The Internet is increasingly becoming a vehicle for public shaming for those who enrage communities by thoughtless or reprehensible conduct. Holly Jones, a hair stylist in Indianapolis, is the latest target of the collective condemnation. Jones went on Facebook to complain that Kilroy’s Bar N’ Grill had ignored her needs on New Year’s Eve to help some “Junkie” who died. It turned out to be a 57-year old lady celebrating with her husband and son. Fortunately she survived. Jones’ reputation did not.
Jones was upset in having her celebration interrupted on New Year’s Eve: “After the way we were treated when we spent $700+ and having our meal ruined by watching a dead person being wheeled out from an overdose my night has been ruined!!.” As if that is not enough, she continued to bemoan that
“The manager told us someone dying was more important then us being there making us feel like our business didn’t matter, but I guess allowing a Junkie in the building to overdose on your property is more important then paying customers who are spending a lot of money!!”
Kilroy’s manager joined the rising virtual mob and celebrated the loss of Jones’ business.
Even Serenity Salon, where Jones works, went online to distance the business from Jones.
In the meantime, the daughter of the heart attack victim, Tohnna Wymer, created a GoFundMe page to help with costs associated with her mother’s medical treatment.
The trend toward Internet shaming appears to be growing. While it can sometimes have value as a form of local community action, it can also have negative elements as a form of vigilantism. Once selected as a story of the day, a person can be ruined and hounded by the resulting scrutiny. It is hard to be sympathetic over a person who writes such cruel and narcissistic things. However, the stigma and outrage over this posting is likely to remain with her for her lifetime. Indeed, some businesses would likely fire such an employee to avoid the public backlash.
Putting aside the justified anger, do you believe that level of scrutiny in such cases is commensurate with the offense given to the public?
So it was 2AM, no doubt she was intoxicated and she left what amounts to a drunk text on the companies Facebook page. Yes, it was disgusting and awful but no doubt she sobered up and realized as much the next day. She denounced the action, apologized and did her best to remove the post.
Do we really need to ruin her life for this? Sometimes I hate the internet.
@DustBunnyQueen Watch out for her on Match.com folks.
It’s true, the Internet is forever, so any future employer or person with an interest can google her name and read this sorry posting of hers years from now. But given her age, she grew up with the Internet and should be well aware of this fact. It’s true that Internet bullying can be brutal, and has been directly linked to some suicides in teenagers. I also recall a case a few years ago where a potential witness in a high-profile televised murder trial (Jody Arias) decided not to testify for the defense after being threatened online. So laws to prevent witness intimidation and bullying via the Internet, especially of minors, should be considered, but as to this woman, I can’t say I have much sympathy for her.
The Entitlement Generation, Exhibit A. What did she expect them to do, throw a heart attack victim out in a mud puddle so she could get her appetizers? And why in the world would she assume a lady out with her family was ODing?
We want this ultra scrutiny of police officers, but the fact is that everywhere we go, cameras are rolling. Everyone’s got a video phone. Everyone checks social media. And any outrageous thing you post on your personal FB page can be shared. It’s true that public shaming can follow you forever, but how can she avoid it when she posts such a selfish message to the restaurant’s FB page under her own name? Maybe she’s learned two important lessons – don’t be heartless and self centered, and if you do, don’t do so on a public forum where everyone will rightfully tell you you’re an idiot.
Paul – one of the reasons why they have automatic gratuities on large parties is because the server gets taxed on what the government estimates the tip will be. Granted, it’s typically a lower percentage than the average gratuity. But if a large party stiffs the server, he or she will actually lose money in taxes on that table. In addition, they forewent severing several other tables in order to wait on that one. Servers get paid lower wages because tips make up a significant percentage of their income.
I can’t imagine how someone could either feel this way or publicize those feelings without expecting the negative repercussions.
The tweet was at 2 AM, probably alcohol involved.
Meh.
Let us know when she kills someone instead of just being a b*tch.
We all know b*tches. B*tches be crazy.
Although good for the internet- crowd sourcing works. Hey, I had a crazy, CYNICAL, thought…
What if… The heart attack victim knew the hairdresser and they plotted together, perhaps months in advance…
“We’ll go in separate groups to *different restaurant each time*, and if my heart attack happens, you cause a big scene, and then post about it on the internet.”
“What’s in it for me? A ruined reputation?”
“Well everyone already thinks your a b*tch so-”
“What?”
“I mean, here’s the genius part! Everyone will hate you so much, we’ll set up a gofundme page that people will feel righteous donating! You’ve seen how these things go. An innocent person is wronged somehow, requires help but can’t afford it, asks for a modest amount, goes viral! Gets ten times what they asked for, maybe more! You get ten percent.”
“Hell yea. Don’t take your meds this week, lets try for the weekend.”
Also it was only those two, keeping other families and friends in the dark for realism.
One more example of a selfish and ignorant young woman who I hope someday has her own health issues and that no one helps her.People like this woman are examples of the so called “me” generation
jischinger, Excellent observations and suggestions.
paul c., The automatic gratuity is very common when serving large groups which tend to be the most demanding and the cheapest when it comes to tipping. Too many in the group seem to think that someone else will pick up their share. I know of at least one person who looked for the slightest “offense” so he could declare, “she just spent her tip”. He could well afford a generous tip but was just too cheap to leave anything, except maybe a penny to rub it in.
If she is upset, do not pay the automatic gratuity. If it is automatic, it is not a gratuity.
Seriously, where DID she get the idea that the person who was, as far as she knew dead or dying was a
“junkie”. And even so, what difference should that make? A human being was dying right before her eyes and she was more concerned about straightening out her bill and miffed at not being paid enough attention to on her very own special night?
What a completely unpleasant person. I don’t think the rest of the world needs to pile on. I would hope that the world has better things to do. However, I’m glad that her posting has gone viral if only so that her “friends” and co workers can see what a self centered, despicable, shallow, cruel person she really is. If she has a boy friend or fiancee……RUN !!!!!!!,
I agree with issacbasonkavichi’s comment. In one month’s time folk will have completely forgotten who she is
The Science Geek
http://www.thesciencegeek.org
Everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame or infamy. If she were worth the trouble it might be interesting to see if and how long it takes for this to dissolve into the trillions of bits of BS through which we filter.
The piling on is merely mobbing in a rage, excused by the sheen of righteousness.
It’s part of Islam’s appeal, being able to kill whomever displeases you, for he/she obviously displeases the lord.
(music to the tune of The Jets)
She’s a itchBay, She’s an itchBay!
A itchBay all the way!
From her first meal at McDonads…
To her last dying day.
She’s obviously a racist. It’s a hate crime and she should lose her job before the mobs destroy her place of employment. [sarc. off]
Oft evil will shall evil mar.
What could we expect from a Hoosier hair cutter?
“If you can’t do the time don’t do the crime.”
Then there is the one about the heat and the kitchen followed by don’t put in print what you wouldn’t want in the NYT or WSJ headlines.
She went public defaming another person and an establishment with employees. She’s getting off light. Somebody else might have sued her….probably not win but drive her into the ground financially. (Anybody can sue anybody…good reason to carry a good umbrella policy.)
where did she get the notion that the older woman was a junkie?
The first thing that popped into my head was the movie, As Good As It Gets.
that aside…
1. she clearly needs anger management therapy.
2. if you’re going to troll you don’t use your real name, unless it’s part of your persona, i.e. comedian.
3. colarics with low levels of empathy usually bounce back to hit their head the next day on yet another wall. this is not the type of person you hire for public relations – she’d probably do well in banking or collections.
4. she should apologize to the woman and the manager, man-up as they say, own it, take responsibility, send flowers, learn and move on.
5. the internet is hyper-sensitive and it will keep a record, fortunately for her it also has a short attention span. the internet corrected her in no small way, but this will all blow over if she changes her ways or monetizes them ala Katie Hopkins.
People say they want free speech, but in reality most hate free speech unless it’s theirs.
I still can’t figure out why people refuse to listen to Eric Schmidt.
All said, I wouldn’t go near her with a pair of scissors.
n/a