A cancer patient from Louisiana traveled to New York to get a brand-new wig. Happy with the result, commenters were particularly mean to her, as the internet usually is. Mocking was almost universal, and the woman decided to speak out following the viral wig clip.
The clip that triggered the whole online incident was shared by Shani Wigs, a luxury brand of custom-made wigs. Rylie Kuyper, a cancer patient, was the video’s protagonist, and the post quickly went viral, garnering 5.3 million views, 219,700 likes, and more than 1,300 comments. In less than a day, it became one of Shani Wigs’ biggest ever.
The video featuring the Louisiana woman explained wig placement. A Shani Wigs employee measured the distance from Rylie’s nose to chin, eyebrow to nose, and wig to eyebrow, then placed her wig accordingly. A happy Rylie was seen smiling from eye to eye as her blonde wig was ready to go.
Many viewers, however, soon began mocking Rylie and her wig. While most of the bullying comments were apparently deleted promptly, some remain. Mostly, users focused on Rylie’s forehead, telling Shani Wigs to place the wig lower.
‘Get Off Your Phone’
Following the debacle, Rylie herself, with the wig off, shared a video of her own. “People are so mean,” she said, as she addressed the comments in Shani Wigs’ clip. She called the bullying backhanded and rude, and revealed that she needed the wig for a medical reason: cancer.
“I’m mad at people’s ugliness, because if someone is getting a wig, it’s probably not because they necessarily want to,” Rylie said. “It’s either for religious reasons or medical reasons. My medical reason being cancer.”
The Louisiana woman also pointed out that some commenters went as far as making fun of her radiation mark right below her neck. She also said some viewers called her Megamind and Humpty Dumpty, and expressed frustration that Shiny Wigs received such negativity in their video.
“Get off your phone,” she told the commenters. “You’re not putting anything good in the world, and you’re not gonna fix anything by doing that. […] I guess I just have a big forehead. And if anyone has a problem with that? Just be lucky you’re not dating me, or you’re not my family or friend, so you don’t have to look at it all the time.”
Reactions
Rylie’s response sparked many reactions, some from viewers who commented on her video as well as Shani Wigs’. One said, “Some people suck and hide behind screens to be mean.” Another one commented, “You’re beautiful. I don’t understand the negativity.”
Others took issue with Shani Wigs apparently failing to delete negative comments at first. One wrote, “I block brands that don’t moderate their comment sections.” Another one added, “Shani should’ve turned comments off the second they started to turn negative.”
Rylie’s video seemed to work marvelously. Shani’s clip was overwhelmed with supportive comments, some of which criticized the bullying and called users out directly.
