Controversial Posts on Innocent Subreddits

Written 49-D22 [2017-11-03], Edited 54-F27 [2023-01-03]

A post can end up on a subreddit’s “Controversial” page if it has a lot of activity but roughly equal upvotes and downvotes. Obviously, on a subreddit with a broad range of content, the Controversial page might actually contain some real-world controversy. Political subreddits, which are already inherently controversial, would probably have even more extreme content their Controversial page.

However, I was curious about more innocent, focused subreddits. What posts would earn split opinions on subreddits with a narrow focus on a non-controversial topic? Join me, dear reader, on a trek through the friendly, affable corners of this hive of scum and villainy.

Keep in mind that controversy is determined by the norms of a community. Reading the comments on these posts can often be helpful for understanding why OP was considered so polarizing.

Post titles are prefixed with their position on the “Most Controversial post of all time” page of their subreddit.

/r/aww

Image credit: amayaeguizabal on Pixabay

A subreddit where millions of people collaborate to find cute pictures of babies and small animals. What could possibly be controversial in a community like this?

3: look what my girlfriend made me.

That is one way to describe the situation but I’m sure if OP picked a less roundabout title many a downvote could have been avoided.

4: Rescued this pup…

It is amazing that OP lied multiple times in a single sentence. Truly masterful. The post really caused a bit of comment drama, leading to some debate (read: one-sided shouting) about the true nature and ideals of /r/aww.

None of it was cute.

EDIT 54-F26: obviously a joke lol

15: I’m convinced my friend’s new puppy can break Reddit…

/r/aww just doesn’t get it. Viral marketing skills are much, much more cute than any puppy will ever be! I don’t know about you, but when OP spells out how (s)he’s a cynical karma farmer, it makes my heart flutter.

/r/ImaginaryDragons

Image credit: jes872148 on Pixabay

Sorry dracologists, this subreddit is focused on imaginary dragons only: real dragons need not apply. So what makes a dragon controversial? Poor drawing skills and sultry gazes, most of the time. However there were some dragons on that page which were truly beyond imagining.

4: Elite Dragon…

This dragon is nothing short of majestic. Tough. Agile. Strong. I don’t know why the post has any downvotes at all.

10: Oberon, a Royal Shoulder Dragon UNBOXING…

This video was really informative. It cleared up some of my misconceptions about dragons. I had always assumed that dragons hatched from eggs but it appears that dragon embryos reside in boxes until they are mature enough to sit on shoulders. Futhermore the draconian skeletal system utilizes “pose-able” wire as well as bone. Unfortunately this post was perhaps too real for the imaginary dragon community.

/r/mechanical_gifs

Image credit: stux on Pixabay

It’s usually not the machines that are controversial but the presentation.

1: Lego Rube Goldberg Machine

It’s really great when everything a machine does is summarized in a single GIF. Not a gear nor pulley left to the imagination.

4: How It’s Made: Gears

The explanatory power of the internet is truly astounding. There’s so much knowledge out there, provided in easy to understand formats. We’re blessed, we citizens of the 21st century.

5: Animation of Newton’s Cradle (CSS…

Why would anyone try to make a physically accurate GIF in CSS? Actually, it looks like using another language to generate the CSS might have made this post work.

/r/OddlySatisfying

Image credit: Ash @ModernAfflatus on Pixnio

A relatively large subreddit, focused on pursuing a deep sense of calm through the use of GIFs and JPEGs. Shouldn’t that be antithetical to controversy? Well, think again.

3: A Perfect Split

You know what’s more satisfying than perfection? An appreciation for perfection. That’s why after seeing this GIF, you should peruse the comments.

13: The way this pen ran out of ink

Despite the neat aesthetic, I cannot help but feel bad for the writer in this situation. For more reasons than one, all the neatness was for naught.

/r/pokemon

Image credit: Nintendo, Game Freak

Yes.

3: Keep this post at 666 upvotes and Lord helix will…

…No he won’t, because /r/pokemon didn’t live up to his demands. A demonstration of the mechanics of the “Controversial” rating on Reddit: this was clearly a much loved post, but the whole point was to gather many upvotes and downvotes.

10: …My friends have shunned me…

He found new ones on the internet. /r/aww…

/r/PutAnEggOnIt

Image credit: /r/putaneggonit

Now, if you visit the home page of the subreddit, there’s no indication that a “Controversial” page even exists. But here it is. In fact, even /r/wholesomememes has a hidden controversial page. Amazingly enough, /r/wholesomememes is not narrowly-defined enough to stem the tide of real controversies, unlike /r/PutAnEggOnIt.

Interestingly, the /r/PutAnEggOnIt description states that “You are especially welcome if you’ve been banned from /r/food”. Apparently posts with the phrase “Grilled Cheese” are automatically banned from /r/food. Harsh!

1: Hot chicken sandwich

This post is safe for work but is it safe for life?

2: …Shameless plug, follow my Instagram!

If you think the plug is shameless, wait until you see the name of the Instagram.

/r/Raining

Image credit: veeterzy on Pexels

Believe it or not, this is not the only subreddit focused on weather. Now, precipitation can be annoying, but can it really be controversial?

1: Found on r/furry, but I know you guys will like it

Yes, this post is safe for work: the animal-human hybrids are both fully clothed. They’re sharing a beer though, so whoever is in charge of age-rating pictures of rain should keep that in mind.

This is a real gem. First of all, why would anyone bring furry art to /r/raining? Yes, there is some rain in the background, but that’s clearly not the focus of the image. Secondly, the post title claimed “I know you guys will like it”, but the post ended up being the most controversial raining-related thing on the internet. I hope OP learned to read a crowd after this debacle.

3: Rain

Flawless logic.

14: /r/Raining is creeping me out right now

You know, many people are concerned about the New World Order conspiring to rule over us all, but clearly there are positives to their campaign of surveillance and control. Is there a better time than this to learn about the existence of /r/raining? I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll be swapping out my tinfoil hat for an umbrella, if you know what I mean.