Reason #11,378 that MySpace Blows

Besides being a breeding ground for sexual deviants, obsessive wrestling fans, and tone-deaf Italian immigrants, every once in a while the bizarre world of MySpace will produce a terrible story like this one. You can read it if you have the time or I'll just give you the cliff notes.

-13 year old girl who gets bullied in school and has huge self-esteem issues
-Parents allow her to create a MySpace page under their supervision
-Meets a boy who leaves a lot of nice comments on her page and falls in love
-Self-esteem issues go away
-Boy starts calling her a fat slut
-Self-esteem issues come back
-Parents take away MySpace
-Girl hangs herself
-A year later (now) it is discovered that the boy never existed and was actually the mother of another girl in the neighborhood performing some sadistic hoax.
-Parents want justice but there's no law against what the mother did
-Parents go on media tour crying to every Matt Lauer and Larry King they come across

I think it's an interesting case to say the least but I'm not really sure if the woman deserves to be legally punished or if having to spend the rest of her miserable existence knowing she engineered a hoax resulting in the suicide of a 13 year old girl is punishment enough. What you say?

Comments

[DFS]

"if having to spend the rest of her miserable existence knowing she engineered a hoax resulting in the suicide of a 13 year old girl is punishment enough. What you say?"

that assumes she has, I dont know, a conscience.

[Art Vandelay]

Heh. Not necessarily a safe assumption I guess.

there are some horrible narcissistic "adults" out there

[AFS]

You are one sick and lonely person if you have to pretend to be a teenage boy to play tricks on the computer to someone. Come on...kids have it hard enough these days, as parents and adults we are supposed to PROTECT our children, not hurt them or cause them to hurt themselves! She is sick and needs to be punished some how, let the punishment fit the crime!

[Art Vandelay]

let the punishment fit the crime!

What's the crime though? Unfortunately being a sadistic twat isn't against the law.

[Roger]

Let a Judge and jury decide what her punishment should be.

[VANESSA]

SURE I WOULD BE MAD AND SAD BUT I SILL WOULDENT HANG OR KILL MY SELF

All I can say is I'm completely disgusted that parents of a friend of Megan's did this to her and there is no law to throw them in jail! Unfrickinbelievable. My thoughts and prayers to out to the Meiers.

[Crazy Joe Davola]

What draws these random people in? Not that they are not welcome...as long as they don't use all caps to type.

[gina]

what that girl done was really stupid but their had to been signs of depression that parents could have seen to get this girl some help. Depression has to be treated seriously.
My heart goes out to the meier family they really do have a tough road ahead of them.

[me]

does anyone know of anything that we can do?

[Assman]

*smelling blood in the water*

i really think the lady should go to jail. thats sad. and i dont think she would want any bodydoing that to her kids.

[Art Vandelay]

does anyone know of anything that we can do?

What do you have in mind?

*smelling blood in the water*

You prayed for this, didn't you?

[Katie]

I think the mother should have her children taken away. If she is treating other peoples kids like that I could only imagine how her kids are treating other kids. We all have to be positive role models for kids growing up otherwise the world is going to be a terrible place to live in.

[Assman]

Let a Judge and jury decide what her punishment should be.

Yes. Right after a Police Officer determines what her crime is.

You prayed for this, didn't you?

Considering that Salma's breasts made it on the site today, I'd say that my AofG prayers are starting to get answered.

i think that the mother should b punnished by the court with jurys.she is a wicked woman and i believe the family of the deceased must get justice.my prayers are with them,now im scared of giving my 15year old a computer of her own.

[Smiley]

I think parents who sign there child on myspace when they are not old enough is wrong to begin with. The mother that made up a fake name should be punished. That was very wrong. She should put herself in the other parents place and think about what she did. This could of been her daughter.

[johhny]

SUE THIS.. IDIOTS WHY ARE YOU NOT MONTORING YOUR KID RETARDS. IT IS 2007 NOT YOU KILLED YOUR KID

Parents of MySpace hoax victim speak out
Nov. 19: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Ron and Tina Meier, parents of a teen who took her own life last year after being harassed online.

[nolan]

if u ask me she should go to jail! u can't get much sicker and sadistic as that! she made that girl commit suicide, just because she wanted to make her feel bad or what ever her sick plan was! i think it's messed up that she goes and called that girl all this stuff then the girl kills herself, and she sits back and does nothing about it... she goes on living with the fact she killed soem lil girl... that sick!

[Lefty]

Nobody can "make" anyone commit suicide. What this woman did was dispicable, but certainly she couldn't have been planning on a suicide. There is no shortage of people who are ready for suicide. The names someone might call them before they go isn't the cause. Maybe we should be looking at her parents. Why did this girl have such terrible self-esteem issues in the first place?

I think that the mother that did this should face some kind of consequences. There surely has to be some law that was broken here. I'm don't think she wanted something to happen to the girl, but who knows? To make up an identity and then to say horrible things makes one wonder.
Some adults can be very sick.

[Assman]

SUE THIS.. IDIOTS WHY ARE YOU NOT MONTORING YOUR KID RETARDS.

If I had a kid retard, I'd probably montor it too.

IT IS 2007 NOT YOU KILLED YOUR KID

Yeah, back in You Killed Your Kid, gasoline only cost $1.50 a gallon.

[Jessica]

Wow! i really don't know what to say to that! what kind of sick woman/ mother would do that? i dont think she needs jail but she does need metal help..badly!

[Assman]

i dont think she needs jail but she does need metal help..badly!

Ted Nugent may be available for lessons.

[Billy]

SHE DID THE RITE THING BY MAKING THIS GIRLL COMIT SIUCIDE! PRAYERS BE WITH THE POOR MOTHER WHO IS BEING RIDICULED FR JUST A LITTLE PRANK!!

[karen]

this is stupid no mom should be doing that

[Art Vandelay]

IT IS 2007 NOT YOU KILLED YOUR KID

I just...wow.

[a girl]

SHE DID THE RITE THING BY MAKING THIS GIRLL COMIT SIUCIDE! PRAYERS BE WITH THE POOR MOTHER WHO IS BEING RIDICULED FR JUST A LITTLE PRANK!!

you're a sick fuck. I hope your burn. No one should ever wish for another human being to kill themselves off.

[Christina]

I cannot believe that a parent would be so irresponsible. It is absolutely outrageous that a grown woman would pull such a prank. It serves her right that she is now divoriced. Her husband must see what sort of sick fuck she really is.

I still feel like she should be punished for her actions. Wouldn't that kind of be like a child predator? She has to be charged with SOMETHING!

[Assman]

I hope your burn. No one should ever wish for another human being to kill themselves off.

Wishing that "your burn", however, is fair and reasonable.

[Yejide]

The adult woman, IMO, does not need to be punishished, she needs just as much help as the theirteen year old girl who was bullied.

Not only is depression an issue, but the bullying that has lead to more than one school tragedy (Columbine, kid in Finland killed up approx five people and himself the last two weeks is what adults need to pay attention to.The affects of bullying on a young person is serious business.

I think Americans are too quick to punish. That lady needs a good therapist.

Peace

[skydiverr]

i think this is all sick. there was something even more seriously wrong going on here than just the myspace issue. the parents say they monitored the comings and goings on the internet for their daughter, but if these things got so out of hand that the girl committed suicide, she must not have had a very strong family unit. a thirteen year old girl shouldn't be that concerned about boys at that stage of life either. parents must guide their children with love and attention. they should help their children focus on other much more important things to make them grow into adulthood in a safe, secure, loving, and educated way. this is the same reason that gangs gain a stronghold on the youth of our inner cities. the families aren't strong enough to be the most important thing in the child's life. the gangs boost their image of themselves and then the trouble begins.

i think that the woman who perpetrated the hoax should be punished, but i think that the parents who lost their little girl in such a horrible way should not be blaming the situation completely on the internet or that woman either. they definitely hold part of the blame... a majority of it, for not keeping their daughter close to them and giving her the nuturing that she needed early on.

[Art Vandelay]

I think Americans are too quick to punish. That lady needs a good therapist.

Is that what they do to sadistic twats in your country? Analyze them?

I still feel like she should be punished for her actions. Wouldn't that kind of be like a child predator? She has to be charged with SOMETHING!

Even if there were some loophole to an actual charge, it would be virtually impossible to prove that it was the reason the girl lynched herself. This lady has nothing to worry about.

[A concerned parent]

I do believe this mother should be punished of false identity and slander. Those are itself a crime which should be brought to charges. It won't take away the death or bring her back but some kind of justice needs to be taken. I have 3 teenagers myself and to imagine someone else, an adult at that, playing mind games. There are enough challenges for teenagers now. Why make it worse? Why a parent stooping lower than a child? I do believe at times myspace is an issue, it is way too easy to meet strangers...false love and crazy ass ppl!!! If it was used for the reason it was set up, it would be a great and fun way to keep in touch with your FRIENDS...not strangers! It should not be a search engine for chat rooms, gay sites, etc. They have e-harmany for that, which is controlled and paid for. I do watch my child and monitor them but you can not monitor everything...too much is out in cyber!!! This world has become scary. As far as the child who committed suicide, her parents should have seeked her help...not look for false hope online. And as far as bullies....I do believe in KARMA!!! What comes around goes around. Be careful to all on the internet.

[Craig]

i think that the mother should b punnished by the court with jurys.she is a wicked woman and i believe the family of the deceased must get justice.my prayers are with them,now im scared of giving my 15year old a computer of her own.

Yes, give her a dictionary and an English test book instead. I have a feeling she's not going to be getting that instruction anywhere else.

With the way some of these extremely angry comments are written, you'd think that periods and lowercase letters were the ones responsible for causing the girl to kill herself.

The outrage from the denizens of Myspace seems to be a out of proportion with what happened. (This is an awful thing, but calling for blood seems a bit much.) I'm tempted to think that they may be angry simply because it brings up the fairly serious possibility that their imaginary internet friends may be exactly that. (I, on the other hand, spend most of my time on here convinced that the people of AofG are all a ruse as part of some nefarious plot.)

[Itchy]

does anyone know of anything that we can do?

What do you have in mind?

A nice casserole is usually appreciated at times like this. Or a deli tray. At the very least MySpace should send flowers.

Considering that Salma's breasts made it on the site today, I'd say that my AofG prayers are starting to get answered.

It's a Festivus miracle!

With the way some of these extremely angry comments are written, you'd think that periods and lowercase letters were the ones responsible for causing the girl to kill herself.

I know it's causing me to have wicked eye twitch. And some decent giggles.

What comes around goes around. Be careful to all on the internet.

Is this a threat? Can I do something? Can I tell this person to burn? Or is it more appropriate for me to say "I HPE U BRN 4 MAKIN ME FEEL THREATNED RETARD YEAR 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Jack Klompus]

"to imagine someone else, an adult at that, playing mind games."

Why is it difficult to imagine a woman, at any age, playing mind games?

"There are enough challenges for teenagers now. Why make it worse?"

As opposed to teenagers in say, the 1930's? When everything was shits and gold bricks?

"It should not be a search engine for chat rooms, gay sites, etc."

No offense to any horses, Texans, cowboys, or gays.

"They have e-harmany for that, which is controlled and paid for."

I saw that commercial the other day. They had a nice-looking young couple on talking about how for years they just couldn't find a decent search engine for chat rooms and gay sites, until "e-harmany" came along. The "many" in e-harmany stands for the many chat rooms and gay sites you'll find.

"As far as the child who committed suicide, her parents should have seeked her help"

Don't you think her parents could have gone somewhere else? Sounded like the girl had enough shit on her own plate to deal with. Not to mention, she didn't seem like the best person to ask about solving problems. Kind of like asking Chris Rix for leadership and success advice.

"This world has become scary."

Ki Ki Ki, Ma Ma Ma.

"And as far as bullies....I do believe in KARMA!!! What comes around goes around. Be careful to all on the internet."

Wait, are you playing mind games? You are! An adult, no less.

[jackie]

"An adult, no less."

Says who?

[Jack Klompus]

"Says who?"

Hello, "A Concerned Parent". Jackie, people on A of G don't just go around using aliases, playing mind games, pretending to be someone they're not. We have e-harmany for that.

[Assman]

I had an e-harmany account back in You Killed Your Kid but there just wasn't enough gay stuff going on there for me. I quit and just joined MySpace instead.

[SL22]

The chances that I actually kill myself today probably increased after reading through these comments.

[Jack Klompus]

"had an e-harmany account back in You Killed Your Kid but there just wasn't enough gay stuff going on there for me. I quit and just joined MySpace instead."

I knew it! That's why screen name vampirate_YKYK was already taken. I had to settle for brokeback_kickout instead.

Incidentally, remember the summer of YKYK? It was a scorcher. That heat didn't help with all those killed kids everywhere.

I remember the summer of YKYK. It was a hot one.

[Jack Klompus]

"I remember the summer of YKYK. It was a hot one. "

Sorry, I forgot to put on the CAPS LOCK.

[Craig]

IDIOTS WHY ARE YOU NOT MONTORING YOUR KID RETARDS.

Not to try to bring logic to an imbecile fight...but is this person trying to say that when my retard becomes an adult, he will not require monitoring? Isn't that implicit in the whole calling him a retard thing?

[Jack Klompus]

"Isn't that implicit in the whole calling him a retard thing?"

Likewise if they are idiots, isn't it also implicit that they are too idiotic to be expected to know they should monitor retards of any age bracket?

[Art Vandelay]

I think you guys scared them away.

[Craig]

How did all those people find it anyway? Do you just say the word "Myspace" and they come start showing up?

[Craig]

they come start showing up?

Oh no! I think whatever they had must be contagious.