Opinions on "pedobear"

[sidetrack]

I’m referring to the internet meme thing which I’ve read has been called a “mascot” for pedophilies.IMO it’s pretty vulgar and kind of like demeans people who were unfortunate enough to have such experiences.Part of me has a feeling as to what to expect in the response of the good people of this forum but I’m still curious as to what does responses will be and if someone will point out something we might not be considering.

 

[Paul1Up]

I’m only vaguely familiar with this. One time this summer a family walked into my store and the youngest son (maybe 9 or 10 years old) was wearing a pedobear t-shirt. So I don’t know what the deal is, where this image originated, or what it really means.

 

[Nec5]

So wikipedia says

“Pedobear is an Internet meme that became popular through the imageboard 4chan.[1] As the name suggests (“pedo” being short for “pedophile”), it is portrayed as a pedophilic bear,[2] and is used to mock pedophiles. Recently, particularly in America, it has been mistaken by some as a bait used by pedophiles to lure children.[3]”

Well, there you go. It came from 4chan. hahaha. That explains everything.

 

[fons_vitae]

I always enjoy a good Internet meme, even more controversial ones. However, this old chestnut from 4chan is just beyond the pale :S. Also, I bet you money that one of those Pedobear fans has solemnly condemned the actions of certain priests and certain Penn State coaches at some point… in which case, their hypocrisy blows my mind.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m referring to the internet meme thing which I’ve read has been called a “mascot” for pedophilies.IMO it’s pretty vulgar and kind of like demeans people who were unfortunate enough to have such experiences.Part of me has a feeling as to what to expect in the response of the good people of this forum but I’m still curious as to what does responses will be and if someone will point out something we might not be considering.

It’s just a meme, IOW, useless nothingness. To most of the people who made it popular, it means NOTHING at all, just a name.

It’s so 30 seconds ago, anyway.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The funniest thing about pedobear is that during the Vancouver Winter Olympics of 2010, a newspaper on Europe ran an article about the Olympics and put pedobear as one of the mascots :doh2:

Someone from Vancouver did that joke poster with pedobear as one of the mascots and the European newspaper picked it up thinking it was real

The Telegraph US - Breaking news, opinion & analysis

 

[C0LL1NS]

I teach junior high, and 2 years ago when Pedobear was more popular on the internet, the students would joke about it all the time. Especially because none of the staff had any Idea what it was at first.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I’m referring to the internet meme thing which I’ve read has been called a “mascot” for pedophilies.IMO it’s pretty vulgar and kind of like demeans people who were unfortunate enough to have such experiences.

Are you kidding me? Pedobear is actually used to MOCK pedophiles. And trust me, I hang around a lot of real-life 4chan dolts who use him as a joke. If anyone was supposed to be insulted, it’d be the pedos.

If not the pedos, then guys like me who, by some ungodly force of trolling, also get shot with the meme just because I happen to prefer girls that are shorter than me and have no problems with them being three years younger. -.-

Ultimately though, I think the meme is hilarious. If it’s not making fun of pedophilia, it makes fun of certain anime tropes that I never get tired of seeing jabbed.

 

[Tenofovir]

Are you kidding me? Pedobear is actually used to MOCK pedophiles. And trust me, I hang around a lot of real-life 4chan dolts who use him as a joke. If anyone was supposed to be insulted, it’d be the pedos.

If not the pedos, then guys like me who, by some ungodly force of trolling, also get shot with the meme just because I happen to prefer girls that are shorter than me and have no problems with them being three years younger. -.-

Ultimately though, I think the meme is hilarious. If it’s not making fun of pedophilia, it makes fun of certain anime tropes that I never get tired of seeing jabbed.

Pedobear trivialises child abuse and makes it into a joke. I don’t think it’s used to make fun of pedophiles but is actually a kind of “secret handshake”, although the intention is surely the former.

On the subject of cute bears and real Japanese critters, I can only recommend Rilakkuma (Relax Bear) and NHK’s Domo-kun.

 

[CesarAugustus]

I remember that some troll used it as a signature in a Spanish speaking Catholic forum along the verse from Saint Mark:

“Let the little children come to me"

I contacted him via PM, and he said that he was a teacher and one of his kindergarden students drew it.

I guess he was surprissed when I told him I knew about that meme. Then, I reported him to the mods.

He was part of the many troll attacks to that forum in the 2007-2008 period.

Blessings!

 

[MademoiselleRue]

Pedobear trivialises child abuse and makes it into a joke. I don’t think it’s used to make fun of pedophiles but is actually a kind of “secret handshake”, although the intention is surely the former.

Thank you. You put into words the reason for my vague distaste of “Pedobear.”

 

[KaneKatholic]

I think the concept is funny, (but not real humor, its just stupid funny) I dont think it trivialises child abuse, I also think this reaction is very over sensitive,
Even though its related to child abuse it really is more about making fun of the predators, than it is the prey. If it did this and clearly mocked them than it goes to far,
the whole thing is too stupid to care about, so just let it go
(granted, because it can be used by anyone on the internet to do anything i.e. its not real nor does it belong to a brand of some sort) Also since teens are the ones who really get stupid humor like that, it could also be of somewhat positive, boosting awareness,subliminally, of real predators without being preachy about it (they hate that)
I also think its kind of silly that it got brought up in the CADF.
Lastly, even though it is stupidly humorous, we MUST REMEMBER, that people can take things WAAAAAY to far On either side of the spectrum,
so I say its a completly stupid concept which can posibly produce a negative or even a positive reaction, but it isnt something to be worried about, REAL SEXUAL PREDATORS are what we should be concerned about, not teen humor!

 

[Tenofovir]

I think the concept is funny, (but not real humor, its just stupid funny) I dont think it trivialises child abuse, I also think this reaction is very over sensitive,

Er no, child abuse is a pretty serious thing.

Even though its related to child abuse it really is more about making fun of the predators, than it is the prey. If it did this and clearly mocked them than it goes to far,
the whole thing is too stupid to care about, so just let it go

Pedobear is a cute mascot for pedophilia. It is stupid but not for the reasons you think.

(granted, because it can be used by anyone on the internet to do anything i.e. its not real nor does it belong to a brand of some sort) Also since teens are the ones who really get stupid humor like that, it could also be of somewhat positive, boosting awareness,subliminally, of real predators without being preachy about it (they hate that)

Teens are stupid. Teens also don’t consider how serious child abuse is and what sort of impact it has on the child. It makes a joke of child abuse and makes the predator a cute, likeable bear-like character. Bears are loveable. It may even desensitize actual children to dangers of real predation.

Lastly, even though it is stupidly humorous, we MUST REMEMBER, that people can take things WAAAAAY to far On either side of the spectrum,

I’m not suggesting a ban but stating an opinion. When I see a cute bear, I assume the character is likeable, not a thug. I assume the activity is wholesome. I wouldn’t assume a cute Stalin character to teach kids that he was a cute character too with eccentric but likeable ideas.

so I say its a completly stupid concept which can posibly produce a negative or even a positive reaction, but it isnt something to be worried about, REAL SEXUAL PREDATORS are what we should be concerned about, not teen humor!

It can desensitize people to real abuse and child pornography and glorify the perps. And I agree that real sexual predators are important but those are already criminals and their acts are condemned, here they’re given positive publicity.

It reminds me of a film I saw recently. It was a post WW2 film, just after the war, in Central Europe. A WWII survivor made fun of the German Heil Hitler salute and others laughed. Except no-one at that time actually cracked such jokes. Not people who were under Nazi occupation. I know because it drew a strong response from people who were there at the time who watched the film. The Nazis weren’t clumsy, cannon fodder idiots as depicted by movies such as Dirty Dozen. They actually tortured and had power of life and death over millions of people and could kill anyone on a whim and often did. Same with people wearing Che T-shirts or T-shirts with Soviet insignia. Unless your grandfather was bayoneted in 1939 by an NKVD commissar you won’t understand either.

 

[Kit15]

Pedobear trivialises child abuse and makes it into a joke. I don’t think it’s used to make fun of pedophiles but is actually a kind of “secret handshake”, although the intention is surely the former.

“Secret handshake” is a really good way of putting it.

The only thing *really *objectionable about Pedobear is his name. Otherwise he’s just a dopey looking bear that just runs around. He is visually harmless. The “funny stuff” occurs when people see the dopey looking bear but don’t know his name…like that Vancouver newspaper.

I don’t really see the connection between Pedobear and real pedophiles. I always thought it was more to mock those who were not “one of us”.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

The funniest thing about pedobear is that during the Vancouver Winter Olympics of 2010, a newspaper on Europe ran an article about the Olympics and put pedobear as one of the mascots :doh2:

Someone from Vancouver did that joke poster with pedobear as one of the mascots and the European newspaper picked it up thinking it was real

The Telegraph - Telegraph Online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph

That reminds me of when Oprah got trolled with the “Over 9000” meme and she thought it was a ring of pedophiles telling her they had molested over 9000 kids…

Someone really ought to tell people who don’t understand the internet…not to take it so seriously…

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Pedobear trivialises child abuse and makes it into a joke. I don’t think it’s used to make fun of pedophiles but is actually a kind of “secret handshake”, although the intention is surely the former.

On the subject of cute bears and real Japanese critters, I can only recommend Rilakkuma (Relax Bear) and NHK’s Domo-kun.

Have you been talking to Oprah?



There is no “secret handshake.” For goodness’ sake, this is just silly teen stuff on the internet! It has NOTHING to do with actual pedophilia.

 

[Tenofovir]

“Secret handshake” is a really good way of putting it.

The only thing *really *objectionable about Pedobear is his name. Otherwise he’s just a dopey looking bear that just runs around. He is visually harmless. The “funny stuff” occurs when people see the dopey looking bear but don’t know his name…like that Vancouver newspaper.

I don’t really see the connection between Pedobear and real pedophiles. I always thought it was more to mock those who were not “one of us”.

Pedobear is an actual pedophile himself. He is a cute pedophile bear. And internet posters do get a kick when they post a picture of a real child wearing a pedobear shirt or playing with a plushy pedobear. It’s really, I kind you not, a pro-pedophile stance. It’s approval and not mockery. Hence it’s worrying.

The secret handshake thing I was referring to are pro-pedophilia in-jokes and comments.

 

[Tenofovir]

Have you been talking to Oprah?



There is no “secret handshake.” For goodness’ sake, this is just silly teen stuff on the internet! It has NOTHING to do with actual pedophilia.

Agree to disagree. If you think teens should enjoy a pedophile bear and use him as a mascot, sure why not. But you’ll have to be blind to the obvious allusions there.

I don’t think I’ve watched a single episode of Oprah in the last 10 years.

 

[Kit15]

Pedobear is an actual pedophile himself. He is a cute pedophile bear. And internet posters do get a kick when they post a picture of a real child wearing a pedobear shirt or playing with a plushy pedobear. It’s really, I kind you not, a pro-pedophile stance. It’s approval and not mockery. Hence it’s worrying.

The secret handshake thing I was referring to are pro-pedophilia in-jokes and comments.

I know you’re telling the truth. I’ve seen exactly what you refer to in person.

Trivializing…okay I can see that. But certainly NOT approval. If pedophilia was *approved *by these people than the “joke” has no punchline. It’s *because *pedophilia is such a horror that people in the know react to it even if that reaction is laughter.

EDIT: Also please don’t misunderstand me that I enjoy this meme. I really don’t like humor that takes advantage of the ignorance/innocence of others including Pedobear. However I don’t agree with making more out of something than it is. I wouldn’t let my daughter own a stuffed Pedobear or wear a shirt. But if she were to somehow just see the image, I wouldn’t flip out over it.

 

[Tenofovir]

I know you’re telling the truth. I’ve seen exactly what you refer to in person.

Trivializing…okay I can see that. But certainly NOT approval. If pedophilia was *approved *by these people than the “joke” has no punchline. It’s *because *pedophilia is such a horror that people in the know react to it even if that reaction is laughter.

It’s a joke to them because the laugh is at the expense of the child. That’s how sick it is. I think that maybe some people laugh at the expense of the pedophile, but I think that’s a ruse.

EDIT: Also please don’t misunderstand me that I enjoy this meme. I really don’t like humor that takes advantage of the ignorance/innocence of others including Pedobear. However I don’t agree with making more out of something than it is. I wouldn’t let my daughter own a stuffed Pedobear or wear a shirt. But if she were to somehow just see the image, I wouldn’t flip out over it.

I didn’t think you did.