Starwars kid takes a dark turn
23 July 2003, 02:36 PM
#1
A video featuring a Quebec teenager's acrobatic battle moves has become the latest Internet sensation and a source of guffaws for millions. Ghyslain Raza, now better know as the Star Wars Kid, isn't laughing.
Trois-Rivieres, Quebec is hardly a galaxy far, far away, but the city is the unlikely home of a very reluctant Jedi Knight.
Raza, 15, shot a video of himself for a school project -- a mock sword fight intended for viewing by a handful of people.
But a few of his classmates uploaded it to the Internet, and within days it had been doctored to look like a scene from Star Wars.
Millions have watched the video, including many people in Trois-Rivieres.
"He makes a fool of himself anyway. You see the guy, you say 'Oh God,'" says CyberCafe owner Luc Sirois.
The story made it into numerous publications worldwide, including the New York Times. Now it has landed in court.
The four students who allegedly put the video on the Internet are facing a $250,000 lawsuit. It claims Raza has suffered "harassment," "ridicule" and "persecution" at school and in the public at large.
Raza ended up leaving high school and finishing his year in the psychiatric wing of a local hospital.
An employee of Raza's old school says the pressure on the young man was intolerable.
"When 500 people laugh at you every noon when you walk into the cafeteria, it can't be easy," says Rafael Jacob.
And in cyberspace it's not easy keeping a low profile once you get linked to Star Wars.
"Star Wars is one of the biggest virtual communities. There are millions of fans. So take this kid, put it together with Star Wars and bingo, it's a hit," says Internet consultant Francois Charron.
It's also eliciting some sympathy. There's an online petition asking Lucasfilm to give the Star Wars Kid a cameo in the next installment of the film.
"... this poor kid is living the nightmare of having his private dorkiness projected across the world to giggling Web users," it reads.
All the result of an encounter with the dark side of the Internet.
With a report from CTV's Jed Kahane
Taken from : http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
Trois-Rivieres, Quebec is hardly a galaxy far, far away, but the city is the unlikely home of a very reluctant Jedi Knight.
Raza, 15, shot a video of himself for a school project -- a mock sword fight intended for viewing by a handful of people.
But a few of his classmates uploaded it to the Internet, and within days it had been doctored to look like a scene from Star Wars.
Millions have watched the video, including many people in Trois-Rivieres.
"He makes a fool of himself anyway. You see the guy, you say 'Oh God,'" says CyberCafe owner Luc Sirois.
The story made it into numerous publications worldwide, including the New York Times. Now it has landed in court.
The four students who allegedly put the video on the Internet are facing a $250,000 lawsuit. It claims Raza has suffered "harassment," "ridicule" and "persecution" at school and in the public at large.
Raza ended up leaving high school and finishing his year in the psychiatric wing of a local hospital.
An employee of Raza's old school says the pressure on the young man was intolerable.
"When 500 people laugh at you every noon when you walk into the cafeteria, it can't be easy," says Rafael Jacob.
And in cyberspace it's not easy keeping a low profile once you get linked to Star Wars.
"Star Wars is one of the biggest virtual communities. There are millions of fans. So take this kid, put it together with Star Wars and bingo, it's a hit," says Internet consultant Francois Charron.
It's also eliciting some sympathy. There's an online petition asking Lucasfilm to give the Star Wars Kid a cameo in the next installment of the film.
"... this poor kid is living the nightmare of having his private dorkiness projected across the world to giggling Web users," it reads.
All the result of an encounter with the dark side of the Internet.
With a report from CTV's Jed Kahane
Taken from : http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
23 July 2003, 02:43 PM
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23 July 2003, 03:56 PM
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At the end of the day he is a fat, bloaty, billy no mates, who will end up in a tower block somewhere with a sniper rifle 10 years from now having eaten his own weight in lard and Dunkin Donuts.
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23 July 2003, 03:57 PM
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"Use the 
Luke"
No SIAL, juse felt the saying fitted with the subject
Hell if I got that popular from something like that I'd milk it.
Mind you, I am aoubt 10000% better looking that that geek!
Luke"No SIAL, juse felt the saying fitted with the subject
Hell if I got that popular from something like that I'd milk it.
Mind you, I am aoubt 10000% better looking that that geek!
23 July 2003, 04:06 PM
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Daiscooby - given some people's post counts on scoobynet, and all the recent discussions about Atkins, you could probably say the same about quite a lot of regulars on here.
23 July 2003, 04:56 PM
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Brendan Hughes
Good point, well presented, and probably correct about the sniper rifle with some of the fragile mental states floating about as well
Good point, well presented, and probably correct about the sniper rifle with some of the fragile mental states floating about as well
24 July 2003, 08:12 AM
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If you do a bit of diggin about on the internet he's had quite a few donations and made a bit of money from this.
Have any of you lot not done something stupid and been found out for it! I thinks it really funny and a great laugh, but im laughing because ive done similar things and know what its like. I dont think its that nice of you to slag him off, even if he is unlikley to ever read this.
Hail Star Wars Kid master of the Internet Geeks (Of which im one, and so are you lot)
Flame me if you want.
Jono
Have any of you lot not done something stupid and been found out for it! I thinks it really funny and a great laugh, but im laughing because ive done similar things and know what its like. I dont think its that nice of you to slag him off, even if he is unlikley to ever read this.
Hail Star Wars Kid master of the Internet Geeks (Of which im one, and so are you lot)
Flame me if you want.
Jono
24 July 2003, 08:41 AM
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Hello
I saw the original a long time ago. I haven't seen the remixes though. They are really funny.
I can understand why he is upset though. Wouldn't you be mortified if you have been laughed at so many times?
Steve.
I saw the original a long time ago. I haven't seen the remixes though. They are really funny.
I can understand why he is upset though. Wouldn't you be mortified if you have been laughed at so many times?
Steve.
24 July 2003, 11:04 AM
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he fcuked up pure and simple. showing it to a bunch of his 15 yr old mates was the start of a slippery slope. what did he think computer literate, 15yr old boys where gonna do with it ffs.
harsh i know but he only has himself to blame
cheers
big sinky
harsh i know but he only has himself to blame
cheers
big sinky
24 July 2003, 02:02 PM
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Oi! Brendan! you talking about someone like me eh? 
<looks for sniper rifle>
Typical Canadian, but then he does live in Quebec so it could be the french influence on him bwahahahah
<The French is strong with this one>
<Feel the farce luke!>
<looks for sniper rifle>
Typical Canadian, but then he does live in Quebec so it could be the french influence on him
bwahahahah<The French is strong with this one>
<Feel the farce luke!>
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