Support NeoGAF

[Horns]

Damn.

 

[mnannola]

Hulk Hogans greatest victory?

 

[kewlmyc]

So is Kotaku pretty much KO'd?

 

[Hot Coldman]

Worth noting Mother Jones fought off a Republican donor who sued them over a "defamation" piece, so there's also precedent for super-rich dickholes to blueballed by the courts when they see an article that upsets them. (Difference being, Mother Jones' reporting was on-point.)

Pretty sure the trial that led to gawkers downfall was about the sextape. Also, even if Peter Thiel is a bad person, his gripe with gawker for outing him seems justified.

This is the unfortunate reality: his entanglement with Gawker/Bollea and the rest of his disgusting life are entirely separate affairs.

 

[RiccochetJ]

What's going to happen to my favorite press sneak fuck?

 

[ANDS]

So is Kotaku pretty much KO'd?

Unlikely. You don't shutter a media group with 44 million visitors.

 

[Cat Party]

People aren't trusting the billionaires, they trust the justice system. Gawker legitimately did some bad stuff.

??? Do you really think that if Gawker had done nothing wrong that the suit would have been successful? It's not like they just choose Gawker out of a hat, Gawker wronged them in a very specific way.

In this thread people are very upset that laws were broken, people/party was sued and justice was served accordingly.

So what happens if Gawker wins on appeal? Do you all then agree that Gawker did nothing wrong?

 

[ReAxion]

Wouldn't Gawker be fine if they had just taken down the video after they were asked to? People might not like millionaires teaming up on an outlet but Gawker still brought this on themselves.

Peter Thiel has publicly stated he's been funding other cases against Gawker. If it wasn't the video, it'd be something else.

 

[Brakke]

A judge told Gawker to take down the sex tape and they refused. It doesn't get more illegal than that.

That's not really how this works. Gawker appealed the injunction and won a stay.

 

[Ty4on]

People aren't trusting the billionaires, they trust the justice system. Gawker legitimately did some bad stuff.

I don't deny that. I'm thinking of the Peter Thiel paying multiple trials and how expensive trials can be in the US even if you're on the right side.

I think patent troll cases that are settled because the process is too expensive show that the justice system is far from flawless.

 

[stufte]

So what happens if Gawker wins on appeal? Do you all then agree that Gawker did nothing wrong?

Then they are vindicated legally, not morally. I'll still think they're a trash site that doesn't deserve to exist.

 

[Johnny Cage In The Shower]

Wasn't there also like a cool Porn (industry) blog part of Gawker Media umbrella?

 

[PantherLotus]

I'd be happy about the end of a shitty littleEmpire, but the truth is the worst at Gawker will find great new jobs elsewhere because they know how to get clicks while the real talent will suffer.

Getting clicks takes real talent. Maybe it's not a talent we want, or love, or is even good for people. But this nonsense that writers that write longer thinkpiece things that people don't (or don't want to) read means they have some greater or more artistic talent is nonsense.

This is at the heart of the 'longer is better' longform drivel where so many writers just masturbate all over the page talking to themselves. Completely undisciplined and easily as repulsive as the uglier stories Gawker ran.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Wasn't there also like a cool Porn (industry) blog part of Gawker Media umbrella?

Fleshbot I think they are still part of it.

 

[Nerokis]

What is the problem? That Gawker did something wrong and has to pay a price for it?

No. I can swallow the idea of there being legal consequences for what Gawker did, although there's a debate to be had about that. The problem is that the lawsuit was put forward with the specific intent to run them out of business, and was bankrolled by a Silicon Valley billionaire with an agenda. Gawker was in a position to be suffocated with damages and legal fees, whereas Peter Thiel and friends would have been fine regardless of the outcome; disproportionate power was used to create a disproportionate punishment.

It's a crude tool for sniffing out bad media practices, and I would prefer not to see it become normalized.

 

[Dartastic]

This is bad and if you can't realize why this is bad I don't know what to tell you. Regardless of what you think about this organization, they are at their core a news organization that just got sued into oblivion by a billionaire with a vendetta. That is bad for journalism and transparency in this country. Period.

 

[Johnny Cage In The Shower]

Fleshbot I think they are still part of it.

Ha! thanks! BRB... Before it goes down...

 

[jstripes]

Ziff Davis?

That's not gonna turn out good for anyone.

 

[funkystudent]

So will Hogan still get his racist dick money?

 

[Demoskinos]

Hulk/Thiel won. This was their endgame.

They never wanted the money, they wanted Gawker dead.

Well yes, but at the same time Hulk REALLY wanted this money. His wife took basically all of his money from his career in the 80's and 90's with their divorce.

 

[espher]

This is bad and if you can't realize why this is bad I don't know what to tell you. Regardless of what you think about this organization, they are at their core a news organization that just got sued into oblivion by a billionaire with a vendetta. That is bad for journalism and transparency in this country. Period.

If they were good for journalism and transparency in 'this' country, they wouldn't have gotten sued into oblivion.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Ha! thanks! BRB... Before it goes down...

Anytime. Gotta research it before it happens.

 

[stufte]

This is bad and if you can't realize why this is bad I don't know what to tell you. Regardless of what you think about this organization, they are at their core a news organization that just got sued into oblivion by a billionaire with a vendetta. That is bad for journalism and transparency in this country. Period.

Lol Gawker is a news organization just about as much as the National Enquirer is.

 

[And_Gignac]

No one should have the power to singlehandedly destroy a media outlet tbh. Specially not fucking Hulk Hogan.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

This is bad and if you can't realize why this is bad I don't know what to tell you. Regardless of what you think about this organization, they are at their core a news organization that just got sued into oblivion by a billionaire with a vendetta. That is bad for journalism and transparency in this country. Period.

Yes, when you ignore any and all context, it sounds terrible. Good point.

 

[Jacksinthe]

I feel for everyone that works there.

Hope Jason makes it largely unscathed.

 

[BronsonLee]

Well yes, but at the same time Hulk REALLY wanted this money. His wife took basically all of his money from his career in the 80's and 90's with their divorce.

If he had actually wanted money, he would've pushed for a settlement, and not kicked out Gawker's insurance company as a co-defendant

 

[wesleyshark]

Then they are vindicated legally, not morally. I'll still think they're a trash site that doesn't deserve to exist.

This.

 

[Akuun]

I'm glad that the shitty asshole heads at Gawker got what they deserved, but I feel bad for the innocent people losing their jobs over this. Hopefully they can form a better studio themselves or land on their feet in some way.

 

[FyreWulff]

if there was only a way to make hogan AND the tabloid rag both lose

 

[andythinkpad]

The whole business will be bought, money will go to Hulk Hogan. It's a win-win.

 

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

No one should have the power to singlehandedly destroy a media outlet tbh. Specially not fucking Hulk Hogan.

TBF it took 2 people and a team of lawyers and AJ Daulerio helped too

 

[Ninja Scooter]

No one should have the power to singlehandedly destroy a media outlet tbh. Specially not fucking Hulk Hogan.

Nobody is destroying them singlehandedly. They are going bankrupt because they are out of money. They are out of money because they made stupid decisions. Welcome to the wonderful world of capitalism.

 

[wesleyshark]

The whole business will be bought, money will go to Hulk Hogan. It's a win-win.

Sounds like they could be bought by the folks who own IGN.

Lol

 

[Brakke]

One of the complicated things about this case is that if Gawker do ultimately lose, it'll be because of process and not necessarily because of merits. When they appealed the court's injunction to take down their article, they *soundly* won that battle in the appeals court on First Amendment grounds. There's a solid chance they'll get this verdict overturned or diminished if they manage to appeal, it's just that the path to appeal is complicated.

Hulkster definitely benefitted from some home field advantage here. The case was tried in the wrong court, and Gawker might not be able to navigate the process to get it into the right court.

 

[BronsonLee]

TBF it took 2 people and a team of lawyers and AJ Daulerio helped too

I'm still dying at AJ being quite possibly the dumbest motherfucker to ever take the stand in the history of civil trials

Holy SHIT

 

[ANDS]

This is bad and if you can't realize why this is bad I don't know what to tell you. Regardless of what you think about this organization, they are at their core a news organization that just got sued into oblivion by a billionaire with a vendetta. That is bad for journalism and transparency in this country. Period.

What was newsworthy about HH sex tape? About the treasury secretaries brothers sex life? About the sex life of Thiel?

Journalism isn't harmed here, in the slightest because the news is still protected.

 

[Johnny Cage In The Shower]

TBF it took 2 people and a team of lawyers and AJ Daulerio helped too

Jesus!! just Googled "AJ Daulerio" now I need to go take a shower!

 

[Dennis]

Lol Gawker is a news organization just about as much as the National Enquirer is.

omg Hillary is in a bad way

 

[ReAxion]

Lol Gawker is a news organization just about as much as the National Enquirer is.

Every other news organization doesn't seem to think so when sourcing their scoops.

 

[wesleyshark]

Where will Millennials get their opinions now?

The dumpster, from where they get everything else.

 

[ANDS]

Every other news organization doesn't seem to think so when sourcing their scoops.

So if a person ducks up it's OK so long as they've done more good than harm? And by duck up I mean play fast and loose with what and whom is newsworthy?

 

[Johnny Cage In The Shower]

Every other news organization doesn't seem to think so when sourcing their scoops.

This is like linking a site made by Bill Cosby's lawyers explaining why he isn't just a sexual assaulter, he has brought us countless hours of comedy and entertainment throughout the years, thus he should be pardoned of all his mischievous deeds.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I know no one cares about freedom of speech in the real world and that "free speech" is just used as a cudgel against minorities getting mad at you, but this thread still seems like a weird thread. Gawker is a terrible site and I'm fine with Thiel getting revenge, but laws should probably be enacted to stop billionaires from funding lawsuits with the sole purpose of financially ruining a media outlet.

 

[Toxi]

Hulk Hogan's not a millionaire, Hulk Hogan's broke.

Hulk Hogan sure as hell ain't broke now.

 

[ANDS]

I know no one cares about freedom of speech in the real world and that "free speech" is just used as a cudgel against minorities getting mad at you, but this thread still seems like a weird thread. Gawker is a terrible site and I'm fine with Thiel getting revenge, but laws should probably be enacted to stop billionaires from funding lawsuits with the sole purpose of financially ruining a media outlet.

I like how you talk about freedom of speech and then advocate limiting that speech in a sense.

And there is a reason Thiel had to wait this long.

 

[ReAxion]

So if a person ducks up it's OK so long as they've done more good than harm? And by duck up I mean play fast and loose with what and whom is newsworthy?

You don't think it's weird to begin a line of assuming questioning like this when I merely refuted the fact that Gawker isn't like the National Inquirer, with proof?

This is like linking a site made by Bill Cosby's lawyers explaining why he isn't just a sexual assaulter, he has brought us countless hours of comedy and entertainment throughout the years, thus he should be pardoned of all his mischievous deeds.

I said they're not the National Inquirer lol - you have made some leaps here.

 

[High Fry Frow]

I know no one cares about freedom of speech in the real world and that "free speech" is just used as a cudgel against minorities getting mad at you, but this thread still seems like a weird thread. Gawker is a terrible site and I'm fine with Thiel getting revenge, but laws should probably be enacted to stop billionaires from funding lawsuits with the sole purpose of financially ruining a media outlet.

The most reasonable post ITT.

Also pretty funny to me that Hogan was spited and verbally sent to hell by Gaf when it came out that he was a massive racist, but everyone is patting him on the back today.

 

[Johnny Cage In The Shower]

I said they're not the National Inquirer lol - you have made some leaps here.

I just wished you linked a source that was not written by the subject itself, proving they are not like the National Inquirer.

 

[Kinyou]

I don't deny that. I'm thinking of the Peter Thiel paying multiple trials and how expensive trials can be in the US even if you're on the right side.

I think patent troll cases that are settled because the process is too expensive show that the justice system is far from flawless.

While that's a problem, Gawker didn't fail here because of legal fees. This actually went to trial and they lost