Go ahead, make fun of Mark Zuckerberg's face all you want
The internet took a brief reprieve from commenting on our current apocalypse to dunk on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for going Mrs. Doubtfireon his face with some sunscreen.
Zuckerberg, the billionaire and enabler of white supremacy, was photographed with his clown-like sunscreen application while surfing in Hawaii, where he owns a $100 million property. Once the photos reached Twitter on Sunday, the memes poured in, poking fun at Zuckerberg's body and heavy-handed sunblock application.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Along with the memes came defense of his sunscreen useand also defense of him as a person, down to an editorial from someone wanting to defend himbut deciding he wore "too much sunscreen."
I'm sorry, but what? Defending Mark Zuckerberg?
Here is the thing: There are plenty of reasons not to defend Zuckerberg, and him laying it thick with the sunscreen is the least of them. Making fun of Zuckerberg is the ultimate punch-up — yes, even if it's about "his looks."
Zuckerberg is worth over $80 billion, which depending on your stance is in itself a moral failing. As the fourth wealthiest person in the world, according to Business Insider, Zuckerberg wields more power than billions of people (certainly more than the vast majority of the U. S. population). He has the power to enact real change during a time of global crisis — but instead decides to surf on his $12,000 Efoil board with zinc plastered on his face.
What's more is Zuckerberg isn't just harming the world at large with his personal inaction; he's also inflicted substantial damage with his inaction as the CEO of Facebook. The ongoing lack of real responses to the scourge of fake news and viral conspiracies that spread in an instant on his website have been detrimental to democracy. At this point he's had years to address it head on, but not much has changed on the platform since the 2016 election.
Tweet may have been deleted
In fact, this seems to have gotten worse since then. Facebook gives Trump free passes, despite his posts that encourage violence, all while defending their choice as a matter of "free speech." Not only does this hurt our democratic process, but it hurts marginalized groups. Meanwhile Zuckerberg continues to line his pockets.
Additionally, Zuckerberg may be hurting marginalized groups himself: Native Hawaiians claim that Zuckerberg is suing them for Kauai land, and started a petition called Stop Mark Zuckerberg from Colonizing Kauaithat amassed over 800,000 signatures thus far. Zuckerberg's team told Newsweek that the petitioner's claims were false.
Are all of these issues more important than silly photographs where he looks more like a haunting demon than a human man? Absolutely. But these silly photographs — or any of the previous pictures that make him look like a soulless robot — don't exist in a vacuum.
Zuckerberg hoards his wealth and becomes wealthier by undermining democracy, even if it's in an indirect way. He may give away billions of dollars for social good initiatives though the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, but the choices he makes at Facebook eat away at any goodwill he collects from those efforts. His charitable giving is also just a tiny fraction of his nearly $90 billion net worth. And for god's sake, Facebook only exists because Zuckerberg made a hot or not websiteto compare women after getting dumped. While I don't, as a rule, think people should be cyberbullied for their looks, in this case I am very willing to make an exception.
This guy sucks, and he always has. Now he's one of the most powerful men in the world, and he doesn't need any of us to defend him. I'd venture to say it's our right — our duty! — to mock him.
UPDATE: July 20, 2020, 6:30 p.m. PDT This story was updated with information about the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative.
-
CeeDee Lamb secures recordKAIST targets global top 10 with new talent, research programs[Newsmaker] Moon's approval rating drops to another record low of 32%: Gallup宝兴嘎日沟野生大熊猫下山 护林员与其近距离接触To Russia, with LoveGeorge Orwell's '1984' became too real this decade2019 was the year tech workers organizedSurprise! Facebook's ad targeting makes people uncomfortable, study saysNaver, Kakao strive to combat deepfake porn spreading onlineGrealish and England flatter to deceive again
- ·How much for Oasis tickets? Fans joke about splurging on reunion shows
- ·YouTube reveals what curse words will get your video demonetized
- ·云平台上线!“永不落幕”的新平柑桔展会你值得拥有
- ·HBO's Twitter account just burned Jack Dorsey
- ·Venture Missionaries
- ·'Golden opportunity' awaits Serena at Wimbledon
- ·KAIST targets global top 10 with new talent, research programs
- ·Wimbledon welcomes back the crowds after Covid
- ·PS5 Pro: There are new whispers that the release date is fast approaching
- ·Moon to preside over meetings on COVID
- ·Twitter and Facebook crack down on fake, pro
- ·George Orwell's '1984' became too real this decade
- ·I Deleted All My Social Accounts: Three Weeks Without Social Media
- ·2019 was the year tech workers organized
- ·Report: iPad mini 5 and 9.7
- ·驾车遭遇突发情况 这些技巧很重要
- ·13 Astronomical Clocks Connecting Time And Space
- ·Twitter will broadcast NBA games with a camera focused on a single player
- ·中国移动实现全球首次本人与“数智人”同台互动
- ·[#WeFACE] ‘Seoul needs more forests, parks’
- ·SCOTUS: The courts implementing Project 2025, without Trump.
- ·Apple wants you to send your best iPhone photos in return for exposure
- ·宝兴嘎日沟野生大熊猫下山 护林员与其近距离接触
- ·Samsung's Galaxy S10 may come with a cryptocurrency wallet
- ·This shark lives for centuries. Scientists discover how it resists aging.
- ·Restaurant makes cute pun cake for a recovering diner
- ·SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission: How to watch the launch
- ·给力!喀什开球赛,广东建球场
- ·'John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch' review: A true Netflix gem
- ·Grealish and England flatter to deceive again
- ·Michael Cohen fights Donald Trump at the Supreme Court.
- ·'Golden opportunity' awaits Serena at Wimbledon
- ·S. Korea to provide $4.9 million for UN aid project for N. Korea
- ·中国移动实现全球首次本人与“数智人”同台互动
- ·味道真系正!怀集食材邂逅顺德厨艺
- ·Unsealed docs will detail how Facebook made money off children