YouTuber Logan Paul caused controversy earlier this week when he made a video showing a man who’d killed himself in Japan’s notorious ‘suicide forest’.
During the 15 minute vlog, Logan and his friends come across the deceased body of a man, hanging from a tree.
Rather than do the sensible thing of just not showing the scene on camera, for some bizarre reason Logan decided to zoom in on the body and even make jokes about it.
Claiming the video’s intention – which wasn’t monetised – was to ‘raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention’, Logan has since apologised for his actions.
After Logan received a huge backlash online, Twitter user, Libby, has now exposed the full extent of his ‘despicable’ actions saying he showed no respect by filming a vlog in what’s essentially ‘a renowned mass grave’.
In a thread on Twitter, she wrote:
Logan Paul, a wealthy white American man, walked onto hallowed ground to film a vlog and bank off the – spooky – suicide forest, and then laughed as he traipsed through what’s essentially a renowned mass grave, even as he came across a human body.
Men and women who had parents, siblings, and children of their own, people like you and me walk into that forest feeling as though their lives truly weren’t worth living, feeling so broken down by the world that they couldn’t go on and killed themselves.
The fact Logan Paul followed in their steps for a vlog, to make money, on top of the many millions he already has AND LAUGHED at the sight of a dead person, who was feeling so low they KILLED themselves – it’s deplorable. It is DESPICABLE.
Libby emphasised how Logan’s actions were completely insensitive to those who’ve felt suicidal and claimed, although he’s apologised, he’ll never learn the much needed lesson, although it’s a simple one.
She continued:
This man holds more privilege and opportunity than ANY of the people who walked into that forest before him. When unemployment skyrocketed there was a higher body count because people were losing their jobs and unable to care for their families; they didn’t see a way out.
Logan Paul could retire today and NEVER face that terrifying situation, relying on nothing but earned income and investments. He has NO idea how much these people must have suffered to have taken actionable steps to kill themselves
As someone who has tried, it’s not EASY.
It breaks my heart how a person, any person, could walk through those trees, lined with ribbon strung up by tired hands, soil stained rope, and shoes abandoned by their owners, laugh as though he just watched someone trip.
Logan Paul won’t learn his lesson though, he’ll apologise, state the video was never meant to be disrespectful (he’s already said ‘this was supposed to be a fun vlog’), and his fans will continue to defend him until the next big story buries this one. We know the routine.
I’m not quite sure how anyone, even the most die hard Logan fans, could defend his hideous actions?
Sadly, Libby is probably right – I’m sure he’ll be back vlogging and selling his garbage merchandise in no time.
If you’ve been affected by the issues in this article, please don’t suffer in silence – the Samaritans are available, 24 hours a day on their free phone number, 116 123.
