This Guy Creates Fake Accounts, Infiltrates Anti-Vaxxer Groups, And Trolls Them Hilariously Interview With Author
Over 29 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have already been administered as nations worldwide are rushing to immunize their populations. Starting with essential workers and the most vulnerable.
Thinking for yourself and having some healthy skepticism is always a plus, especially when there are potential long-term side-effects to take into account about Covid-19 vaccines. But that’s just one side of the scale. On the other side is the internet being full to the brim with conspiracy theories about the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, ranging from talks about alleged 5G-controlled microchips being injected into your bloodstream to rumors that it would supposedly alter your DNA.
On the frontline against this disinformation is professional troll Ben Palmer, from Los Angeles, in California. He’s racing through the internet pretending to be an anti-vaxxer under different names, only to pull the rug from the feet of real vaccine skeptics and Covid-19 deniers while having a laugh. Scroll down and have a look below.
Palmer told Bored Panda that his inspiration for these pranks came from his fans who enjoy his content and encourage him to keep going. “It helps when there is additional value to the humor like making people feel less alone about not being a conspiracy theorist.” Palmer explained that he hasn’t received any threatening messages from anti-vaxxers so far. However, Deb, one of the people he made up, has gotten a lot of ‘fan mail.’
But before we begin, here is a link to the FDA’s fact sheet about the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
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Palmer has been baiting anti-vaxxers by pretending to be a vaccine skeptic under different names
Image credits: palmertrolls
Image credits: palmertrolls
Image credits: palmertrolls
Image credits: palmertrolls
“If you’re reading this and you wrote to Deb, just know that she can only respond to so many messages in one day. She’ll get back to you as soon as she can but she’s been dealing with a lot of hardships, like getting locked out of her account and having difficulties solving captcha,” Palmer quipped.
In his opinion, there isn’t really anything that people can do to change anti-vaxxers’ beliefs. “It’s probably something they’ll have to get through in their own time. But I’ll get vaccinated whenever it’s my turn,” he told Bored Panda.
Palmer also revealed to us what he does to keep his spirits up and his sense of humor intact during these difficult times. “I like listening to prank caller Longmont Potion Castle. Or watching Conan Without Borders. And it’s always cathartic to watch Billy on the Street yell at people.”
It’s natural that some people feel frightened by the possible side-effects of vaccines and wonder if everything’s safe. After all, the vaccine isn’t recommended for children up to 16 years old while pregnant women are told to contact their doctors before getting the jab. However, just pondering and worrying isn’t enough. So here’s one professional’s take on the jab.
One person who has full confidence in the coronavirus vaccines is a New York Covid ICU nurse who goes by the name That ICU Nurse (previously Galactic Gardener) on Instagram. She told Bored Panda that, for her, the benefits far outweigh the potential negatives of getting a vaccine. She got her two Pfizer shots (the first in December 2020, the second in January 2021) despite already having overcome Covid earlier.
“I see every day in the ICU the deaths from and long-term effects of Covid infections,” she explained the harsh reality of her job which provides countless reasons for her not to doubt the importance of getting vaccinated.
“I have had Covid and know that the risk of reinfection is possible. To me, the risk of unknown long term effects of a vaccine is underruled by the risk of death at the hands of Covid-19,” she put it plain and simple. Whether you agree or disagree with the nurse’s take on things is entirely up to you, dear Pandas—but it’s a frontline worker’s view of Pfizer and it should be taken into account.
Here’s how people reacted when they saw Palmer trolling anti-vaxxers online
My friend had a terrible experience too. For privacy reasons let's just call her K. So K was an anti-vaxxer and a flat-earther. I convinced her to take the vaccine, and dropped her off at the centre. After waiting for 2 hours, I see her coming out yelling gleefully "yayy!! I survived that" and as she was running, she fell of the egde of the Earth. And as she of she tried to say "I told you so.." but couldn't as the vaccine was already damaging her brain.
“If the earth were flat, cats would’ve already knocked everything off the edge”. I love that one.
Me too..
Pungent Sauce +
Lmao thanks I needed this 😂
You are welcome! :-)
"couldn't as the vaccine was already damaging her brain." Don't be silly. You can't damage something you never had.
Lol
I don't get it... People don't trust the vaccine but they will fill their face with botox and what-not and pop viagra like candy. Go figure... (I know not all the deniers do these things, it's meant as a joke)
Jerry have you shaved yet? I'm sure by now antifa has figured out what you did and told the FBI. Maybe keep your phone wrapped in aluminum foil so they can't track you.
Be careful, Jerry. The Illuminati wants to snort your discarded beard hairs.
Oh yay, Jerry is back. Dumbest posts ever.
Evil Little Thing Good response!
Yo, the leader of the Reptilians tipped me off that the CEO of Chemtrails is attending a MKUltra themed dance party with Elvis and Epstein at the Watergate. Maybe we can call Lee Harvey Oswald to take all three of them out.
They will also avoid the vaccine because "5G tracking" but then give all their personal information to Parler and/or livestream themselves committing terrorist acts. And yes @Jerry, I have seen examples of people who do both of these things.
Jerry likes repeating big words he really doesn't understand. LOL
I'm 100% pro vaccines in general and also in the Covid case but honestly not so sure if this is helping anything. It's only gonna make anti-vax folks think that people are out to "get them" (humiliated, if not anything else) and that just doesn't seem like it'll bring positive results.
Antivaxxers have adopted this as their personality and identity. They can't turn back. It would take away their friends, cause, reason to post on the internet. At this point, poking fun at them might be the only option?
I'm honestly not sure, you might be right. I'm among a very clear minority as far as my closest people go (mainly family and colleagues) of people who do want to get vaccinated against Covid. Meaning that I see a lot of people who aren't anti-vax usually but have a problem with the Covid vaccine (because it's new, etc.). And I feel like poking fun at those people is problematic because it really might make them stay stuck with their opinion and make them unwilling to listen to reason. But you're probably right when it comes to the hard anti-vax folks.
@Jopie we also don't know all of the long-term consequences of contracting Covid, but there's a hell of a lot of evidence that it can be quite bad. Do you really want to risk something that has like a 4% mortality rate (depending on where you are and how well your health system is coping) and significant chances of permanent damage if you do survive? Versus something with no deaths yet and rather low chances of any consequences at all?
I agree with you. This was funny and all but with stuff like this I think you always have to ask yourself what your goal is. If it's to have a laugh at the expense of people that are potentially endangering others then fine, but you have to accept that they'll be even less likely to change their mind after being humiliated. It's far more helpful, in my view, to try to convince them to do the right thing instead.
My friend had a terrible experience too. For privacy reasons let's just call her K. So K was an anti-vaxxer and a flat-earther. I convinced her to take the vaccine, and dropped her off at the centre. After waiting for 2 hours, I see her coming out yelling gleefully "yayy!! I survived that" and as she was running, she fell of the egde of the Earth. And as she of she tried to say "I told you so.." but couldn't as the vaccine was already damaging her brain.
“If the earth were flat, cats would’ve already knocked everything off the edge”. I love that one.
Me too..
Pungent Sauce +
Lmao thanks I needed this 😂
You are welcome! :-)
"couldn't as the vaccine was already damaging her brain." Don't be silly. You can't damage something you never had.
Lol
I don't get it... People don't trust the vaccine but they will fill their face with botox and what-not and pop viagra like candy. Go figure... (I know not all the deniers do these things, it's meant as a joke)
Jerry have you shaved yet? I'm sure by now antifa has figured out what you did and told the FBI. Maybe keep your phone wrapped in aluminum foil so they can't track you.
Be careful, Jerry. The Illuminati wants to snort your discarded beard hairs.
Oh yay, Jerry is back. Dumbest posts ever.
Evil Little Thing Good response!
Yo, the leader of the Reptilians tipped me off that the CEO of Chemtrails is attending a MKUltra themed dance party with Elvis and Epstein at the Watergate. Maybe we can call Lee Harvey Oswald to take all three of them out.
They will also avoid the vaccine because "5G tracking" but then give all their personal information to Parler and/or livestream themselves committing terrorist acts. And yes @Jerry, I have seen examples of people who do both of these things.
Jerry likes repeating big words he really doesn't understand. LOL
I'm 100% pro vaccines in general and also in the Covid case but honestly not so sure if this is helping anything. It's only gonna make anti-vax folks think that people are out to "get them" (humiliated, if not anything else) and that just doesn't seem like it'll bring positive results.
Antivaxxers have adopted this as their personality and identity. They can't turn back. It would take away their friends, cause, reason to post on the internet. At this point, poking fun at them might be the only option?
I'm honestly not sure, you might be right. I'm among a very clear minority as far as my closest people go (mainly family and colleagues) of people who do want to get vaccinated against Covid. Meaning that I see a lot of people who aren't anti-vax usually but have a problem with the Covid vaccine (because it's new, etc.). And I feel like poking fun at those people is problematic because it really might make them stay stuck with their opinion and make them unwilling to listen to reason. But you're probably right when it comes to the hard anti-vax folks.
@Jopie we also don't know all of the long-term consequences of contracting Covid, but there's a hell of a lot of evidence that it can be quite bad. Do you really want to risk something that has like a 4% mortality rate (depending on where you are and how well your health system is coping) and significant chances of permanent damage if you do survive? Versus something with no deaths yet and rather low chances of any consequences at all?
I agree with you. This was funny and all but with stuff like this I think you always have to ask yourself what your goal is. If it's to have a laugh at the expense of people that are potentially endangering others then fine, but you have to accept that they'll be even less likely to change their mind after being humiliated. It's far more helpful, in my view, to try to convince them to do the right thing instead.