The internet is more rotten than Sister Hong

Let’s stop the outrage. Although Sister Hong deceived over 1600 men by crossdressing as a woman and secretly filming sexual encounters without their knowledge, the real sickness isn’t in him. But the internet. Sister Hong is no doubt disgusting, but the internet has somehow sunk even lower. 

It didn’t just react and shame the people involved. It has also amplified, consumed and turned a scandal into viral content for their vicious entertainment. You don’t just randomly get over 1000 viral leaked videos of Sister Hong’s heinous acts without millions of viewers eager to watch them. Curiosity drove people to click on that footage, share it, and create memes. The worst part? Those original leaked clips were sold for money. Implying that people were paying for his disgusting acts and spreading them for millions of others to see.

The memes circulating online are proof of how low the internet has fallen. One viral post on the social media platform X showed an AI-generated Otome game-like cover featuring Sister Hong and the men involved. (An Otome game is a story-based video game where you attempt to romance the male characters to fall in love with you.) A sexual abuse scandal has somehow turned into a dating fantasy game cover, which questions whether the internet seriously takes into account that these men were victims. Or was it because they were men that society does not view them as victims?

It doesn’t stop there. By searching  #SisterHong on TikTok, around 66 thousand videos can be found under the tag. Some showed men crossdressing like Sister Hong and performing at clubs, as seen in this clip. Furthermore, others used AI-generated content to make him join TikTok dance trends, such as this video. One compilation video titled  “Sister Hong Core” perfectly encapsulates the ongoing viral content of the Sister Hong controversy, where thousands of users recreate his acts or even dress like him. Social media users viewed this scandal as “meme-worthy” material or even gained ideas for their next parody content.  

Compared to Sister Hong’s thousands of victims, the internet easily affected billions with scams, deepfakes, and the spreading of misinformation and harmful content. Sister Hong’s deception unfolded over time. However, in minutes, the internet has ruined lives. The victims are trapped in a never-ending cycle of humiliation and constant exposure. 

Sister Hong may have worn a disguise, but the internet is no different from hiding behind screens. They watch, snare and pretend to be outraged. But the scandal is just the catalyst for the internet’s disease.