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What's the deal with Reddit and Zelensky? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 2 days ago by selokichtli@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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Just that. Someone uploaded this photo of Zelensky allegedly taking a selfie in Kupiansk, which is supposed to be a city already taken by Russian forces. I am not really informed of the situation in Kupiansk, but this is not the issue for me.

In the Politics subreddit, where this was published, the comments are overwhelmingly pro Ukraine, which, well, checks out. But what I find kind of trollish, are the comments surrounding Zelenksy. It's like reading the five-star comments of the Google Play Services app in the Play Store, or something. They repeatedly talk about how big and glorious are Zelensky's balls? Praising his balls, even though, he is a smaller guy? They praise the bold actions of Zelensky calling him a European hero, imagining his heroic dialogues as in some cheap hollywood movie, etc. To me, it just feels utterly fake? I mean, AI fake.

What do you make of this, guys? Please, remember, it's not about the conflict itself.

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[-] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 5 points 14 hours ago

The article I read which had this photo featured stated that Putin had invited a bunch of reporters to Kupiansk to see how the Russian forces had surrounded the city.

Then Zelensky went there and took this photo to be like "oh no, Russia has this place surrounded? I would have never known"

No Idea if that's true, but that's the gist I took away from that post.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 hours ago

Therefore the balls, it figures. Some other comment includes a song by Primus vocalist from three years ago, unashamedly titled "Zelensky, the man with the iron balls". And yeah, this trend of talking about his balls, I remember it started several years ago, but it amazes me right now, after years of war and loss.

[-] HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago

I don't doubt a lot of the hype around Zelenskyy specifically is some psyop.

That being said, Ukraine is objectively the victim of Russian aggression and facing a genocidal war of aggression from Russia.

I see supporting Ukraine as the most pro-democracy, pro-proletariat position.

Russia is a fascist oligarchy sending immigrants and kidnapped folks (like those from India) to go commit atrocities and die for Putin's imperial ambitions.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 hour ago

As a Mexican, I just can't see a prodemocratic side on this, neither an anti-imperialist one. Ukraine chose a side and tried to exercise its sovereignty measuring the forces around itself, but all I saw was NATO, the CIA, with a collaborationist government destabilization op, a textbook one by the American empire. We'd never do that to them, it is not fair, but the gigantic power of our neighbor is real. Here, a prospect of president like Zelensky, talking about taking California back with the military aid of BRICS (it's hypothetical, I know they are not a military organization), would be treated like the looney they are.

Other than this, the claim of a genocidal war you mention, seem unsubstantiated, but, as I pointed out, the conflict itself is not the focus of this post.

[-] Finalsolo963@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 22 hours ago

I refuse to believe the default subs in reddit aren't dominated by bots. There's still good content in the niche subs, but I stay far away from any of the big ones, it's all LLM generated ragebait.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 2 points 22 hours ago

I don't have a Reddit account. It's hard to navigate today's Reddit niche subs without one. Also, I don't care enough to somehow circumvent this problem, nevertheless, I think you're right and niche subs out of the mainstream are probably doing fine.

[-] Finalsolo963@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 13 hours ago

That's valid. I'm in the process of ditching the site entirely, but, yaknow, network effect, especially for the more niche stuff.

[-] bobbyfiend@lemmy.ml 4 points 21 hours ago

Wow. This forum.

"Ukraine has corruption so..." (Implied: the US should let Russia invade and annex them)

"Russia and the US have some details in common if you blur your eyes so they are morally and politically identical"

"Zelensky sucks"

"How can anyone know what truth is in this topsy-turvy world?"

[-] linkerbaan@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago

Reddit bans anyone not sucking off Zelensky so the echo chamber creates itself. Mods gladly self censor they do not even get paid for it.

[-] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 day ago

If you only stick to the big media points, he seems a pretty heroic figure, still standing after getting invaded by one of the world's superpowers (inb4 corrections and shit - Russia is the big bad in basically any modern conflict film. We're talking layman optics here).

[-] chremylus@lemmy.imontheweb.net 1 points 18 hours ago

This was 3yrs ago: https://youtu.be/BowjATQloVA

[-] TankieTanuki@hexbear.net 29 points 1 day ago

Reddit is a psyop run by feds and advertisers

[-] tonyn@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

That's not how selfies work, but it's exactly the type of thing you get when you prompt an image generator for someone taking a selfie. Just saying.

[-] davel@lemmy.ml 54 points 1 day ago

Not all of it is organic. In 2013, the city “most addicted to Reddit” was a US air force base that houses “offensive cyberspace operations.” Presumably they use VPNs to obscure their location nowadays.

Archive of Reddit blog entry: Get ready for Global reddit Meetup Day, plus some stats about top reddit cities and languages.

DuckDuckGo search: “eglin air force base cyberspace”

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 18 points 1 day ago

Not all of any social media, including Reddit but also fediverse, is going to be organic. Not that that means the general sentiments aren't real.

[-] TankieTanuki@hexbear.net 8 points 1 day ago

Reddit's policy director is CIA agent

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[-] davel@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 day ago

The organic sentiments are real, but they’re also manipulated by inorganic “offensive cyberspace operations.”

For example: A Reddit AMA Claiming To Be A Uyghur Quickly Exposes A CIA Asset Slandering China

Previously.

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[-] digdilem@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago

"Truth is the first casualty of war"

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

Sure, but in this case? How "truth" becomes a casualty by putting an army of bots and trolls in a competition to praise Zelensky's balls? That's what I think it's happening. I find it really sad, that they are not praising his strategies, his leadership, or statesmanship.

[-] digdilem@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

My point is that you don't know the actual truth. Nor do I. We can't.

Bots and paid agents are not a new technique - in ancient times, countries would send spies undercover into enemy territory to sow discord. To rabble rouse and change public opinion. It's the same now, just the tools have changed. No news source is entirely unbiased, even word of mouth is influenced. The only way you can determine the truth is by seeing it with your own, naked eyes. And even then, your own personal bias can change the context.

Reddit is a platform where its' easy to get the ears of a lot of people, so it's a big target. It's not Reddit's fault, and Lemmy would suffer exactly the same if we had the numbers they do.

What is different now on the world stage, mostly thanks to Trump, is that there's no longer even any pretence to truth. The most powerful person in the world lies constantly, and his example proves that works. No shame, no integrity, no honesty - just lies and crude manipulation.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 2 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

We can't know the truth, we can agree on that. But I don't need to, I'm not a religious person or an old school philosopher. At least, I know I'm not actively trying to manipulate anyone else, that's good enough for me. That Trump is not helping me know more about the real world is something I'm convinced about because, as you know, he lies as he breathes.

About Reddit, they are not an innocent party being played. They are collaborators of corrupt, powerful people. I could respect they denouncing these forces, or at least shutting down; whatever they are doing right now, I can't. Some Lemmy instances are ideologically charged, but that's fine.

[-] janNatan@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 day ago

You seem to have gotten several decent answers that you've dismissed. Do you just wanna talk about balls, OP? Because, I'm something of an expert on them.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago

What are you talking about? You can write your own post, or even create a community, to talk about testicles, so-called bravery, and or all kinds of balls. I've read the answers, not dismissed anything.

[-] sunbeam60@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago

<munching_popcorn.gif>

[-] DelgadoSlims@hexbear.net 28 points 1 day ago

As a dedicated materialist, I will find a way to accurately measure Zelensky's testicles

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That's not gonna settle anything. Someone here felt the need to explain to me that praising the balls of someone, even a woman, it's seen as a mean to praise bravery. No need to measure Zelensky's balls unless, of course, for science.

[-] RiverRock@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Reddit loves having a singular figure to make the focus of an overly simplistic epic bacon mythology, and they've already run Teddy Roosevelt and Chuck Norris into the ground

[-] einkorn@feddit.org 29 points 2 days ago

Well, I guess compared to the average world leader who sits comfy behind their desk all day, it might seem somewhat strange to see a leader out in the field. (Pun intended)

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 17 points 1 day ago

ukraine like it or not is the underdog but with some big indirect backing that has been very tepid in committing. The fact the war is still going with little real progess by the invader in this situation is amazing. Praising balls in this type of situation is common. Balls are even used with females with big and brass being the most common adjectives.

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[-] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 days ago

His flak jacket is too small

[-] davel@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 day ago

Presumably because he borrowed someone else’s for a selfie shot.

[-] MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

He refused to leave the plane without a real soldier jacket and all they had around to spare was a women's size.

I'm just kidding, could you even imagine a high ranking government official being that childish and insecure?

[-] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 23 hours ago

I truly wish we couldn't.

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this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2025
28 points (62.5% liked)

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