Pegenau Builders of Michigan has gone to great lengths to make a business advertisement that also serves as a political statement: handmade gallows. Needless to say, such a controversial structure was bound to draw attention, which it successfully did, and thousands of online users weren’t too happy. From Facebook users review-bombing the business to Redditors shaming the owner, Pegenau Builders has intentionally put a target on itself that it’s ready to defend.
Tom Pegenau, a self-proclaimed “comedian” and spokesperson for Pegenau Builders, has responded to much of the backlash coming from Facebook reviews over what users call a “lynching set.” He responded to the hate, telling people to “wake up,” saying, “How do u feel about billionaires monopolizing and making u work forever?”
Facebook Reviews Slammed the Business, Condemning the Noose
Facebook reviewers were very harsh on Pegenau, calling him a racist and warning others not to give Pegenau Builders any business. “The noose is not just a word. It is a symbol of violent hatred,” pointed out a Facebook reviewer. “Any business that displays it is a business that deserves to have that business shut down.” Another accused Pegenau of threatening the local community with “racist right-wing hate.”
A driver passing by who goes by Urbanskiman88 on Reddit couldn’t believe their eyes and shared a photo of the noose on r/pics, where thousands were shocked that someone would consider building such a thing. “This points out the real Trump Derangement Syndrome,” remarked a commenter. “Someone took the time and money to build that instead of joining Habitat for Humanity,” a second person sighed.
Others wondered how Tom Pegenau could face his community, let alone his friends and family, after doing something as politically bold and outrageous as this. “The arrogance and pride this person must have AND even more broken inside,” remarked a Redditor.
This noose wasn’t a sudden pop-up surprise either, as Pegenau Builders streamed the process of building the noose stand on YouTube under the channel @ThisMFINGuy. While he received plenty of hate after the fact, Pegenau also had some followers who felt as though they understood his message, commenting with ‘salute’ emojis or defending him on Facebook, with statements like “He’s simply sick of corrupt government stealing our tax dollars.”
