YouTube star Logan Paul is trending after he posted a video of himself discovering a dead body in a Japanese “suicide forest.”
Paul and some friends visited the Aokigahara forest at the edge of Mount Fuji, an area that has risen in popularity among people who want to commit suicide. Paul filmed his discovery and later blurred out the face of the dead person before posting it on YouTube for all of his 15 million-plus subscribers to see.
Paul says he intended to help people considering suicide to change their minds. Instead, the video has offended millions. Some are angry that he posted the video to begin with. Others are upset because he and his friends are seen laughing after finding the dead body.
“I didn’t do it for views. I get views,” he said. “I did it because I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity. That’s never the intention.”
Paul has removed the video and apologized. But not everyone is buying it, including members of the VOX ATL teen staff. Here are some reactions to the video.
Alia, 17: I feel like regardless of whether you think it is true or not, if the name of the forest is the “Suicide Forest,” what do you expect? Even if you weren’t expecting to see a victim of suicide, you don’t continue to record and still post the video. At the end of the day he did all of that for views and tried to put disclaimers in the video to make it better. It’s crazy what people do for money nowadays.
Jasmine, 16: It’s because they have a “following” that they always get away with stuff.
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