James O'Brien slams 'new ecosystem' that offers rewards to 'people spouting gibberish'

20 February 2023, 12:17

By Hannah Holland

James O'Brien hit out at internet sleuths and "nonsense" media that offer up "ridiculous" conspiracy theories after people took to TikTok to suggest answers to Nicola Bulley's disappearance.

After internet sleuths created a TikTok frenzy over the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, James O’Brien said: “I just sense that observable reality is under threat at the moment.”

He then questioned why stations that “look like something that belongs on the outer reaches of the internet” get coverage on mainstream media.

“I don’t know what OFCOM are playing at when it comes to GBeebies but they’re going to have to get their socks off soon”, he added.

James speculates over the ‘appeal of nonsense’ after the widespread TikTok ‘madness’ concerning the disappearance of Nicola Bulley“I want to know why - what is the appeal of nonsense?

“What is this curious new ecosystem that we appear to have created or has grown up around us that offers attention and rewards to people spouting utter gibberish?”

James then explained that a friend of Nicola Bulley was branded a ‘crisis actor’ on TikTok after she made a video appealing for her safe return, calling out the idea the friend had “been paid to act out a tragedy”.

“What was once really weird and on the outer reaches of the internet… just seems to be moving into the mainstream now.

“These kind of ideas. These kind of madnesses.”

Talking about the popularity of ‘Infowars’ and TikTok conspiracy theories, James posed that they “all congregate under the idea of people being desperate to believe objectively ridiculous things”.

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