Summary
Photos taken in private then exploited online for the whole world to see — one mother’s fight for justice is remarkable and admirable.
This review of The Most Hated Man on the Internet is spoiler-free.
Netflix has another jaw-dropping crime docuseries available for streaming. This one has the long, gripping title The Most Hated Man on the Internet. Over three one-hour-long episodes, we follow the story of Hunter Moore, who was a self-proclaimed “professional life ruiner” and “king of revenge porn” who found fame in the early 2010s by founding the revenge porn site ‘IsAnyoneUp.com’. Produced by Alex Marengo, known for Bad Sport and Killer Ratings, this is not a docuseries to miss. It’s captivating, and definitely a talking piece. I found it fascinating and frustrating; what people can be capable of and get away with.
On his website, Moore would post explicit photos of both men and women, more often than not without their permission, which lead to the victims getting abused on and offline. Hunter and many others have the power to ruin someone’s life with just one click, which is the terrifying truth of the power that people can have on the internet. This site took off when smartphones were emerging, Moore was probably one of the first internet trolls. Many people visited his site, which led him to gather a mass following, becoming a revenge porn influencer, which led to him earning a Rolling Stone title “Most Hated Man on the Internet”. A title that probably fuelled his ego.
Viewers are given exclusive, sensitive interviews with the victims, survivors, families of the victims, law enforcement, and journalists, and we see their journey on how they fought to have this site and images taken down. We hear accounts from Moore’s ex-girlfriend and his lawyer, which are short but sweet, to say the least. There are many videos from Hunter’s YouTube, where in one he states “he can make money off titties and f*cking people over” — as you watch and listen you quickly realize that Moore wasn’t hiding, he was proud. He wanted fame, he wanted notoriety, he wanted drama. He used people and exploited them at their most vulnerable, to soothe his ego. Luckily, this series doesn’t add to that. There is a lot about who Hunter is and why he was the way he was, but this series is more focused on one mother’s fight to bring him to justice and have her daughter’s images taken down. I one-hundred-percent want to high-five this woman, for her strength, and her drive in this series. Not only does she finally get the nudes of her daughter taken off the internet, but she doesn’t stop helping everyone else on that website and trying to take Moore down. This is eventually taken out of her hands and passionate workers in the FBI continue their investigation. However, this is too slow for some people. We owe a lot to an anti-bullying activist who gets involved and drives this series in another dramatic direction.
This documentary series is again showcasing how women (and men) are victimized, criticized, and then punished for having a sex drive, for having a sex life. How the victims are blamed and criticized for their choices when the perpetrators are seen as innocent. Posting nude photos of people for revenge is a vicious attack on women, and sites like this have to be removed. Unfortunately, the internet comes down to numbers; the more likes you have, the more famous you are, and we see how people will do anything and everything to have their fifteen minutes of fame. With the success of recent websites like OnlyFans people can show themselves and make money, which is their decision. Revenge porn sites take that choice away from people and chaos is caused.
Overall this documentary is an excellent watch. A dramatic story, with multiple turns, multiple victims, and mass people involved. This story is still relevant as it’s still a big fear many have online — someone taking our photos and using them against us, especially in the form of blackmail. People should be able to take personal photos and not be exploited on the internet, but with sick, twisted individuals like Hunter Moore, we will never be safe online. Personally, as someone who has been hacked, stories like this really resonate. Hopefully series like this will have a positive impact in showing that we must have strict rules online, better safety precautions, and to let people know, that if you have been hacked or victimized, you are not alone. I highly recommend watching.
