Yesterday, popular social media creator, comedian and musician Garron Noone deactivated his social media accounts. The deactivation of his accounts, seemingly his own choice after backlash to videos he posted earlier in the day.
I’m not going into the content of what Garron said. I watched them and moved on after consuming someone’s opinion. That’s personally how I feel the world should work. But what Garron has experienced since, amid accusations of dog-whistling to the far-right, can’t be described as less than an internet dog pile.
A couple of years ago, I did some mental health training. I got to learn some incredibly valuable skills. It’s impossible for me to look at this situation like some sort of veteran superstar dealing with the tax of fame. Instead, I see someone who is a very normal “guy next door” type being pulled apart, disproportionate to what he said.
Regardless of whether you agreed with what he said or didn’t say, the goal should be discourse – not dog piling and a rush to “cancel” someone.
My immediate reaction to the backlash was to want to support Garron Noone the person. Not because I agree with him, but because I can have empathy for a fellow human being. I’ve never met him, but he seems a generally nice guy. While I can see understand some might take issue with what he said and how it was said, there wasn’t anything that couldn’t be addressed by conversation and openness to education knowledge sharing. But instead, everything got dialled up to 100% and now we’re left here with no discourse at all on the topic.
All I could think about last night was the pressure Garron must have felt. Pressure that built to the point where he pulled down his social accounts. These social accounts have been built up over a year or two and are Noone’s path to a living. Yet, he thought it’s best to deactivate them.
Today, every second video on TikTok is an account weighing in on the subject. Everyone has an opinion.
As a result, some of Garron’s fellow creators have emerged with public support for him.
Miriam Mullins posted late last night saying “he’s not racist. That’s ridiculous”.
Eric Roberts, who has also experienced a large rise to social media fame in recent years, said “the internet can be a scary place, but this man [Noone] has always made it a brighter, funnier, happier place”.
Alan Clarke, a creator who has featured in a good few videos with Noone, called for support by asking people to talk about his best videos.
Entrepeneur and motoring creator, Nadia Adan, also supported Noone. The two have featured in a few skits together, stating she was “horrified” by the treatment Noone received and that he is “he is the most kindest soul, the most gentle person”.
Now. You’ve read this much and I already know there are some who will call for my head just because I haven’t denounced something or agreed with something. And that’s grand.
But all I’m asking is that you consider the people behind the content and the impact that such a dog pile brings.
Another creator, Daragh Fleming, weighed in focusing on similar. Let’s just remember we’re all human.
