess.
He is a normal kid. Close your eyes if you can't see that.
mdh FTW.
Yes it is great that this kid is being himself and having fun like any regular, healthy kid. I applaud his bravery and self-esteem.
However isn't it true that his illness is really the only thing setting him apart from any other random kid making youtube videos? Isn't it true that the reason we know about him at all is because some idiots wanted to make fun of him? (if not, please correct me!)
I realize that's not whats going on here at BB, but to pretend this is just a nice, uplifting story of a "normal kid" is just a little dishonest I think.
Why is it so inspirational and uplifting that a sick kid wants to do the same things that any other kids do? Assuming he is physically capable, I would EXPECT him to do such things. I mean it's not like he's doing something amazing or groundbreaking, (again, please correct me if I'm wrong!) he's just making youtube videos...
This really is a no win argument.
One side argues that, despite his health condition, he is trying to behave like a "normal kid." Thus, he is not treated like a normal kid.
On the other hand, some people are arguing that most people are watching this BECAUSE he's not a normal kid and thus NOT posting this as special is more in line with treating him like a normal kid.
Me? I think that if he wants to put himself out there? Great. He takes his chances with folks that will be cruel and mock him, and he also faces the possibility of gathering swarms of people who will say kind words about him because of who he is, not what he is doing.
I think that is the key. Nobody is treating him like an ordinary teenager. Whether hero, freak, or other... he isn't being treated like an ordinary teenager BUT, it is unlikely that he ever will be.
If he is happy with his Youtube fame? That is really the only thing that matters.
The reactions from some of the boingers here (yeah, mostly Jack) remind me a lot of how some people reacted to Josh "The Ponceman" Perry when he started doing his stuff on Youtube.
Ponceman, in case you didn´t know, is a comedian with downs syndrome, so of course he uses that in his skits. The point is that he´s not a person who´s funny because he´s disabled, he is a funny person who happens to have a disability. You work with what you have.
jeez chik3n little you scare the shit out of me xD with this one!!
AS i always says on your videos, CHICK3N LITTLE FTW!!!
And for jack, go on vacation men.. you need it..
PS: MDH FTW also!!!
This kid has some moxy. I hope he stays above all the haterz...
I just realised who he reminded me of in this 13-second ghoust' vid...
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/06/09/wbyellow_narrowweb__200x270.jpg
like a couple of people have observed, the only thing that really matters is how the kid himself perceives the situation.
I was certainly shocked/interested when i first saw the videos. But i don't have any real compulsion to follow them. Personally I don't think this is something that should be memed. It just feels very cheap to me.
I gotta go with the "If you got it, work it." crowd on this one. Turning a potentially negative condition such as a disease into a positive is both wonderful and noteworthy.
Youtube on the whole should just dispose of comments altogether and save themselves a shitload of database space and bandwidth ...
... or utilize a captcha-like system which measures grammatical proficiency rather than word readability.
what condition does he have?
@41
Possibly Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome