Angry Planet Assassinations Are Shitposts Now
Oct 2, 2025
In this intriguing discussion, Michael Senters, a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech specializing in online culture's influence on politics, dives into the peculiarities of political violence and internet memes. He unpacks the bizarre inscriptions found on shell casings from a recent assassination, revealing the layers of irony and significance behind them. Senters explores the crossover of gaming culture with political messaging, and how online communities have warped perceptions, ultimately questioning the disturbing implications of memes in violent acts.
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4,000 Hours Across Seven Games
- Senters analyzed a suspected Steam account showing thousands of hours across several games.
- He tallied over 4,000 hours on seven reviewed games, indicating heavy screen immersion.
Old Memes Mark Deep Internet Tenure
- Ancient nerd memes like "notices bulge, what's this?" act as shibboleths marking long-term online immersion.
- Understanding such memes signals you spent years in specific online subcultures.
Violence As In-Group Performance
- Shooters often perform violence as a signal to online in-groups, not just as private grievances.
- These performative acts aim to generate discourse and elevate the actor within subcultural networks.
