I’m officially done.
After reports of Robin Williams’ daughter being taunted by Twitter trolls mere hours after Robin’s death, I have finally lost all faith in humanity.
For a man who touched so many peoples’ lives and had such a profound impact not only on comedy, but on the entire entertainment industry, surely a bit of respect for his family in this difficult time is not too much to ask.
I still find Robin’s passing to be a very raw topic to discuss. He changed the way I looked at life and inspired me to seize every opportunity. Beyond that, he had a kind heart and genuine concern for others. The man oozed a certain charisma and grandeur that elevated him to an esteem seemingly beyond the clutches of the trials us mortals face, such as death or misery. It pains me to think that a person who brought so much joy to us all suffered so greatly.
And while the world mourns the loss of someone so talented, it seems unfathomable that anyone could take up arms at their keyboards and launch an all-out assault on Robin’s family.
Those seeking to justify this perversion of privacy may run the “celebrity” argument: that the cost of success and fame is a forfeiture of basic human rights, such as privacy and dignity. However, while the Kardashian model of voluntary fame may invite a complete behind-the-scenes tour, for more traditional celebrities, the family of someone in the limelight never deserves to be dragged through such an ordeal.
That someone somewhere thinks it is ok to attack so maliciously with mocked-up autopsy photos is just vile and unacceptable behaviour. The issue with the internet is that there is no accountability, and this is something I have explored at length during my university studies.
But while Twitter is blamed for not having the infrastructure to deal with these transgressions, should we need a computer program to regulate human decency?
