Courtesy of NashGrier.comNash Grier, in case you aren’t an avid follower of the Vine app, is a 16-year-old boy whose short clips on the app have risen in popularity over the past year or so. He’s actually the most-followed Vine user, with a whopping 8.7 million followers.
That last fact makes a particular video clip made by Grier all the more dangerous.
The content of one of his Vine posts, purportedly posted last year, included a clip of an HIV ad with a man saying that the disease “isn’t a gay thing”. The camera then switched to Grier yelling “Yes it is! Fag!” in response.
Openly gay YouTube star Tyler Oakley tweeted the Vine to his followers, and criticized Grier for promoting such a harmful stereotype:
Call me and people like me, 'fag' all you want, but spreading false information about deadly diseases is next level. https://t.co/W6X9MUrgUK
— tyler oakley (@tyleroakley) July 6, 2014
In response to backlash from Grier’s fans, Oakley added:
https://twitter.com/tyleroakley/status/485833868113477632
Of course, Grier soon deleted the Vine.
He has since apologized, via his Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Nashgrier/status/486938431507816448
Oakley hinted at it, but this once again brings up a point that is becoming more and more relevant as social media becomes a bigger platform than ever before.
Even though we’re all entitled to our opinions, should certain people in the spotlight be more careful of how they express themselves, being mindful of their fans?
Personally, I believe Grier’s video was a huge mistake and a form of discrimination that should never be tolerated, jokingly or not.
Sound off in the comments below, PopWrappers.
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