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We May Be Leaving the Ken Bone Zone We May Be Leaving the Ken Bone Zone
(about 17 hours later)
This is an obituary for a fictional persona: Ken Bone, America’s Red-Breasted Hero.This is an obituary for a fictional persona: Ken Bone, America’s Red-Breasted Hero.
This Ken Bone of our imaginations was born on Sunday, during a presidential debate, when the American public saw him and decided that he was more important than whatever those two nameless individuals running for president had to say.This Ken Bone of our imaginations was born on Sunday, during a presidential debate, when the American public saw him and decided that he was more important than whatever those two nameless individuals running for president had to say.
The real Ken Bone is still alive and well, of course.The real Ken Bone is still alive and well, of course.
To prove it, he has tried, like any enterprising American, to capitalize on the country’s feverish, bewildering affection by accepting some sort of sponsorship deal from Uber, creating his own “Bone Zone” T-shirt line, and conducting an interview with the people of Reddit on Thursday. Judging from his active account history and the breadth of Mr. Bone’s discussions, they are his sort of people.To prove it, he has tried, like any enterprising American, to capitalize on the country’s feverish, bewildering affection by accepting some sort of sponsorship deal from Uber, creating his own “Bone Zone” T-shirt line, and conducting an interview with the people of Reddit on Thursday. Judging from his active account history and the breadth of Mr. Bone’s discussions, they are his sort of people.
The media coverage has been so intense that it inspired one journalist to write existential poetry. In just a few short days, Mr. Bone broke Chewbacca Mom’s land-speed record for permeating our consciousness.The media coverage has been so intense that it inspired one journalist to write existential poetry. In just a few short days, Mr. Bone broke Chewbacca Mom’s land-speed record for permeating our consciousness.
But the pendulum of adoration must always swing back, it seems.But the pendulum of adoration must always swing back, it seems.
Chewbacca Mom, whose real name is a lot less fun to say than “Ken Bone” or “Bone Zone,” made the transformation in the eyes of some to a symbol of racial privilege, or maybe an avatar of our modern tendency to award provocative people with gross amounts of money for doing very little. It all depended on who was watching, who was writing, and what they felt.Chewbacca Mom, whose real name is a lot less fun to say than “Ken Bone” or “Bone Zone,” made the transformation in the eyes of some to a symbol of racial privilege, or maybe an avatar of our modern tendency to award provocative people with gross amounts of money for doing very little. It all depended on who was watching, who was writing, and what they felt.
Now the bell tolls for Mr. Bone.Now the bell tolls for Mr. Bone.
It is Mr. Bone’s turn to show the world that he is a flawed person — a human, even — who decided to take the ride when insta-fame was given to him.It is Mr. Bone’s turn to show the world that he is a flawed person — a human, even — who decided to take the ride when insta-fame was given to him.
He might also now be forced to acknowledge that he has said and done things that are bad, unpopular or even illegal. And the rest of us, in our indignant perfection, will shake our heads and tweet about it.He might also now be forced to acknowledge that he has said and done things that are bad, unpopular or even illegal. And the rest of us, in our indignant perfection, will shake our heads and tweet about it.
As Mr. Bone conducted his Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, reporters at Gizmodo — a site literally hours ahead of anyone else in revealing the supposed badness of Mr. Bone — and their counterparts at The Daily Dot and The Daily Beast soon ferreted out Mr. Bone’s past Reddit history, finding tidbits that were sure to provoke somebody.As Mr. Bone conducted his Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, reporters at Gizmodo — a site literally hours ahead of anyone else in revealing the supposed badness of Mr. Bone — and their counterparts at The Daily Dot and The Daily Beast soon ferreted out Mr. Bone’s past Reddit history, finding tidbits that were sure to provoke somebody.
It seems Mr. Bone had engaged in a discussion of his sex life after having undergone a vasectomy. Using the pseudonym StanGibson18, he had revealed that he enjoyed viewing the nude photos of the actress Jennifer Lawrence (that were, for the record, posted online without her consent). He also commented on pictures of scantily clad women on the Bodyperfection and RealGirls subreddits.It seems Mr. Bone had engaged in a discussion of his sex life after having undergone a vasectomy. Using the pseudonym StanGibson18, he had revealed that he enjoyed viewing the nude photos of the actress Jennifer Lawrence (that were, for the record, posted online without her consent). He also commented on pictures of scantily clad women on the Bodyperfection and RealGirls subreddits.
“Beautiful human submarines,” he wrote on a post about pregnant women in an 18-and-over subreddit called PreggoPorn.“Beautiful human submarines,” he wrote on a post about pregnant women in an 18-and-over subreddit called PreggoPorn.
Before anyone knew his real name, he had decided to tell Reddit about the most illegal thing he said he’s ever done, by claiming that he had once forged car insurance documents to keep his job as a pizza delivery driver.Before anyone knew his real name, he had decided to tell Reddit about the most illegal thing he said he’s ever done, by claiming that he had once forged car insurance documents to keep his job as a pizza delivery driver.
And four months ago, Mr. Bone summed up the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman as a “justified” episode: “Bad guy legally kills kid in self defense. Sucks for everybody,” he wrote, before blaming the news media.And four months ago, Mr. Bone summed up the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman as a “justified” episode: “Bad guy legally kills kid in self defense. Sucks for everybody,” he wrote, before blaming the news media.
Under this Reddit account, Mr. Bone was a semiregular commenter, with about 150 comments made over the course of the year, not including the flurry of posts he made during his A.M.A. He posted about gun control and his job as an operator at a coal plant in Illinois. He voiced support for President Obama but said that he himself was “a pretty conservative guy.”Under this Reddit account, Mr. Bone was a semiregular commenter, with about 150 comments made over the course of the year, not including the flurry of posts he made during his A.M.A. He posted about gun control and his job as an operator at a coal plant in Illinois. He voiced support for President Obama but said that he himself was “a pretty conservative guy.”
What else? He enjoys video games, is O.K. with calling himself “fat and bald,” and once offered words of comfort to a survivor of rape.What else? He enjoys video games, is O.K. with calling himself “fat and bald,” and once offered words of comfort to a survivor of rape.
“Your value has not changed due his words,” he wrote to that person, “or any assault you have endured. You are still valuable.”“Your value has not changed due his words,” he wrote to that person, “or any assault you have endured. You are still valuable.”
Quite a mixed bag. But in this world of online celebrity-ish, only extremes break through. The echo chamber doesn’t do nuance.Quite a mixed bag. But in this world of online celebrity-ish, only extremes break through. The echo chamber doesn’t do nuance.
On Friday, Mr. Bone’s voice mail box was full. He did not reply to a text message, but he did eventually answer email questions about the criticism of his old anonymous comments on Trayvon Martin and Jennifer Lawrence.On Friday, Mr. Bone’s voice mail box was full. He did not reply to a text message, but he did eventually answer email questions about the criticism of his old anonymous comments on Trayvon Martin and Jennifer Lawrence.
“If you read the whole post on the Trayvon Martin tragedy you’ll see that I said based on what I read, which was the release from the D.O.J., the shooting was ruled as legally justified,” he wrote. “It was also an awful thing to happen. Just because it was legal does not mean it was right. I wish Trayvon were still alive.” “If you read the whole post on the Trayvon Martin tragedy you’ll see that I said based on what I read, which was the release from the D.O.J., the shooting was ruled as legally justified,” he wrote. “It was also an awful thing to happen. Just because it was legal does not mean it was right. I wish Trayvon were still alive.” (The Department of Justice said that the evidence surrounding the case did not meet the law’s high standard for prosecuting bias-motivated crimes.)
On his posts about Ms. Lawrence, he had this to say: “It was a joke in poor taste made from my former anonymity. I take full responsibility for saying it. I wholeheartedly apologize and wish I could do so to her directly.”On his posts about Ms. Lawrence, he had this to say: “It was a joke in poor taste made from my former anonymity. I take full responsibility for saying it. I wholeheartedly apologize and wish I could do so to her directly.”
Now that he is the opposite of anonymous, Mr. Bone would like everyone to know something: “My message has been one about elevating the level of conversation, and if I want to hold our leaders accountable for their words then I must be accountable for mine.”Now that he is the opposite of anonymous, Mr. Bone would like everyone to know something: “My message has been one about elevating the level of conversation, and if I want to hold our leaders accountable for their words then I must be accountable for mine.”
In a later email, Mr. Bone ended this long and strange week by saying that his insurance fraud comments had been a fabrication: “That was a made up story, and even in the story no documents were passed to law enforcement. They were used for employment.”In a later email, Mr. Bone ended this long and strange week by saying that his insurance fraud comments had been a fabrication: “That was a made up story, and even in the story no documents were passed to law enforcement. They were used for employment.”