|| Author: Kim LaCapria|Tags: ,

Reddit ‘Racist, Sexist’ Thread Causes Controversy, Shut Down

reddit sexist racist

Reddit is getting a bit of a rep- at least on Gawker Media sites (cough Jezebel cough)- for its heavily male vibe (and arguably at least a little) misogynist bent.

The testosterone-heavy environment isn’t the only controversial aspect of the site- the mere existence of the “jailbait” subreddit causes spurts of outrage from time to time- but a recent thread is the first to garner a significant amount of outside attention for its offensive content. Gawker’s Max Read alleges that Reddit’s posters were “so excited about a safe space for their racism and misogyny that they almost shut down the site,” when it seems from the post addressing the removal of the original post that mere interest in the conversation is what shut the thread down.

Although the thread was down as of this morning when Gawker posted their assessment, it’s back up for your viewing pleasure if you’re not afraid of seeing some mildly controversial opinions. Among the top comments sorted by “controversial” right now are musings on gay adoptions, fining fat people, atheism and something about 9/11 being an “inside job.” Unpopular perhaps, but /b/ it ain’t.

Did you see the racist, sexist Reddit thread before it went viral? Do you find the content on Reddit to be offensive, or do you feel the community is generally good-natured and friendly?