Definition: When multiple people (often from the same side of an issue) reblog a post from someone who adds a short, simple negatory phrase that dismisses the original post, repeating their words verbatim, until they get the mainstream audience to participate, and assume the OP is problematic. This is done with the intention of effectively derailing the post, and using the OP as an example of why a marginalized group they belong to is problematic.
Chainsmearers will chant their mantra over and over again, pressuring their followers to reblog their post and echo the same rhetoric in text or at least the tags.
They do not care for the mental health or well-being of the OP; they don’t see the OP as a person, merely their beliefs. Some chainsmearers with more malicious intent will recirculate the chainsmeared post with the intention of wearing down the OP until they deactivate their blog.
Once this occurs, the game is over–the post serves as a reminder to anyone who shares the same opinions with the OP that if they dare to make a similar post, they will be met with the same unforgiving response.
This will often occur with:
a) conflicting headcanons (as displayed below)
b) personal opinions (including ignorant people who attempt to ask questions of the masses)
c) sources (easy prey if they can be misinterpreted)
Some harbingers of potential chainsmearing include the following:
– “bad post op”
– “hes gay / shes a lesbian” (in response to an otherwise LGBT+ headcanon, including bisexual, trans, ace/aro, and onwards)
– “who cares / no one cares”
– “shut [the fuck] up”
– “die (op) / kys / etc.”
*****This is different from passing helpful information down the grapevine, such as alerting people to the fact that op is bigoted because of their ideology, and acknowledging they have acted alone (e.g. “op is a TERF”).
[Image descriptions: both images are screenshots of chainsmearing in action, the a post titled “elsa is asexual” having dozens of responses that just read “she’s a lesbian” and a post reading “who is here for ace/aro Yuuri” having dozens of responses that just read “he’s gay.”]
ifesbob 