Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has earned a reputation for being…colourful.
In addition to spending AUD60m promoting the far-right United Australia Party in the last election (a party that failed to win a single seat!), he also promoted the Trumpian slogan "Make Australia Great" from roadside billboards and created a videogame in which he starred as a character who was a literal walking meme.
Enter Jordan "Friendly Jordies" Shanks, a satirical Australian Youtube vlogger who refers to Palmer with the regrettably fat-shamey "Fatty McFuckhead" and photoshops him as a baby being held aloft by Trump (Palmer is sometimes called "The Donald Trump from Down Under") while excoriating Palmer for his midadventures and political views (which are under his direct control) and his looks (which are not something he has nearly so much control over), memorably describing him as "the lovechild of Donald Trump and Big Kev" (an Australian cleaning products mascot who was popular in the 2000s).
Palmer has served Shanks with a legal threat, demanding $500,000 in damages for alleged defamation and a permanent injunction on mentions of Palmer in Shanks's public work.
Shanks has responded with admirable vigour and humour, pointing out that "for a defamation allegation to be successful, it has to be proven I lowered your standing in the eyes of the public" and describing himself as a penniless millennial with nothing to lose, who relies on his mother's laptop to post to Youtube and who has "been desensitized to the emotional needs of others, and as such I’m your worst nightmare. I’m a robot with nothing to lose."
Shanks is also raising money by selling "Clive Palmer is a Fatty McFuckhead*" "*In my opinion" tee shirts for AUD40.00.
Gizmodo emailed Shanks to ask if he had been served with a lawsuit yet or if he’d only gotten a letter saying that Palmer intended to sue. Shanks responded with the email below:
It’s an intention to sue. He wanted me to come to “reasonable amends” ie sign an agreement to never speak about him publicly ever again.
It’s now up to Fatty McFuckhead if he wants to take it further. Seeing as he cites litigation as his hobby in life (what an exceptional human being. Using his wealth for the noble act of philanthropy….for himself)
I won’t be surprised if he does.
Billionaire Threatens to Sue YouTuber For Calling Him 'Fatty McFuckhead' and Photoshopping Him as Trump's Baby [Matt Novak/Gizmodo]
(via /r/technology)
