After blowing up the internet with those sweet white Vans, Damn Daniel’s creator has now become the victim of one of the internet’s worst “pranks.”
ABC 7 is reporting that Riverside, CA police got a prank call on Tuesday which claimed that the teen who filmed “Damn Daniel”, a popular internet meme, had shot his mother with an AK-47. In response, the police descended on the teenager’s home, only to find out it was all fake. The culprit had used a voice modulator to fool the police into thinking an emergency was unfolding, when in actuality nothing was happening.
Given the video’s popularity — it’s gotten hundreds of thousands of retweets on Twitter, and everyone on the internet seems to be talking about it — this outcome probably isn’t a surprise. Once you get big enough on the internet, swatting has practically become a (dangerous) rite of passage. Celebrities, congresswomen and randoms on the internet alike have all fallen prey to swatting, which is awful when you consider that, at best, this “joke” wastes everyone’s time and, at worst, someone actually gets hurt by SWAT teams who are just trying to do their jobs.
Damn Daniel pic.twitter.com/Va10hmpePO
— josh (@josholzz) February 16, 2016
“We believe and the family believes that since their video went viral, it’s somehow connected,” said Riverside police lieutenant Kevin Townsend. “Ever since their video has gone out there, they have received a number of what they call strange phone calls and emails, and a lot of strange things happening so tonight was just another incident for their family.”
Damn, Daniel. Hopefully they won’t be back at it again with those SWAT vans.
Comments
26 responses to “‘Damn, Daniel’ Teen Gets Swatted”
Damn.
Daniel.
And until there are serious consequences for this shit, like substantial jail time, it will keep happening.
There are, it’s just super hard to track.
Younger gen is so effing crazy,and I don’t mean the swat team call up lol. Was shown this yesterday by a young guy at work!
I… I don’t get it.
Not the swatting thing; that, I get. The video, though… why is everyone talking about this? What’s the appeal?
Perhaps in his vanity the kid viewed his own video several hundred thousands of times, making it appear as though it had gone viral. He then swatted himself for good measure.
*Shrugs* – makes more sense than people actually wanting to watch that…thing above.
[For the record, I’ve never heard of this until now too.]
You’re old.
I’m 22 and I find this insufferable.
Yeah I was joking. But I mean, aren’t all viral memes, on some level, utterly insufferable?
Sure, most of them… but you can at least sort of see where the humour is meant to be, even if you don’t share it in taste. Slapstick, satire, absurdism… But this one I’m really just mystified as to what about it is so hilarious.
Is it the weird voice? Is it the fact that this regular kid is kind of bemused by the fact that one of his classmates is choosing to constantly video him and comment enthusiastically on his fashion? Bemusement is funny, I guess? I mean, it seems like he’s starting to play along with it after a few days… I don’t know.
http://browncardigan.com/imagesfarm/2016/UJZEVEse1et0IgO.jpg
Ah, fair enough. It’s always hard for me to sniff out a bit of sarcasm on the interwebs. As for other memes, all humour is subjective. Damn Daniel is as funny as a laid brick, but I for some reason find “What’s 9 + 10?” “21” utterly hilarious for some reason. Most memes are pretty shitty, though.
same here, I’m having a hard time trying to find the appeal?
Am I getting old?! what’s with all this shit appearing on the internet lately and considered “cool”
Why do so many people like this sort of shit?
I’m in my early 20’s and I feel so out of touch lol.
Your not the only one. I was watching IHE do a video on this yesterday… And someone put 2 fraudulent copyright claims on it
In other youtube news, Nintendo has claimed Jim Stirling’s Jimquisition this week. #WTFU indeed
Has anyone heard of this guy? Just want to check if this is an obscure American thing, or if I am no longer hip.
Half wonder if the swatting thing was an attempt to make this meme/guy a ‘thing’
If their goal was to be more stupid and pointless than the video… they succeeded. And need a kick in the head.
God damn, I must be getting old…
The shit kids come up with nowadays…
I came to post exactly that. What is entertaining, clever or funny about it? Is this what a generational divide feels like?
So many grumpy old farts in these comments. I’m 36 and I found it hilarious.
I’m not so much grumpy as mystified. Why is it funny? Trying to think of things which are humorous, there’s satire/parody, slapstick, wordplay, absurdism… I just don’t get where this fits or what particular aspect people are finding appealing. Is it the silly voice? I don’t get it.
For the record, I love Tom Green too.
Ah. I see. That explains it then.
The thing that I found funny about Damn Daniel is its this ordinary looking kid wearing nothing special and this seemingly obsessed kid just keeps ambushing him and being a fanboy over his ordinary shows like they’re inspired. The kid’s surprised and slightly embarrassed reaction every time he gets worshipped is funny to me.
That last line, well played Patricia.