WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000 "More on the allegations that CNN 00:00:10.129 --> 00:00:16.989 blackmailed the user who created the anti-CNN Trump wrestling video." "So the Reddit user behind the Trump CNN 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:18.920 body-slam video is 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:22.540 apologizing." "I've watched the sadness, how the Cocks News Network 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:28.540 has tried to trample over our freedom of expression." "And they decided that they could get their pound of flesh from this individual." 00:00:28.540 --> 00:00:30.020 [shouting] 00:00:30.400 --> 00:00:32.860 July 2nd, 2017: 00:00:32.860 --> 00:00:35.160 Trump is browsing Twitter for some memes. 00:00:35.360 --> 00:00:37.959 He sees this one and hits retweet. 00:00:38.030 --> 00:00:45.430 But over half a million likes and many many more hurt feelings by CNN. As grown adults, how can they let it rest? 00:00:45.980 --> 00:00:47.329 They don't... 00:00:47.329 --> 00:00:54.939 They get their top investigator. Ya boy Andrew Kaczynski on the case to find the creator of the gif. 00:00:56.300 --> 00:00:58.070 July 4: 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:01.750 CNN had found their man, user HanAssholeSolo. 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:09.339 CNN was able to scour through his Reddit history to find his personal Facebook. What followed was an ultimatum. 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.648 Delete everything or be doxxed. In exchange for his anonymity, 00:01:14.899 --> 00:01:18.759 HanAssholeSolo purged his Reddit history and issued an apology 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:20.600 to CNN. 00:01:20.600 --> 00:01:21.579 From here on out, 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:25.928 he was a hostage. In light of this, CNN issued a statement. 00:01:26.270 --> 00:01:29.859 "CNN is not publishing HanAssholeSolo's name because he's a private citizen 00:01:30.380 --> 00:01:37.329 who has issued an extensive apology. CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change. 00:01:39.350 --> 00:01:45.819 Now CNN had squashed the one who had stung them, but in doing so, they had stirred up the hive. 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:50.919 4chan was not about to let HanAssholeSolo be silenced in vain. 00:01:51.229 --> 00:01:57.848 Their plan, to create so many CNN memes that tracking down any single target would be pointless. 00:01:58.729 --> 00:02:00.169 July 5th: 00:02:00.169 --> 00:02:06.429 Their operation was a multi-stage assault. First, there was an alliance, an agreement between former frenemies. 00:02:06.729 --> 00:02:09.309 The second was a constant barrage of meme artillery. 00:02:09.850 --> 00:02:15.479 The third stage was to target the money that funds CNN by contacting their advertisers 00:02:15.880 --> 00:02:22.400 directly. The early strikes launched for CNN were through Twitter. The first, making the hashtag, #CNNBlackmail 00:02:22.740 --> 00:02:30.680 trending for many to see. And a second, getting prominent figures to tell everyone that CNN's hostage was a 15 year old boy. 00:02:31.630 --> 00:02:38.759 Even Donald Trump's own son tweeted out that the person threatened by CNN was only 15. The only way CNN can then counter this 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:44.160 accusation was by releasing the information they had on him, which would then result in possible legal 00:02:44.590 --> 00:02:47.550 ramifications, and then being attacked further from all sides. 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:55.660 Meanwhile, every forum, every feat, every platform was being flooded with CNN memes. As the situation 00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:01.120 escalated, Kekistani forces went about attacking the only thing that CNN really cares about, 00:03:01.810 --> 00:03:04.800 its ratings. The strategy was simple. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:10.950 First, download the CNN app, then rate it one star, then delete. 00:03:11.320 --> 00:03:17.160 Wanting to keep up the pressure, Alex Jones and Paul Joseph Watson created the first meme contest. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:23.460 $20,000 to whoever made the meme they liked the most about CNN. In the past, 00:03:23.980 --> 00:03:27.420 internet polls and contests were destroyed by 4chan shitposting. 00:03:28.030 --> 00:03:32.640 But now, an actual contest was born specifically for that purpose, 00:03:34.209 --> 00:03:35.950 July 6th: 00:03:35.950 --> 00:03:41.130 Reports started coming in by reputable media sources that were covering and condemning the meme war. 00:03:41.890 --> 00:03:48.000 This attention only emboldened the forces of 4chan and Reddit, but while some were celebrating, others 00:03:48.640 --> 00:03:50.530 were scheming. 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:54.119 Already there were rumors suggesting that CNN had got the wrong guy. 00:03:54.790 --> 00:03:58.320 Could it be possible that this whole thing was started from a mistake? 00:03:59.440 --> 00:04:04.760 No, this was just more clever disinformation. In this manufactured fog of confusion, 00:04:04.860 --> 00:04:07.340 one final long-term plan was hatched. 00:04:08.769 --> 00:04:12.449 Thousands of undercover anons would begin using universal remotes 00:04:12.790 --> 00:04:18.179 to change public televisions off of CNN to further hurt their ratings 00:04:19.329 --> 00:04:23.459 July 12: A full week passed and new developments were scarce. 00:04:24.039 --> 00:04:28.769 CNN has seemingly been busy on damage control, having absolute suppressed bad reviews 00:04:29.770 --> 00:04:36.000 Publications that stand in solidarity with CNN have been churning out articles condemning troll behavior, and echoing the claim 00:04:36.070 --> 00:04:42.959 that people who make gifs don't deserve anonymity. The most salient example of these publications is MTV. 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:46.709 As they are now in production of a spin-off to their "Catfish" TV series. 00:04:47.470 --> 00:04:49.389 Except it will focus 00:04:49.389 --> 00:04:55.409 100% on doxxing people who like to have fun on the internet. Soon, on prime-time television, 00:04:55.810 --> 00:04:59.220 you will see someone have their post history, real name, 00:04:59.889 --> 00:05:05.339 location, and face doxxed on camera. So how this story ends 00:05:06.190 --> 00:05:10.649 could be up to you, as any one of us might be next. 00:05:13.510 --> 00:05:20.010 What will be the aftermath of this meme war? What's next for HanAssholeSolo and the Kekistani Army? 00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:25.949 All of this and more on the next issue of Meme Insider.