Logan Paul told his fans he wasn't expecting forgiveness after he published a video of an apparent suicide victim to millions of viewers. "I'm simply here to apologise," he says. But, despite his egregious and irresponsible actions, forgiveness has been granted by scores of his dedicated teen fans, some of whom believe he did nothing wrong.
The 22-year-old vlogger was heavily criticised after uploading a YouTube video entitled "We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest" on Jan. 1. In the video— which was subsequently removed from the site—graphic footage is shown of a man who died by suicide in Aokigahara forest, Japan. Paul, who was seen laughing in response to the deceased man, has been criticised for appearing to mock people who've died by suicide. It's worth noting, too, that viewers were not warned about the footage showing a dead body. No resources or helplines were included for viewers who might be experiencing suicidal thoughts.
But despite this, the loyalty of Paul's fanbase— the "Logang"—has scarcely wavered. With over 15 million YouTube subscribers under his belt, Paul's mentions on social media are rife with in-fighting among fans—some of whom are ready to forgive and forget.
A Twitter search of the hashtag #LOGANG4LIFE reveal hundreds of tweets by fans expressing their undeterred devotion and love for the vlogger. Mixed in among these tweets are posts by Paul's critics expressing disgust at his behaviour, and shock that his fans—who they call "deluded"—are still behind him.
(Editor's note: Mashable has blurred the avatars and usernames in the screenshots below as some of the individuals identified may be minors)
Dominick Negron, 17, told Mashable he feels the backlash "from all the media" has been "a little harsh." He believes that Paul's laughter in the video was "how he copes with things;" a viewpoint echoed by many fans using the hashtag.
"If you watch some of his other videos and see what he’s does when something happens, he laughs," says Negron. "That’s how he copes with things."
Negron says that "despite all the negativity coming from everyone" Paul is still one of his idols. He says if he could talk to him, he'd tell him to "stay positive" and that he'll "always be a fan." "'Cause 1) everyone makes mistakes 2) ik how it is to be under all this heat/pressure 3) laughing is a way to cope with things and people don’t understand that," he says.
A 22-year-old fan, who chose not to give his name, told Mashable that he's "very sad" about the backlash. "I thought he did nothing wrong," he says, adding that he believes people are "overreacting heavily." "He shouldn't worry cuz he's a maverick and he can do anything in the world. #Logang4life," he continued. The fan conceded that Paul didn't think about "the consequences" of the video, but said that "it doesn't really matter cuz he's a maverick."
A 19-year-old fan, who asked not to be named, said he felt very conflicted and he's not sure whether to feel sorry for him. He says he's "against" Paul's actions in the video. "I just really hate what he did," he says and thinks that no one should film someone who's died by suicide. "He messed up big time. Something like that shouldn’t be easy to forgive."
"He has helped me with so much. I have anxiety and when I watched his vlogs, I would escape reality and feel happy for just that little time," he says. "Logan Paul has helped me through so much. One can say he deserves it which he does. I just feel bad that he’s getting all the hate," he says.
"Imagine half the world hating you. Hate is not solution." He believes that Paul should "try to redeem himself" by donating to a charity and filming an extended video featuring experts on suicide.
It's a watershed moment for the fiercely devoted fans of Logan Paul. But, irrespective of his irresponsible and downright dangerous actions, Paul's fans remain resolutely by his side.
2018 could be the year we discover that YouTubers, in the eyes of their fans, can literally do no wrong. What a troubling reality to be faced with.
If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources.
For recommendations on reporting on suicide, visit reportingonsuicide.org.
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