History Main / OvershadowedByControversy

* OvershadowedByControversy/{{Website}}

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': During TheEighties, a couple of very high-profile cases (the disappearance of Dallas Egbert, Jr. and the suicide of Irving "Bink" Pulling) were strongly linked in the media to the game mostly on the tangential evidence that Egbert and Pulling had both played it on at least one occasion. This led to mass hysteria about the game having some sort of psychologically damaging effect on the mind (in reality, both Egbert and Pulling had struggles with mental illness that long predated any involvement with ''D&D'') including Pulling's mother creating an anti-gamin association called [[FunWithAcronyms "B.A.D.D." or "Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons"]] to denounce the game and call for its banning. Around this same time Rona Jaffe wrote "Mazes and Monsters", a novel about people becoming mentally unhinged after playing an {{Expy}} of the game. The book was loosely adapted into what became a mildly popular movie in 1982 starring a an then-relatively-unknown Creator/TomHanks that also cemented the idea in the public that the game was a public health threat. Not helping was this hysteria dovetaling with a SatanicPanic fear that the game was a thinly-veiled indoctrination into satanic worship and the occult to create a perfect storm against the game that took years for TSR and the hobby as a whole to be able to escape the shadow of. Even today, it's brought up from time to time.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': During TheEighties, a couple of very high-profile cases (the disappearance of Dallas Egbert, Jr. and the suicide of Irving "Bink" Pulling) were strongly linked in the media to the game mostly on the tangential evidence that Egbert and Pulling had both played it on at least one occasion. This led to mass hysteria about the game having some sort of psychologically damaging effect on the mind (in reality, both Egbert and Pulling had struggles with mental illness that long predated any involvement with ''D&D'') including Pulling's mother creating an anti-gamin association called [[FunWithAcronyms "B.A.D.D." or "Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons"]] to denounce the game and call for its banning. Around this same time Rona Jaffe wrote "Mazes and Monsters", a novel about people becoming mentally unhinged after playing an {[Expy}} of the game that became a mildly popular movie in 1982 starring a an then-relatively-unknown Creator/TomHanks that also cemented the idea in the public that the game was a public health threat. Not helping was this hysteria dovetaling with a SatanicPanic fear that the game was a thinly-veiled indoctrination into satanic worship and the occult to create a perfect storm against the game that took years for TSR and the hobby as a whole to be able to escape the shadow of. Even today, it's brought up from time to time.

** ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' During TheEighties, a couple of very high-profile cases (the disappearance of Dallas Egbert, Jr. and the suicide of Irving "Bink" Pulling) were strongly linked in the media to the game mostly on the tangential evidence that Egbert and Pulling had both played it on at least one occasion. This led to mass hysteria about the game having some sort of psychologically damaging effect on the mind (in reality, both Egbert and Pulling had struggles with mental illness that long predated any involvement with ''D&D'') including Pulling's mother creating an anti-gamin association called [[FunWithAcronyms "B.A.D.D." or "Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons"]] to denounce the game and call for its banning. Around this same time Rona Jaffe wrote "Mazes and Monsters", a novel about people becoming mentally unhinged after playing an {[Expy}} of the game that became a mildly popular movie in 1982 starring a an then-relatively-unknown Creator/TomHanks that also cemented the idea in the public that the game was a public health threat. Not helping was this hysteria dovetaling with a SatanicPanic fear that the game was a thinly-veiled indoctrination into satanic worship and the occult to create a perfect storm against the game that took years for TSR and the hobby as a whole to be able to escape the shadow of.

** Nemesis: Sub-Terra is a dark ride that tied in with the lore of Nemesis, Alton Towers' most famous rollercoaster. The original version closed just three years after opening due to budget cuts resulting from the Smiler crash. Nemesis: Sub-Terra is mostly remembered for fans' disappointment that it wasn't another rollercoaster in the Nemesis line (Thorpe Park also has one, Nemesis Inferno), and controversy over whether a TV advert for the ride was racist. The advert in question showed an alien egg hatching and then cut to an extreme close-up of a black man's face; seen by some as implying he was the monster within the egg. Alton Towers had to clarify that the man was scared of the alien. Since its eventual re-opening in May 2023 -- to notably more positive reception upon its second debut -- though, only time will tell if it can shake off the reputation.

* Pepe the Frog, a character from the comic ''Boy's Club'', became a widespread [[MemeticMutation meme]] after his debut in 2005. However, the usage of Pepe as a meme turned awry in mid-2016 when many members of the alt-right used him as a symbol to express racist and anti-Semitic sentiments around the time of the 2016 U.S. election.[[note]]It's possible that ''some'' of the offensive Pepe memes, especially those from before 2016, were originally meant more as VulgarHumor than serious political statements, since other "Rare Pepes" often featured gratuitous BodyHorror, coprophilia, {{Gorn}}, and various sex acts instead of racist imagery, all [[PlayedForLaughs played for extremely dark laughs]], until genuine bigots started [[PoesLaw blurring the lines between satire and serious]].[[/note]] The damage had been done by the time the Anti-Defamation League classified Pepe as a hate symbol.[[note]]Though they did include the caveat that Pepe is not ''inherently'' a hate symbol and context should be taken into account when judging whether using him is hateful.[[/note]] Matt Furie, the creator of Pepe, was [[CreatorBacklash so angry over this]] that he attempted a "Save Pepe" campaign in order to rescue the character. However, in May 2017, [[WhyFandomCantHaveNiceThings Furie decided to kill off Pepe in his comic]] after the character became more ingrained as a symbol of the far-right. Furie did succeed in enforcing his copyright in certain cases, such as forcing ''[=InfoWars=]''[='=]s Alex Jones to pay $15,000 in a lawsuit for selling merchandise with Pepe on it, but the reputation as an alt-right meme is very hard to erase.

* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}'' lead animator Zebirdbrain suffered from this in the summer of 2023 when she rejected [[Creator/VivienneMedrano Vivziepop's]] $5,000 pledge, as well as [[https://twitter.com/Jaiydanimate/status/1696261486799093964 allegations of]] [[https://twitter.com/Velocity_Aus/status/1696125981126459789 abuse and transphobia]] from ''VideoGame/BillieBustUp'' and ''WebAnimation/SpookyMonth'' animatiors Jaydanimate and Declan van West (aka Velocity) respectively. In response to the accusations, director Fable Siegel denied them, with creator Tracy Butler and lead of clean up Creator/AshleyNichols supporting Fable's claims. After this response, many people fell out of love with the show.

* Rachid Lotf is a Morrocan-British artist who does nostalgic paintings of 80's and 90's gamer culture. Unfortunately, he is better knwon because a significant number of his works were misappropriated by alt-right commentator Michael Young (AKA Wokal Distance) in order to illustrate a series of Twitter essays on the supposed decline of western civilization, without Lotf's knowledge or consent.

* KDND's 2007 "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest already had issues with concerns of overdrinking water. The contest was to see which contestant could drink the most water without having to pee. According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's studios. The contest began around 6:45 a.m. as contestants were each handed 240 mL (8 oz) water bottles to drink at 15-minute intervals. Contestants also said that as the contest progressed, they were given increasingly larger quantities of water to drink. A 28 year old mother, Jennifer Strange made it to the second place but didn't win the Wii which she hoped to get for her kids. She died of water intoxication hours after taking part in the contest and many other unfortunate contenders including the winner voiced many negative health effects as well with one going so far as to admit the contest may have shortened their life. The worst part was the radio hosts gleefully admitted they were aware this was dangerous but the contestants signed waivers. At one point, a nurse contacted the station and informed the DJs that the contest could be dangerous and potentially fatal and they responded by saying, "We're aware of that" and said that the contestants had signed releases and couldn't file a lawsuit. According to a contestant, the waivers addressed only publicity issues and made no mention of health or safety concerns. The DJs also joked about Strange's distended belly, joking that she looked three months pregnant. They were sued soon after DJs were fired, but have shown little to no guilt for the death and harm they caused in this contest.

* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}'' lead animator Zebirdbrain suffered from this in the summer of 2023 when she rejected [[Creator/VivienneMedrano Vivziepop's]] $5,000 pledge, as well as [[https://twitter.com/Jaiydanimate/status/1696261486799093964 allegations of]] [[https://twitter.com/Velocity_Aus/status/1696125981126459789 abuse and transphobia]] from ''VideoGame/BillieBustUp'' and ''WebAnimation/SpookyMonth'' animatiors Jaydanimate and Declan van West (aka Velocity) respectively. In response to the accusations, director Fable Siegel denied them, with creator Tracy Butler and lead of clean up Creator/AshleyNichols supporting Fable's claims. After this response, many people fell out of love with the show.
* ''WebAnimation/{{Eddsworld}}'' Three characters suffer from this, Tord, Helucard, and Patryck. Tord for his real life counterpart/first voice actor being harassed off the internet by stalkers and toxic fans upset with his and the character's departure from the show, or for his second voice actor being fired [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor after it came out that he groomed and sexually abused a then underaged Kiki Palmer]]. Although he remains a fan-favorite, the former reason makes fans skeptical of a comeback of the character. On a similar note, Helucard was based on and voiced by Dominic Сharbonneau who himself was accused of grooming underaged girls. Patryck because his real life counterpart/voice actor, Patryk Dudlewicz made an angry Tumblr post where he ranted about how that character he played was frequently shipped with another character named Paul, (also based on a real person) and shippers used their real names, much to his discomfort. Fans usually keep this mind when referring to the character, often changing his name to simply Pat or keeping the extra c that isn't in Patryk's actual name.

* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}'' lead animator Zebirdbrain suffered from this in the summer of 2023 when she rejected [[Creator/VivienneMedrano Vivziepop's]] $5,000 pledge, as well as allegations of transmisogyny from ''VideoGame/BillieBustUp'' and ''WebAnimation/SpookyMonth'' animatiors Jaydanimate and Declan van West respectively. In response to the accusations, director Fable Siegel denied them, with creator Tracy Butler and lead of clean up Creator/AshleyNichols supporting Fable's claims. After this response, many people fell out of love with the show.