Hunter Moore has quickly become an enemy of the public following the launch of his controversial, now defunct “revenge porn” website isanyoneup.com. The site’s focus was nude photographs users submitted of their ex-significant others. Moore also included a brief informational sidebar next to the pictures and videos, which could list the home address, Facebook profile or any other potentially incriminating information that he received regarding the unknowing stars of his website. But despite Moore’s obvious lack of concern for how his website affected others, he doesn’t seem to be anything more than a disgruntled, bitter man attempting to take out his anger on the world.
What the website lacked in integrity, it made up for in absolutely nothing, parading around its icy motto, “Pure Evil.” And the website was just that.
Despite receiving countless emails per day describing the personal horror stories that have come as a result of his website, including firings, embarrassment and beyond, Moore still clings to the idea that he is merely a facilitator for the viewing of said pictures; he is not responsible for their creation.
California resident Kayla Laws, one of the website’s victims, said, “I was damaged by it; I just wanted to stay in my room. It just all hit me like a ton of bricks.”
The revenge porn industry has suffered a major blow after Moore was arrested outside his California home in January and charged with various counts of conspiracy and identity theft. Moore’s supporters – and there are many – have not taken this news lightly.
Viewing him as more messiah than miscreant, Moore’s followers have been vocal about their admiration for Moore over the years, taking his blatant disregard for any type of human decency as a representation of an anarchist way of life. Moore’s general devil-may-care attitude for the lives he has ruined over the past four years has garnered quite the following from the sadistic population of the world, leading said population to adorn him with the rather menacing nickname “The Father.”
So which is it? Is Moore a catalyst for positive social change, or is he simply another person trying to earn a fat check? If I had to guess, I would say have to say neither. Moore is simply another frustrated citizen of our world attempting to rise out of the ashes of anonymity and make a name for himself, regardless of what said name is.
Despite the general nonchalant attitude Moore displays with regard to his work, I would like to believe that somewhere inside him exists some semblance of remorse or regret for the embarrassment that he has caused over these past few years.
Is this idea merely wishful thinking? Probably, but it’s fairly evident that Moore’s philosophy is built around contempt for women. The name revenge porn implies that anyone who partakes is attempting to settle some score.
Motives aside, Moore is facing federal charges and his website-running days are all but over. One can only hope that this case prompts lawmakers to make it easier to prosecute other creeps like Moore, protecting the scores of women vulnerable to online exploitation.