This past Sunday on October 21st, the world was shocked to find racially insensitive and overall disparaging tweets from none other than Brother Nature.
The 20-year-old social media star, whose real name is Kelvin Pena, was the number one trending topic worldwide on Monday as all 1.56 million of his Twitter followers saw tweets that resurfaced from 2012 calling Jay-Z a monkey, praising Hitler, stating white power and more.
Social media star ‘Brother Nature’ makes his Twitter account private after old racist/sexist tweets surface online. He is now the #1 trending topic worldwide. pic.twitter.com/GuS0GBchyd
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 21, 2018
What had started off as just funny commentary while feeding friendly deer, ended up in Lyft sponsorships, Ferrari’s, and friendly swims with tigers.
The 20-year-old’s genuine affectionateness shined through his videos and he became everyone’s favorite internet pastime.
As his fame grew, the public’s appreciation and support grew for him as well.
Between shithole countries, Bill Cosby, and Supreme Court hearings, Brother Nature’s content brought a mix of wholesomeness and familiarity that we all needed.
He was like everyone’s little brother or favorite cousin. Which, in part, is why he managed to survive the fatal jaws of “cancel culture.”
We don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but the past couple of years have not been sweet for dirtbags. Socially progressive campaigns like #MeToo, #WomensRightsMovement, #TimesUp and others have gained steam, ‘cancel culture’ — or societies’ willingness to play moral police — has spawned in compliance, bouncing the problematic out of the paint.
Over the years, we’ve seen the likes of Louis C.K, Nate Turner, Aziz Ansari, MLB sensation Josh Hader, Rosanne, and many others all face the gauntlet of ‘cancel culture’ and, for the most part, all have succumbed to its influence and authority. Much like all of the victims of ‘cancel culture,’ Brother Nature apologized, but unlike most victims of ‘cancel culture,’ people believed him.
“I apologize for the 12-year-old Kelvin,” he wrote in a note he shared on his Twitter Sunday. “Everyone changes, everyone learns, and everyone makes mistakes,” he continues.
— Brother Nature (@BrotherNature) October 22, 2018
Besides the fact that Kelvin was 12 when we made those tweets, he was able to maintain the favor of the general public because no one was hurt, he owned up to his mistakes, and they saw his heart.
https://twitter.com/RealLifeKaz/status/1054411961482559488
https://twitter.com/cec_tv/status/1054121732313833472
https://twitter.com/ExtendoBans/status/1054138936476479488
As opposed to Hulk Hogan or anyone else who has ever found themselves in a compromising public relations nightmare, Brother Nature is a giver. He doesn’t pander for subscribers or throws merch in peoples’ faces or even meanders off content for brand dollars. He feels like one of us and we want to forgive him because of it.
As inconsistent and inaccurate as the court of ‘we like how you make us feel’ is, it’s the only thing that has ever mattered in Hollywood or in minds of the public.
Last year Kevin Hart got caught up in a cheating and blackmailing scandal where he admitted having an affair on his then-pregnant wife. Kevin is a family man with a family brand and could have very easily been ‘canceled’ due to his perceived insensitivity toward women, but he’s likable. In this case, you’d like to think we all got it right but then again you never know. Kevin seems like a good guy but you can’t put anything past anyone.
For now, all is well. Brother Nature seems to be forgiven and he’s even back posting videos of him and his deer. If his brush up with cancel fever teaches us anything, it’s that you better be one impressionable character to make a come back.