Shane Jacobson turns troll tracker to fight ‘vile’ abuse online
TV favourite Shane Jacobson has had enough of online trolls. He’s fighting back and tracking them down to explain how their hateful words hurt.
Confidential
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TV and movie star Shane Jacobson is tracking down trolls and making them eat their hateful words.
Jacobson, star of hits including Kenny and Little Big Shots, is fighting back against “vile attacks, abuse, and threats” levelled at him online, following his recent involvement in a Victorian Government COVID-19 ad campaign encouraging people to wear face masks.
Since the online attacks, Jacobson has identified and contacted trolls to discuss their hateful words.
He told the Herald Sun: “There were a few people that have taken a swing and I’ve tracked them down. I tracked down one troll and spent 15 minutes on the phone with him. In the end, I got an unreserved apology.”
Jacobson said another troll “had some really interesting data ... but the disappointing thing was ... he wrapped it in hate, fat shaming and abuse”.
“I said to him, ‘If you wrap good information in hate, then no-one will open that present because they’ll just assume it’s full of s---,” he said.
“This journey is not over. The only got my attention because they were yelling, and now I’ll stop looking over my shoulder and continue to walk forward.”
In his engagement with trolls, Jacobson likens social media to a public swimming pool.
“A lot of people in there don’t mean any harm; and 95 per cent of the water is good,” he said.
“But there are people p---ing in that pool called social media, and some of them are trying to drag you under.
“They’d be happy to see you drown in that pool, so why would I swim there?”
His wife, Felicity Hunter, quit social media after the abuse and threats aimed at her husband.
“She’s had walk away from social media and it broke my heart,” Jacobson said.
“She’s originally from NSW; that’s where her family and friends are. Social media was her portal to seeing what they’re all doing.
“But with social media, you don’t get to click a button that says, ‘Only show me the nice stuff.’ You either have to choose to look at none of it, or all of it.
“My wife had to walk away ... because of what I do as a job.”
However, she insisted their four children listen to Jacobson’s conversation with one troll, as an example of standing up for yourself.
“They said: ‘Is (Jacobson) talking to someone who was bad to him online?’ And she said: ‘Put down your school work, and go and listen to your father talk to this man. It’s the best education you’ll get.
“I dragged him through every comment he made, walked him through it slowly, and showed him what made him a troll. It turned into a conversation. There was no argument, and no-one was yelling.”
Jacobson said the worst trolling came via direct messages, which are not made public.
However, Jacobson’s Facebook page still has threads featuring abuse, foul language and physical threats towards him.
“Bring that mask over to the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and we will put it through your f---ing head, you f---wit,” one post said.
Another posted: “You c---s are f---ed.”
And another: “You look like a complete f---wit with that mask on.”
Jacobson said friends told him not to listen to, or engage with trolls.
“But they haven’t been on the receiving end of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of messages of hate. Until someone has, I don’t think they can understand,” he said.
“I’m pretty good at walking past 100 people who are yelling at me, but because of where I come from (Melbourne’s western suburbs), with every 101st, I have to turn around and go, ‘What’s your story, mate?’
“It is in me to defend myself,” Jacobson said.
“I certainly do it for those that I love, so I’m sure as s--- gonna do it for myself.”
Jacobson said he’s limiting his time on social media “to show my children there are some fights you have to walk away from.”
He added: “My kids became aware there were people hating in my direction, and they were really confused by it, because I’m the chief scout of Victoria, and I’m involved in many charitable organisations.
“Like most people do, I do my bit.
“But it upset me to know they might be feeling it. I can shield them from everything, but if they’re feeling it, my shield isn’t working.”
Jacobson said his western suburbs roots taught him to stand strong and speak his mind, especially against anonymous online cowards.
“I’m incredibly proud of my working class roots; it shaped and made me,” he said.
“We never had the money to buy anyone’s affection, or sway anyone’s opinion. My dad was raised in a tent until he was 21.
I’ve often joked my dad said he was so poor, he couldn’t pay attention. I love the fact I’m from an area where your word is your bond, and without it, you’re nothing.”
Shane Jacobson will host Channel 7’s All New Monty, which raises awareness of men’s health issues, including mental health, on Sunday.
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