The Rare Insults community has 1.8 million members and is ever growing. Previously, Bored Panda reached out to a moderator of the community. Turns out that the subreddit wasn’t an instant hit and grew slowly at first, but after inviting some other moderators, the page caught people’s attention.
And why wouldn’t it, as social media users can be savage but so creative at the same time that you catch yourself agreeing with the insults and laughing because they make sense. The subreddit contains not only celebrity insults but all kinds of witty comments about just random people.
Looking from a linguistic point of view, we know that languages have their own fixed expressions meant to insult someone, but you won't find them in this subreddit, because these comparisons are spontaneous and improvised, expressing a personal point of view. It is reflected in rule 11 of the subreddit that states "Insults from r/RoastMe are not allowed, as people have time to sit and think of clever insults rather than coming up with them in the moment."
Other rules include being nice to each other and not posting hateful insults. After all, insults are expressions that mean disrespect and they can get nasty. But in this community, the insult itself is the main point and not the person at which it is directed or their qualities that are pointed out.
Did you know that you can get in pretty big trouble for insulting people in some countries? For example, The Swedish Criminal Code states, "A person who [...] directs accusation, a derogatory statement or humiliating conduct at another person is, if the act is liable to violate the other person’s self-esteem or dignity, guilty of insulting behaviour and is sentenced to a fine. If the offence is gross, the sentence is a fine or imprisonment for at most six months."
#8 My Favourite Rare Insult Of All Time
What are some of the most creative and rare insults you have ever heard? Or maybe you were the author of the insult? Share them in the comments and don't forget to vote for the insults in this list that are most imaginative and witty.
