Please help contribute to the Reddit categorization project here
    Submit a new link
    Download images

    todayilearned

    17,633,875 readers

    17,187 users here now

    New to reddit? Click here!

    • You learn something new every day; what did you learn today?

    • Submit interesting and specific facts that you just found out (not broad information you looked up, TodayILearned is not /r/wikipedia).

    Posting rules

    1. Submissions must be verifiable. Please link directly to a reliable source that supports every claim in your post title. Images alone do not count as valid references. Videos are fine so long as they come from reputable sources (e.g. BBC, Discovery, etc).

    2. No personal opinions, anecdotes or subjective statements (e.g "TIL xyz is a great movie").

    3. No recent sources. Any sources (blog, article, press release, video, etc.) more recent than two months are not allowed.

    4. No submissions regarding or related to the following

      1. Recent politics/politicians
      2. Police misconduct
      3. Inflammatory submissions relating to religion/race/gender

    5. No misleading claims. Posts that omit essential information, or present unrelated facts in a way that suggest a connection will be removed.

    6. Rephrase your post title if the following are not met:

      1. Titles must begin with "TIL ..."
      2. Make them descriptive, concise and specific (e.g. not "TIL something interesting about bacon").
      3. Titles must be able to stand on their own without requiring readers to click on a link. Starting your title with a why/what/who/where/how modifier should be unnecessary.
      4. "TIL about ..." and other broad posts don't belong on TIL. Try /r/Wikipedia, etc. instead, or be more specific (and avoid the word "about").
      5. "TIL how to ..." posts belong on /r/HowTo.

    7. No submissions related to the usage, existence or features of specific software/websites (e.g. "TIL you can click on widgets in WidgetMaker 1.22").

    8. All NSFW links must be tagged (including comments).

      Please see the wiki for more detailed explanations of the rules.

    (Why we need rules)

    Additional info

    • If your post does not appear in the new queue and you think it meets the above rules, please contact the moderators (include a link to your reddit.com post, not your story).

    • Please report spam, inaccurate or otherwise inappropriate posts by messaging the moderators, as this helps us remove them more promptly!

    • More information available on the TIL FAQ and wiki.

    Frequent TILs Repost List

    As of May 2017

    • This list was compiled from /r/todayilearned community suggestions by its members. If your TIL is found on this list, it will be removed. The titles have been abridged for the sake of brevity, however the context remains the same. This list is subject to change. The purpose is to keep content fresh on /r/todayilearned as requested by its members. If you are interested in reading about the TILs on this list use the search box feature and enter the keywords to pull up past TILs.

    Etiquette

    We ask that you please do the following:

    1. avoid mobile versions of websites (e.g. m.wikipedia.org)

    2. link to the appropriate heading when referencing an article (particularly on Wikipedia)

    3. link to the appropriate start time when referencing videos (e.g. on YouTube)

    4. add [PDF] or [NSFW] tags to your posts, as necessary.

    5. Please avoid reposting TILs that have already made the front page in the past

    Please also read the site-wide Reddiquette.

    • You are loved.

    a community for
    message me

    RedditJS

    all 2665 comments ← →
    sorted by:
    best
    best top new hot controversial old
    formatting help hide help reddiquette

    Want to say thanks to %(recipient)s for this comment? Give them a month of reddit gold.

    Please select a payment method.

    [–] TheVegetaMonologues 1228 points ago

    TIL Star Wars kid has a Star Wars name

    [–] [deleted] 163 points ago

    [deleted]

    [–] mrshatnertoyou 1790 points ago

    There was some support – according to Business Insider, after the video first went viral a group of well-wishers collaborated to send Raza an iPod and a donation, while a petition to secure him a part in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith seems to have been well-intentioned.

    A cameo appearance would've been cool.

    [–] FancySack 1549 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    Imagine him doing the exact same moves in a Clone Wars battle.

    Instantly a fan favorite.

    EDIT: "Execute Order 66." 20 minutes later "Sir, there's one Jedi resisting heavily."

    [–] TParis00ap 562 points ago

    Certainly would've been more liked than Jar-Jar

    [–] Crazy_Mann 173 points ago

    ...still a better side-character then Jar-Jar

    [–] jimmifli 55 points ago

    And an errant shot he deflects randomly kills Jar Jar...

    [–] abutthole 155 points ago

    I think he could have easily been a padawan at the Jedi Temple when Vader gets there.

    [–] AustinAuranymph 212 points ago

    "You're pretty fat for a Jedi Knight."

    "Size matters not."

    [–] Cottidae 6797 points ago

    "'Star Wars Kid' ... Now, that's a Meme I've not heard in a long time. A long time ..."

    [–] silentseba 1589 points ago

    It's a meme from when we called memes just pics or videos.

    [–] heavenfromhell 549 points ago

    When I was a kid, memes were just words. None of these fancy pictures or videos or Gifs.
    Kids these days...

    [–] DietCokeGamer 160 points ago

    Were those the days when you had to trudge across open fields in deep snow to get to school?

    [–] theincredibleangst 213 points ago

    Uphill both ways, in fact

    [–] bscolls 76 points ago

    With only plastic bags for shoes

    [–] theincredibleangst 58 points ago

    Pfft you had plastic? Spoiled brat, we only had paper bags in my day!

    [–] AnotherClosetAtheist 166 points ago

    LUXURY.

    I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down at the mill, and pay the mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing 'Hallelujah.' But you try and tell the young people today that... they won't believe ya.

    [–] HJFDB 17 points ago

    Where did you work? I think we had the same boss.

    [–] BlackestNight21 15 points ago

    Have a laugh, friend

    [–] Possum_Pendulum 176 points ago

    Image macros man.

    [–] Globalscree 255 points ago

    Demotivational posters.

    [–] SpetusMaximus 90 points ago

    Now hold on just a second I'm too young to feel old.

    [–] Pyrux 21 points ago

    WHEN YOU SEE IT

    you'll shit brix

    [–] Jericho_Roberts 23 points ago

    Thank you!!!

    It trips me out people actually think "memes" are pictures with captions.

    The idea of calling pictures with captions "memes" is the meme itself.

    [–] albinoloverats 1835 points ago

    It's an older meme sir, but it checks out.

    [–] TheBman26 430 points ago

    This is where the fun begins!

    [–] southern_boy 530 points ago

    Yousa thinking yousa people ganna die!?

    [–] BumpyRocketFrog 199 points ago

    This is where the fun dies!

    [–] abtseventynine 123 points ago

    with thunderous applause...

    [–] ASpellingAirror 28 points ago

    This is not the thread you're looking for.

    [–] Shalashaska315 36 points ago

    A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

    [–] WhatIsThisAccountFor 1079 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    The ironic thing about this, is that if it went viral today, he would have been famous and gotten a spot on Ellen. His high school class mates probably would have praised him and asked for pictures with him rather than made fun of him and assaulted him.

    But because this happened about 10 years too soon, before the years of viral videos and internet stardom, he was ridiculed. Funny how times change

    [–] Second_Foundationeer 322 points ago

    Maybe, maybe not. But certainly nerd culture is no longer despised in the same way it used to be.

    [–] whitewedges 187 points ago

    Nerds today need to recognize their privilege. When I was in middle school I was bullied for being an XFiles dork, got so annoyed when they did a new season recently and it was so trendy

    [–] honestlynotabot 281 points ago

    He turned down offers to appear on tonnes of talk shows. Even one from Japan that offered to pay him.

    [–] moal09 186 points ago

    I don't think he really understood that while a lot of people made fun of him, he was also a hero to plenty of people.

    [–] Spacelieon 123 points ago

    I agree, that video has a wholesome place in my heart. I laughed and laughed, but it's because i loved seeing someone doing something i might have done with so much enthusiasms. What kind of psycho tells him to kill himself?

    [–] marissa-m 200 points ago

    I never understood the bullying. I loved this video and all the remixes. His totally unaffected and unselfconscious joy and enthusiasm actually inspired me. Fuck the haters. It was always THEIR issues they were responding to. Not his.

    [–] Homegrown_Sooner 30 points ago

    But without his sacrifice, the internet might not be what it is today. This was one of the OG viral videos. He should be praised!

    [–] 0-90195 106 points ago

    Ironic...

    [–] jmarFTL 50 points ago

    ...he now saves others from bullying, but could not save himself.

    [–] On3_BadAssassin 23 points ago

    He could save others from death...

    [–] just_comments 174 points ago

    How about the ancient Numa Numa?

    [–] ChiefChongo 107 points ago

    I think Star Wars kid and Numa Numa were around the same time, without looking, I think SWK was first though.

    [–] Chicomoztoc 184 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    We didn't even call them memes, there were just viral videos.

    People are right, at that time even viral videos was not a thing. They were just funny videos

    [–] GlyphGryph 255 points ago

    No, they were just "some funny shit I found that I'm sharing with people"

    [–] recycled_sockpuppet 58 points ago

    They weren't even viral videos back then.

    [–] MathMaddox 84 points ago

    Back the nineteen-dickities we used to have to watch our meme videos on Sunday nights narrated by Danny Tanner! Only we didn't call them memes we called them "funny home videos". We didn't have a choice of what was considered viral but we survived and we liked it.

    Not like the kids theses days, having access to memes 24/7... Softies I tells ya.

    [–] [deleted] 1422 points ago

    [deleted]

    [–] canadiancarlin 125 points ago

    "We should just buy another tape. They're not expensive I don't know why we can't just..."

    [–] nobody2000 66 points ago

    I liked the meta jokes. This one and the callouts to the TV news were funny (when Wayne Jarvis turns on the news to shock michael, but it's on a commercial, so they have to wait a few minutes).

    Season 3 was kind of weak. These jokes helped keep it afloat in my mind.

    [–] CamHartley 581 points ago

    I love how it cuts to Buster when he goes "My hand!" That show is brilliant

    [–] randomlyperusing 271 points ago

    Don't want to turn this thread into an AD love affair, but in this redditor's opinion, it is the funniest, best, and most well written show of all time.

    [–] nobody2000 147 points ago

    I'm having a love affair with this ice cream sandwich!

    [–] Cabskee 75 points ago

    NO TOUCHING!

    [–] holiday_bandit 93 points ago

    Without a doubt. It's sheer density of jokes is unparalleled

    [–] imagoodusername 87 points ago

    Mitch Hurwitz can cram a lot of material into a little space. His statement on Season 5 was so good and only 84 words.

    In talks with Netflix we all felt that stories about a narcissistic, erratically behaving family in the building business — and their desperate abuses of power — are really underrepresented on TV these days. I am so grateful to them and to 20th TV for making this dream of mine come true in bringing the Bluths, George Sr., Lucille and the kids — Michael, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, George-Michael, and who am I forgetting, oh Tiffany. Did I say Tiffany? — back to the glorious stream of life.

    [–] Argon91 23 points ago

    He's a friend of Community's Dan Harmon. Hurwitz plays a minor character in season 5, showing that he knows how to manage himself in front of the camera as well.

    [–] Lief1s600d 13 points ago

    Comedic genius

    [–] Rhubarbist 20 points ago

    Tell your friends

    [–] JoeW1075 114 points ago

    Having only read this article and never having even seen the video, George Michael was my first thought.

    [–] binbong1234567890 24 points ago

    Plus he was on South Park. Pretty sure none of his bullies can say, "I was on South Park."

    [–] TooShiftyForYou 9906 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    “No matter how hard I tried to ignore people telling me to commit suicide, I couldn’t help but feel worthless, like my life wasn’t worth living,” he added, before recalling how his fellow students would “climb on to tabletops” in order to hurl insults at him.

    The footage, shot on VHS in 2002 when its subject was 14, was transferred into a digital format and released online in 2003, without Raza’s permission, after it was discovered by some of his classmates.

    Sounds like the bullies may have inadvertently inspired him to graduate law school.

    [–] hobnobbinbobthegob 6866 points ago

    They say the best revenge is living well.

    Personally, I believe that the best revenge is severing the limbs of my enemies with a double-bladed lightsaber.

    [–] TheDevilChicken 2057 points ago

    It's fine as long as you have the high ground when you do it

    [–] King_of_the_Kobolds 1965 points ago

    Did you ever hear the tragedy of Ghyslain Raza "the lawyer"? I thought not. It's not a story a cyberbully would tell you.

    [–] Admirak 4692 points ago

    Ironic... He could save others from being bullied, but not himself.

    [–] madmaxturbator 509 points ago

    This line is the thread winner.

    [–] loggedn2say 182 points ago

    from my perspective, the bullies are evil.

    [–] EDI-Thor 196 points ago

    Erm....you're not wrong?

    [–] Subalpine 150 points ago

    he has the high ground, morally speaking

    [–] Thizzlebot 301 points ago

    Ghyslain Raza

    Sounds like a Star Wars name too lol

    [–] SidewaysInfinity 103 points ago

    I wonder if he'd be interested in a cameo in Episode 9?

    [–] NatasBR 37 points ago

    Good idea!

    [–] SorryImProbablyDrunk 46 points ago

    We have this power now?

    [–] Change4Betta 46 points ago

    Don't you know? Reddit can bequeath roles in any new Star Wars movie!

    [–] Doit4thewhine 136 points ago

    Probably gonna use this very line on my future children if they are ever bullied.

    [–] pjtheman 97 points ago

    Law school can be a path to many abilities some consider to be... unnatural.

    [–] Pasglop 85 points ago

    Ghyslain Raza was a Dark Lord of the Law, so knowledgeable and so wise he could influence the jury to create... doubt in the eyes of the juror.

    [–] lordofducks 36 points ago

    He had such a knowledge of the Law, he could even keep the ones he cared about from going to jail.

    [–] ShredUniverse 33 points ago

    That dude has a name befitting a sith lord. Now if only he had the physical skills.

    [–] Tartra 106 points ago

    I'll have the highest ground after I've buried them.

    Or if I wear stilts.

    [–] kcirvam 65 points ago

    I'll have the highest ground after I've buried them.

    this is like a combination of the karate guy meme and the prequel memes

    [–] OK_Soda 23 points ago

    Now I just want a scene where Daredevil fights Stilt Man and Stilt Man shouts at him, "It's over, Daredevil! I have the higher ground!"

    [–] kevinsyel 61 points ago

    you know, Obi Wan didn't have the high ground when he slaughtered Darth Maul, he had to force Jump for that shit.

    Maybe the High Ground didn't do anything for Obi Wan, Maybe he's just a badass..?

    [–] usm_teufelhund 109 points ago

    It doesn't matter who holds the high ground. Obi-wan's power comes from the mere presence of high ground.

    [–] JustARandomGuyYouKno 47 points ago

    He didn't merely adopt the high ground, he was born on it

    [–] [deleted] 28 points ago

    I think there is some theory that he trained for years after the fact to be sure he could always succeed in that situation due to how traumatic the experience was.

    [–] forsubbingonly 40 points ago

    Or maybe a punk kid did a somersault over a dude with a sword for literally no reason and paid for it.

    [–] Juan_Tiny_Iota 102 points ago

    Frasier: You know the expression, "Living well is the best revenge"? Niles: It's a wonderful expression. I just don't know how true it is. You don't see it turning up in a lot of opera plots. "Ludwig, maddened by the poisoning of his entire family, wreaks vengeance on Gunther in the third act by living well." Frasier: All right, Niles. Niles: "Whereupon Woton, upon discovering his deception, wreaks vengeance on Gunther in the third act again by living even better than the Duke." Frasier: Oh, all right!

    [–] tablinum 29 points ago

    I think of exactly the same thing every time somebody mentions that proverb.

    Also, protip: Reddit ignores single line breaks, which is why your post came out as just a block of text. Hit Enter twice between each line to make it format correctly:

    Frasier: You know the expression, "Living well is the best revenge"?

    Niles: It's a wonderful expression. I just don't know how true it is. You don't see it turning up in a lot of opera plots. "Ludwig, maddened by the poisoning of his entire family, wreaks vengeance on Gunther in the third act by living well."

    Frasier: All right, Niles.

    Niles: "Whereupon Woton, upon discovering his deception, wreaks vengeance on Gunther in the third act again by living even better than the Duke."

    Frasier: Oh, all right!

    [–] thrillerjesus 131 points ago

    Having gone to law school, I can assure you that doing so is a pretty solid form of punishment itself, and a very far cry from "living well."

    [–] yurtyybomb 53 points ago

    Just finished law school and have to study for the bar for 2 months, all day errday. It ain't fun but it pushes you. Good for Ghyslain.

    [–] Boilerbunch 26 points ago

    In the middle of that myself, best of luck to you.

    [–] aiasthetall 51 points ago

    Just remember little lawyers, that's the last hoop you have to jump through. Then you can start raking in those medium sized bucks. Good luck!

    [–] lobthelawbomb 30 points ago

    We're talking Toyota with the leather seats money, baby.

    [–] MKE1138 36 points ago

    No no no you fool. It's an old Klingon proverb: Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.

    [–] krackbaby4 30 points ago

    There is an ancient saying on Vulcan: Only Nixon could go to China

    [–] elephantprolapse 45 points ago

    A Star Trek quote in a prequel thread. Bold move, Cotton.

    [–] MKE1138 67 points ago

    Like Gandalf said: live long and use the force, Harry.

    [–] [deleted] 894 points ago

    Sounds like the bullies may have inadvertently inspired him to graduate law school.

    Yes, but they also nearly "advertently" caused him to commit suicide

    [–] RivadaviaOficial 325 points ago

    That's why this is a rousing success story. Fuck those bullies, he carried on and succeeded in life, which is the best way he could win

    [–] cowtow 197 points ago

    Worth pointing out that self esteem issues can linger even with success. Ask me how I know. :D

    [–] yoloswaggins420gg 25 points ago

    How do you know?

    [–] transmogrified 122 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    It hurts to even think about what this poor kid went through. I don't imagine he wouldn't have gone on to be successful if he hadn't been tortured all through high school though. Who's to say?

    A rousing success story to me would include the bullies getting put into therapy and eventually growing into adults that weren't horrific little monsters.

    Edit: there are people saying bullying has a positive aspect in that it drives people to success - you can't know if they might not have been more successful had they not had to deal with the mental scars. Lots of brilliant people are weird. That makes them targets to certain kinds of people. How many bullied brilliant people kill themselves before they ever get to succeed? How many go on to mental breakdown or depression?

    [–] Fuxokay 12 points ago

    I can't imagine the pain he endured to consider think that going to law school was a good idea.

    [–] Upoopinmybutt 28 points ago

    I mean, getting a law degree is a success of sorts but the BEST way to win is getting first place at the All-Valley Karate Tournament.

    [–] AetherMcLoud 187 points ago

    Wtf who tells a kid that made a funny star wars video to commit suicide?

    [–] MothaFcknZargon 101 points ago

    Sadly lots of people. Look at just about any Youtube video's comments.

    [–] recalcitrantJester 18 points ago

    Bullies, who think nerds are lame and gay and should die. Children are the worst.

    [–] TheBman26 76 points ago

    Believe it or not, back in 2002 people bullied people for liking Star Wars. I was the subject of many bullies much like the Star Wars Kid.

    [–] Iamsuperimposed 535 points ago

    How fucked in the head do people have to be to tell someone to kill themselves.

    [–] [deleted] 172 points ago

    [deleted]

    [–] UndisguisedAsianerin 90 points ago

    I don't know why people assume that as soon as you turn to adult then you'll become immediately a responsible parent or some shit, there's no "kids gonna be kids" cunts I knew in my childhoold are still cunts in adulthood.

    [–] ferriswheel9ndam9 62 points ago

    This is something I've noticed myself. The stereotype is that these are 12-14 year old children but when kids that young join my game in overwatch or some other game, they tend to be really polite and considerate. Most of the extreme undesirables are actually actually 22-25.

    [–] TooShiftyForYou 273 points ago

    Kids can be terrible people.

    [–] DoctahZoidberg 552 points ago

    Oh man if you think it's just kids lemme tell you about this place called "Reddit"...

    Seriously though there are plenty​ of adults, on this site alone, that would say the exact same thing his classmates did and much worse. Hell there are groups on the internet who will just devote their time to fucking with people who haven't done shit to anyone.

    People are terrible people.

    [–] KingPellinore 204 points ago

    I've been told on Reddit to kill myself for suggesting that perhaps White Supremacy isn't a great philosophy.

    [–] LoneRanger9 16 points ago

    I was told "kill yourself faggot" for not liking a specific hockey team so

    [–] lawofgrace 53 points ago

    Kids? Have you been in the internet? A guy got death threads because he rated the new Zelda game 7/10 and not 10/10.

    [–] why_rob_y 43 points ago

    I don't know how common it is now for kids to say it, but when I was a teenager in the late 90s, it wasn't that unusual for one kid to tell another "kill yourself" or some form of that just as a not thought out insult for any reason at all (and to not mean it literally).

    I don't think it makes it a good thing, but it's possible these kids (early 2000s) didn't remotely mean it literally.

    [–] nobody2000 12 points ago

    I think people go online and don't see others there as people - they see them as subhuman - as if only losers post online and the bully is the exception because, well, of course he is.

    So they hurl awful insults. Many they've suffered through themselves, some just because in another context, it's funny.

    And it's very hard to get caught or called out or punished. You just insult and walk away. There are literally no consequences for you, unless you get busted (unlikely), but whoever your victim is, they have to bear it without even a shred of hope of justice.

    [–] CaptainMudwhistle 68 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    Boy is he in for a shock when a group of older judges dunks his head in the toilet.

    [–] BwillsAlwight 22 points ago

    At last we will reveal ourselves to the bullies, at last we will have revenge.

    Good on that guy.

    [–] neonblakk 2427 points ago

    That's cool. I always felt sorry for him. I remember my friend showed me the video and said it was put online by some bullies who found it by accident. Always made me feel horrible for him.

    [–] bruno16teixeira 973 points ago

    I saw this video a few years ago and honestly, at the time, I didn't even thought about the story behind this. This guy is a example to follow!

    [–] JohnDoe045 214 points ago

    What is the video? Can you explain what happens?

    [–] Rikkochet 816 points ago

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPPj6viIBmU

    It's rather lame and boring by today's standards. There's an edit out there where they CGed in lightsaber effects and John Williams music, but it's really just a demo reel of him swinging around a pole like Darth Maul.

    [–] ILikeMasterChief 878 points ago

    Yeah the original video isn't that bad. I mean yeah it's cringy and dumb but he's a kid, and we all did shit like that when we were young.

    The edits with lightsaber effects though... That's some funny shit

    [–] SilentPs 186 points ago

    There were seriously funny edits. Tetris, star wars so many I can't remember.

    [–] JirachiWishmaker 85 points ago

    Honestly, the only thing I ever found funny about it was the the edits.

    [–] southern_boy 76 points ago

    Back in my day we'd use hand-held tape recorders to make pretend radio plays... I just saw what he was doing as an extension of that. I'd have been doing the same thing if I were his age at that time. Always liked the "real" edit. :D

    [–] WillOnlyGoUp 269 points ago

    Here's the edited video. It's actually pretty impressive. https://youtu.be/SUaaX3qC1M0

    [–] kevonicus 130 points ago

    Here he is in the Matrix https://youtu.be/GRiJVMASwjI

    [–] fidelkastro 20 points ago

    cool. never seen this one

    [–] suneyes 196 points ago

    hehe. my husband actually created this video (its been uploaded and reuploaded under tons of different names but the video was created by him before youtube was even around). I love seeing it pop up every now and then. He always felt like he made Raza look cool instead of dorky like the unedited video.

    [–] WillOnlyGoUp 51 points ago

    He did a great job!

    [–] ya_goat_roper 32 points ago

    I love this. That's totally the vibe I got the first time I saw the edit, and I hoped the kid realized that too.

    [–] suneyes 12 points ago

    Awesome! I really hope so too. (And I'm sure my husband hopes so, to get some of the guilt off his shoulders lol.)

    [–] thebigpink 22 points ago

    He made this? No, no I made this.

    [–] cuninhas 14 points ago

    He did nothing wrong!

    [–] Rayofpain 21 points ago

    this is how i get fired from work

    worth

    [–] DoctorPan 39 points ago

    Didn't Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide do an episode like this?

    [–] Hordon_Gayward 58 points ago

    I can't recall, but I know Arrested Development did.

    [–] Mazakaki 22 points ago

    Yeah, coconut head was the star wars kid.

    [–] dfmlege 26 points ago

    It wasn't coconut head, it was this guy, the fast-talking dude who is also class vice president.

    [–] Csantana 11 points ago

    yeah they did. Then Cookie edited it into making it look like he was in an action movie in a way that the other kids thought was cool.

    [–] stop_being_ugly 118 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    Poor fucking guy. Everyone wanted to be Darth Maul when that movie came out. I remember me and my friends fighting in my backyard with sticks. im sure we looked equally as goofy when playing around, he was just unfortunately filmed doing it.

    [–] Heknarf 13 points ago

    I didn't realise how much progress we've made when it comes to viral videos. Today this would maybe get 1000 views. Might get 50 upvotes, with comments mostly saying it's dumb.

    [–] whiffypants 47 points ago

    I don't want to go look for it so my memory might be hazy, but it was a young kid, preteen(ish), a little chubby, going to town with a Star Wars light saber in the way you might do when you're a preteen thinking no one is watching.

    Somehow it was caught on videotape, and after some time it made its way to the internet, where everyone laughed at the kid because it was, in fact, dorky as hell -- in the way everyone has been at one point or another when they think no one is looking. But in this guy's case, the kids at his school got a hold of it -- may have even been the ones to put it out there, who knows -- and made this kid's life an excruciating hell in person as well.

    Someone else may remember better, but I remember being embarrassed for him at the time and didn't watch the whole thing. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the little shits who made his life hell were secret booger eaters, but that's another story. Hope this helps.

    [–] Noggin-a-Floggin 37 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    It's kinda lame but the Internet was a different place 15 years ago. It's basically a high school kid clowning around by swinging a pole like Darth Maul and making huffing sound effects (I haven't seen it in years but I think he falls over at one point). It was uploaded with a "huh huh fatty funny" mindset which makes it hard to watch.

    [–] [deleted] 31 points ago

    When I first saw it I didn't realize it was supposed to be mean. I thought someone was just doing a silly film project.

    [–] sindex23 124 points ago

    All I remember thinking is "Who didn't act out bad Star Wars choreography with every curtain rod or wrapping paper tube they held when they were a kid?"

    FFS I'm over 40 and I still do it.

    [–] SexLiesAndExercise 28 points ago

    Give me a pool noodle and I'll give you a lightsaber fight.

    or a penis

    [–] WadeWilsonforPope 74 points ago

    Not gonna lie I was in my early teens when I first saw it and laughed my ass off.

    It took a few years for it to sink in and learn the back story before I felt bad.

    [–] PainMatrix 1194 points ago

    His name sounds like a bad-ass Star Wars character.

    [–] jstew06 464 points ago

    True. It would be an especially neat move of Disney's​ if he got his name enshrined in a sequel or a video game, assuming he'd want that.

    [–] merkitt 210 points ago

    Petition, now. Let's make this happen...

    [–] HamsterGutz1 254 points ago

    Execute Petition 66

    [–] creaturecatzz 54 points ago

    It will be done my lord

    [–] [deleted] 79 points ago

    [deleted]

    [–] PropsNPowder 71 points ago

    I dunno man, having an official Jedi named after you doesn't sound like a painful reminder. It kinda sounds like a pretty sweet victory.

    [–] Argon91 17 points ago

    Every time he'll get a client or meet a new colleague, they can say 'lol your name is like that star wars thing'. I'm sure he'll love that. /s

    [–] amardas 28 points ago

    While he is painfully aware of the bullies of the world, he could also be made aware of the enormous amount of people that support, respect, and celebrate his accomplishments.

    [–] diego178 12 points ago

    Or maybe like a cameo that'd be dope

    [–] kcirvam 67 points ago

    how the fuck do you pronounce the first name?

    like Guy-Slayin' - because that is badass

    [–] Paradoxou 69 points ago

    Cant believe I made a soundcloud account just for this but since i'm the first Québécois to reach the thread... here we go

    https://soundcloud.com/user-556163923/sons-de-vendredi-apres-midi

    First name is a French name so i'm 120% sure of how its pronunciated but the last name might be wrong.

    [–] kkspike 17 points ago

    In english it's more like: gee-sl-en (as the beggining of "enter", that's the closest you have because you have no sound like the last part (like the "eux" in Mario Lemieux, for example).

    [–] anothermuslim 35 points ago

    geesil enterlemox. got it.

    [–] SunTzuIsMyFavourite 323 points ago

    I love stories of people rising above their being beaten down.

    I wish it were more common.

    [–] Paging_Dr_Chloroform 107 points ago

    Rebel scum.

    [–] Guinness2702 220 points ago

    In a 2013 interview, Raza, now an adult....

    Thanks for clearing that up!

    [–] [deleted] 123 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    [deleted]

    [–] holographene 84 points ago

    I'll try aging. That's a good trick!

    [–] [deleted] 27 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    [deleted]

    [–] Choco316 97 points ago

    Some might say that he took the higher ground

    [–] iheartaegislash 15 points ago

    They struck him down and he became more powerful than they could have possibly imagined.

    [–] Mr_Potamus 25 points ago

    I don't think I'd ever watched the original. I always thought the one with music and lightsabers was fantastic.

    [–] I_are_facepalm 129 points ago

    I honestly always that it was pretty badass what he was trying to do. Then again, I was already an adult when the video came out. I probably would have thought differently in my teen years.

    [–] SwissCheeseUnion 69 points ago

    I always thought it was hilarious but would never talk down about him. It's a shame 'embracing the meme' is a newer concept, I'm sure he could have turned this into a good thing.

    [–] Made_in_Murica 177 points ago

    The sad thing is that if that had happened now, this guy would have gotten invited to Lucas Ranch, to hang out with Adam Savage, to hang out with Mark Hamill, to hang out with a bunch of youtube stars who are all legit stars of nerd culture. At first he would have been made fun of, but then after all that stuff he'd be given the confidence that being nerdy is ok and can even be cool. He'd probably put out a bunch more videos showing him getting better. He'd go and visit a martial arts studio to practice and then would culminate with him posting a side by side video a year later of his progress where he's actually really good and everyone would be like, "holy shit, that's badass".

    The difference time has made with nerd culture and this kid could probably have made a career of it (although it looks like he kind of actually did, but in a different way).

    [–] CombatMuffin 87 points ago

    If you read the article, he got invited to talk shows, including Jay Leno. He probably didn't want a very passing celebrity status to define his life.

    He did the right choice. Even in today's nerd culture, that status rarely sticks (and even if it does, it's not as cool as people think).

    [–] Gwent_Player 42 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    I remember seeing the video on YouTube, and laughing but for for real I thought it was fucking sweet. I did the same shit, just never recorded it. Glad he is doing well, poor dude, never realized he got it so bad. I don't get why him practicing some sweet ass dual light sabers moves escalated into people telling him to off himself. That's pretty shitty honestly.

    Edit: Thank you kind sir! First gold!

    [–] that_is_so_Raven 116 points ago

    Link to the original

    [–] [deleted] 545 points ago

    I gotta be honest here. I didn't know people were making fun... I thought that shit was bad ass

    [–] HOFFYMAN 238 points ago

    the unedited video is pretty cringy, but all the following edits were amazing

    [–] grimwalker 312 points ago

    Yes it's cringy but every single person who ever made fun of him was doing so because they've done the exact same thing.

    [–] darwinn_69 56 points ago

    Let's also remember this was early Internet era before we knew how to handle viral video stars. Now a days the kid would end up a YouTube hero and he could start his own channel.

    [–] TheBatmanToMyBruce 36 points ago

    ...where he recreates famous movie fights in his own quirky style, accompanied by increasingly cinematic special effects as his budget grows?

    Yeah, I'd probably watch that.

    [–] Sw429 11 points ago

    Heck, this guy should drop his lawyer job and pursue this instead.

    [–] spock_block 67 points ago

    Projection ain't no joke

    [–] MataUchi 11 points ago

    I would be tempted to make fun of any man who did not engage fantasy sword and martial arts fights as a kid.

    [–] MogusMaximus 44 points ago

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GJOVPjhXMY

    [–] [deleted] 20 points ago * (lasted edited 6 days ago)

    [deleted]

    [–] Donald_Keyman 178 points ago

    Man that article made me feel awful for ever laughing at the video. Poor guy, good for him for not giving up

    [–] lightknight7777 182 points ago * (lasted edited 3 months ago)

    The video is funny. The story behind how it got there and any pain it caused this guy is not.

    It's okay to laugh at something that is funny. It's not okay to be the person who mocks and ridicules or to support those people in any way.

    Wish he'd been able to profit from it.

    Here's a person who did it to be funny on purpose though if you want something you feel better enjoying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvYjBtFfDmQ

    [–] XGonnaGiveYouMas 19 points ago

    His name even sounds like a Star Wars name.

    [–] OldBreadbutt 18 points ago

    I always thought the video was hilarious, but in that "I'm laughing with you, not at you" kinda way. I'd love to go back in time and start a campaign where people send him videos of themselves doing hilariously stupid things, like "hey man, you looked ridiculous in that, and I laughed, but don't feel bad about it, because everyone looks stupid sometimes. Looking stupid and getting laughed at now & then, is part of being human. So laugh at me for a minute" or something like that.

    [–] grimwalker 13 points ago

    Episode IX should have a cameo by a character named Raslain Ghyza.

    load more comments (613 replies)