Search the Community

OK it's three months old but I've only just discovered it. Some of you might have missed it too. TDLR: Basically an attention seeking youtuber called KDH goes after a few online personalities on his channel, including Rob Chapman, like some vigilante undercover tabloid journalist. In Chapman's case, KDH claims to have exposed various perceived issues with both Chapman and Chapman Guitars, some of which may have some basis in truth and others didn't (with the benefit of hindsight). Some of the points covered include QC issues and speculation dressed up as sensationalist fact around Chapman moving from Riff City to Guitar Centre as US representatives. Chapman's online following see red and go after KDH like a blood thirsty vigilante mob. Chapman does nothing which is seen by wider internet as an abuse of 'power' after KDH removes said video (but has since reposted it). Chapman issues an apology video which give's Prince Andrew's Epstein interview a run for it's money. Riff City subsequently post their own version of events, after Chapman apparently deletes their response on his vid. Cue every other guitarist-youtuber out there jumps on the band wagon posting reaction videos criticising Chapman for lacking in sincerity and being more than a little economical with the truth, if not bypassing it altogether, particularly around the Riff City thing. KDH subsequently posts a pointed parody of Chapman's apology, checking off every point on a video by Pewdipie on how not to apologise. Chapman can do nothing apart from sucking up the burn and chalking it up to experience. This is the internet ladies and gentlemen, how different things are from 20 years ago. Toss shit about and everyone directly involved gets hit. The rest of the world jumps in on it salaciously, revelling in the smell and texture like it was Chanel face cream. One day my grandkids (IF, and that's a big IF, I survive into my late 70's-80's) are going to wonder what the world was like without internet in the same way I wonder what it was like without TV.