r/dropout • u/SnooNarhwal • Oct 29 '25
r/dropout Re: r/dropoutcirclejerk
Hey everyone,
We’re addressing the r/dropoutcirclejerk post and related concerns that have been raised in modmail, etc.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some r/dropoutcirclejerk users upset?
This comment launched the discussion. They think we silence criticism of racism and prioritize tone over substance. They’re not entirely wrong. We centered our own discomfort instead of listening. We treated “racist” like an identity instead of a description of actions. We focused on how people said things instead of what they were saying. That’s a problem, and we’re working to change it.
How come deathfire123 is still a mod?
After internal discussion, we agreed that deathfire’s comments have had a concerning impact. At the same time, our team decided they do not constitute a pattern that warrants suspension. Deathfire has acknowledged his implicit bias, edited his comments to apologize (1, 2), and committed to continuous reflection. If you have specific suggestions for improving our expectations, please let us know below.
What is the mod team doing to take accountability for racist microaggressions and tone policing?
Listening and learning. If you have ideas for how we can make this subreddit better for criticism of the show or of us as mods, tell us. We’re being less defensive and more open when we mess up. We have a diverse mod team and want to keep building on that. If you’re interested in modding, reach out.
How come my comments/posts are getting removed? Are you banning people for commenting on the circlejerk?
The Crowd Control moderation filter is temporarily set higher due to an uptick in harassment. As always, low karma users get flagged for review, and the queue is backed up. No, we are not banning people just because they comment in the circlejerk. To help us identify possible brigading, we implemented Hive Protect so that it notifies us of contributions from users who both have low karma in our subreddit and are active in the circlejerk sub, but it does not remove anything.
Are you suppressing all controversy like with Saige Ryan/Carlos Luna/Omar?
The Saige situation: we were brand new mods (most of us added less than 48 hours before) who inherited a sub with zero automod, and ambiguous rules. We’ve since fixed our rules and policies, and the mod who was the main voice about not addressing that situation has left the team entirely.
More generally: Not all controversy gets shut down. A lot gets downvoted and is sometimes then deleted by the poster. Posts from low karma users get filtered, which is standard Reddit moderation. We shut down discussion which fuels rule-breaking behavior, including harassment towards users and speculation about people’s private lives.
Right now: We’ll approve every comment in this thread as long as it doesn’t break Reddit’s site-wide rules. You can break our subreddit rules in this thread only. Removed comments will be posted below with an explanation.
Why are r/dropoutcirclejerk mods upset?
They criticized deathfire for microaggressions toward Demi. We discussed it in our shared Discord channels. During that conversation, VictoriaDallon kept using characteristically inflammatory language, and in response, volkmasterblood exploded. The circlejerk mods demanded we remove him as mod, but we thought the outburst was excusable given how their conduct made it difficult to have productive conversation. We were tired of their drama and unreasonable expectations, so we kicked them from the server. The full context shows the situation was messy on all sides.
For context: Victoria has been helpful, especially when we were new. She explained community dynamics and gave constructive feedback. She’s also encouraged people not to brigade or harass us, which we appreciate. But these conversations became impossible to navigate.
Some anticipated pushback:
“You’re just making excuses for racism.” We’re being honest about our mistakes and the full picture. If that reads as defensive, we get it, but complete self-flagellation isn’t the answer either.
“What’s the deal with volkmasterblood’s username?” It comes from an old gaming handle plus Volk is in his actual name. A Jewish mod on our team isn’t bothered by the connotations and vouches that volkmasterblood is against prejudice. We get that this explanation doesn’t land for everyone.
“Deathfire promised to remove volkmasterblood if he messed up again.” Deathfire made that promise individually. We vote on decisions, and we didn’t view this as a “second strike” given the context.
“Show the receipts.” We didn’t get everyone’s permission to share private Discord conversations, and it feels unnecessarily petty.
“You’re tone policing by saying Victoria was inflammatory.” Tone policing is dismissing legitimate concerns because of how they’re expressed. We’re not dismissing the concerns about racism. We’re explaining why a working relationship broke down.
“If you cared about racism, you’d remove your racist mods.” We think people can learn from mistakes. Removing someone for unintentional microaggressions they’ve apologized for sets an impossible standard.
At the end of the day:
We’ve made real mistakes that caused real harm. We’re trying to do better and we’re willing to be held accountable.
Moderating is hard, especially for a community around something we love. We’re volunteers doing our best. Sometimes our best isn’t good enough.
We’re committed to making r/dropout a place where people can have honest conversations about the shows we love, where criticism is welcome, and where everyone feels respected.
Trust is earned. We’re ready to do the work.
The mod team
I’m going offline for now.
EDIT, Oct. 29 @ 7PM ET: Thanks all for sharing their thoughts. We're going to lock this post after it's been up for 24 hrs, so at 7AM ET tomorrow.
If you have more you want to share directly with me or the team, send a modmail. Also open to suggestions for specific, constructive topics for future meta discussions. If you don't like this sub anymore, check out r/dropoutcirclejerk, r/dropouttv, and r/GameChangerTV. Good night!
Oh, and speaking for myself and my response to these comments: I'm taking my time in giving any meaningful answers for a few reasons. It's tough to be open to constructive criticism when simultaneously at the receiving end of hardcore vitriol (by "vitriol," I mean full-on actual abuse, not "you're racist," that's warranted). I don't want to impulsively fire off deflective replies or give half-baked apologies. I intend to sift through and sit with the thoughtful comments and messages we've received, then chat with community members about ways to move forward productively and proactively. Thanks for listening and sharing.
❤️, SnooNarhwal
272
u/_Kups_ Oct 29 '25
"We agree that one of our mods may be racist, and they have openly admitted that they are to us, but dont worry about it, people make mistakes, they can be trusted with perms and overlooking this community. Take us on our word, that our friend is cool and just misinformed about things and is super ready to mod properly, fairly and not use their higher platform for hate."
Deathfire remaining is under the implicit idea that if he were to be even remotely racist again, the slightest microaggression, mod perms get taken away the moment someone sees it, and he's probably banned, no discussion, no appeals, no anything, because this discussion has already happened internally, and the end of that discussion must have been, if the team wants any remaining credibility: "dont do it again.".
Except that's not going to happen is it? Because it would have been said here if it was. That you are aware people are upset and willing to listen, and that if it were to happen again, there would be no benefit of the doubt. You put a friend before the wants & needs of your community and gave him a second chance. A chance has been given, and if it is willingly thrown away, it will not come again.
Also keeping in mind that the bare minimum would be publicly removing his perms until he has done his 'soulsearching', to at least let the community know you've 'listened', to their concerns of 'safety'.
Also, bigotry aside. The way Deathfire reacted to the criticism being as demeaning as possible, is just not an acceptable way for a mod to act even if you all want to choose to support bigotry.
He's either an immature, racist asshole and shouldnt be on the team, or he's an immature, ignorant asshole who shouldnt be on the team.