These are the best years of Chris's life -

[asperhes]

Chris is lonely, depressed, and miserable, and things could not be better.

Before the death of his father, Chris had considerable freedom, both on and off the internet. He set up his own websites to hawk his comics. He corresponded with both fans and trolls. He made countless videos to promote his art and his body. In real life, he travelled throughout the greater Charlottesville area to slake his LoveQuest. On campuses, in malls, in restaurants, and other semi-public fora, he proclaimed to the world his need for a boyfriend-free girl.

In every way possible, participating in these activities was a disaster for Chris. His perfect storm of personal characteristics--autism, mental retardation, assholery, and laughable artistic skills--caused trolls to clamp onto him and never let go. His life came to replicate The Truman Show. His efforts to market Sonichu came to naught. His online LoveQuest was completely gummed up by the trolls, to the point where he was forced to assume that any hint of interest from a girl was yet another example of trolling. In real life, his inability to come to terms with social niceties caused him to be physically banned from countless locales. He barely graduated from PVCC. He tangled with cops on numerous occasions. I think it's safe to say that he is lucky that his encounters with law enforcement have not produced more serious consequence for him.

Now, five years after bursting onto the public scene, everything is different. Having learned that internet socialization is fruitless, he has almost completely withdrawn from cyberspace. His profile has lowered considerably. He no longer makes videos or posts comics. His Youtube channel is reserved for collecting favorite videos. His Facebook comments are (theoretically) hidden from the world. There is almost no new content, and he has become boring. Meanwhile, his mother has sharply restricted his adventures in the outside world. He doesn't go to church. He doesn't go to bars. He's already banned from nearly everywhere else. Barb keeps him under close watch, concerned that he remain a reliable footservant as her health deteriorates and her life spirals away.

This puts Chris in the best situation since his Discovery. The fact is that Chris simply does not have the emotional or psychological maturity to be in society. He can't be trusted to make independent decisions that will benefit either himself or others. In a recent Facebook post, Chris made the astute realization that he should have never put Sonichu on the internet. He is absolutely correct. For his own sake, he needs to stay off the internet and away from real-life social spaces without adult supervision. His adventures have only made things worse. Therefore, while Chris is utterly despondent, he is now protected from factors that could make his life even worse. Things aren't entirely grim, as there are things he could do to improve his life--psychological care, better antidepressants, menial employment, personal creative artistic expression--but these actions must be taken away from the public eye.

 

[Da Pickle Monsta]

Chris is lonely, depressed, and miserable, and things could not be better.

Before the death of his father, Chris had considerable freedom, both on and off the internet. He set up his own websites to hawk his comics. He corresponded with both fans and trolls. He made countless videos to promote his art and his body. In real life, he travelled throughout the greater Charlottesville area to slake his LoveQuest. On campuses, in malls, in restaurants, and other semi-public fora, he proclaimed to the world his need for a boyfriend-free girl.

In every way possible, participating in these activities was a disaster for Chris. His perfect storm of personal characteristics--autism, mental retardation, assholery, and laughable artistic skills--caused trolls to clamp onto him and never let go. His life came to replicate The Truman Show. His efforts to market Sonichu came to naught. His online LoveQuest was completely gummed up by the trolls, to the point where he was forced to assume that any hint of interest from a girl was yet another example of trolling. In real life, his inability to come to terms with social niceties caused him to be physically banned from countless locales. He barely graduated from PVCC. He tangled with cops on numerous occasions. I think it's safe to say that he is lucky that his encounters with law enforcement have not produced more serious consequence for him.

Now, five years after bursting onto the public scene, everything is different. Having learned that internet socialization is fruitless, he has almost completely withdrawn from cyberspace. His profile has lowered considerably. He no longer makes videos or posts comics. His Youtube channel is reserved for collecting favorite videos. His Facebook comments are (theoretically) hidden from the world. There is almost no new content, and he has become boring. Meanwhile, his mother has sharply restricted his adventures in the outside world. He doesn't go to church. He doesn't go to bars. He's already banned from nearly everywhere else. Barb keeps him under close watch, concerned that he remain a reliable footservant as her health deteriorates and her life spirals away.

This puts Chris in the best situation since his Discovery. The fact is that Chris simply does not have the emotional or psychological maturity to be in society. He can't be trusted to make independent decisions that will benefit either himself or others. In a recent Facebook post, Chris made the astute realization that he should have never put Sonichu on the internet. He is absolutely correct. For his own sake, he needs to stay off the internet and away from real-life social spaces without adult supervision. His adventures have only made things worse. Therefore, while Chris is utterly despondent, he is now protected from factors that could make his life even worse. Things aren't entirely grim, as there are things he could do to improve his life--psychological care, better antidepressants, menial employment, personal creative artistic expression--but these actions must be taken away from the public eye.

I agree with you on every point, except that there is one giant thing that Chris has going against him: Barb. Yes, she may protect him from the world now, but now only does she have no legal authority to do so, she's making him absolutely miserable and offering nothing therapeutic in return. The best case scenario for Chris is to get out from under Barb and to comply with social services and psychiatric treatment, but sadly that's probably not going to happen.

 

[Henry Bemis]

Before the death of his father, Chris had considerable freedom, both on and off the internet.

And he wasted that freedom for hours on end every afternoon for years, sitting in fast food restaurants and chain stores.

Now, five years after bursting onto the public scene, everything is different. Having learned that internet socialization is fruitless, he has almost completely withdrawn from cyberspace. His profile has lowered considerably. He no longer makes videos or posts comics. His Youtube channel is reserved for collecting favorite videos. His Facebook comments are (theoretically) hidden from the world. There is almost no new content, and he has become boring.

All of his own volition.

 

[ChurchOfGodBear]

I agree with your points that Chris is in a better situation now, but only to the extent that he's not actively making a fool of himself and opening himself to trolling. In every other way, though, his life is worse. He's paranoid and assumes strangers on the street are trolls. His mother has an abusive/neglectful relationship with him. Realize this: Chris has the mind of a child, and as a child, the one person he depends on for guidance is neglectful and just plain crazy. In that regard, Chris's situation isn't dissimilar from a 7-year-old being raised by a crackwhore.

So no, I don't think Chris's life is better than it was 5-10 years ago, he's just exchanged one set of problems for another. In addition, in the meantime he's lost some of the resources he could have used to overcome those problems, if he had the motivation to.

 

[DangDirtyTrolls]

I disagree his life is better now. He may not be actively trolled or mocked anymore but that came at the cost of completely retreating from the outside world.

At least when he was putting himself out there and making an ass of himself he had things to do and he did meet people, whatever their intentions. The weekly card games at The Game Place, people like Magical Potion man, the dates Scarlet took him on, the 'date' with Faeryn, the young adults social group. Even driving to and from Ohio. Sure a lot were trolls plots or dead ends, but at least he was doing stuff.

Now apart from leaving the house for shopping he does what, even for Chris, is very little. He plays video games, watches TV/movies and very little else. It's not like he's any better off for not being trolled because his optimism has worn off so if anything he's even more miserable now than he was when he was being trolled, because now he doesn't even have any trolls giving him false hope .

 

[The Dude]

At least he's not wearing the Medallion anymore.

 

[sparklemilhouse]

It's his punishment for being an ass in public ... about five years too late.

 

[Marvin]

This puts Chris in the best situation since his Discovery. The fact is that Chris simply does not have the emotional or psychological maturity to be in society.

Eh... he's not smart enough to understand people, especially online. At this point, he's mature enough to know how to handle people online, and he does it pretty effectively.

If by society, you meant IRL, you're really overestimating the significance of his police encounters as they apply to his life today. There's no valid reason for Barb to keep Chris inside like she does.

 

[GFYS]

Chris is lonely, depressed, and miserable, and things could not be better...

Ehhh... I can see your points, and they do make sense, but from a larger perspective I disagree. At least when Chris was a laughing stock - either at Manchester, at PVCC, at the GAMe PLACe, or on the internet - he was at least being engaged by other people. Being a prisoner in his own home does protect him, but the isolation can be crippling. I've been in a similar position of isolation, and I'd rather be in trouble than isolated. Some people would rather be abused than isolated. Neither is healthy, but isolation is sometimes the worse option, for social creatures.

The way he's being held captive against his own will, could backfire. Like the repressed kid going apeshit her freshman year of college, when there aren't any parents to tell them to behave themselves, Chris could go crazy the instant Barb relents. I doubt he'll start doing drugs, smashing windows, and fucking anything that moves. Still, I can see him maxing out his credit cards, overdrawing his checking account, putting on his best skirt, peeing in every women's restroom in the county, loitering in every store, and doing dumber-than-usual things once he sees some freedom - possibly getting himself in some financial or legal trouble.

I think when he was school age, was the best time for him, because there were so many people that had an obligation to guide and protect him. They mostly failed, but now that he's legally an adult, nobody has to do shit for him.

 

[BigAltheGreat921]

Maybe, but it doesn't change the fact that he's pretty depressed now. Especially since he's practically a prisoner in his own home.

 

[qld]

I wonder what the neighbors have to say about Chris. After almost ten years of celebrity, surely someone would have noticed who was living next door. I'm surprised we've never heard from any of them. Or have we? Wasn't there anything on the local papers about Chris and The Game Place? If I read a blurb like that in my local paper, I'd probably be googling those involved to find out what other hijinks they have been involved in. Possibly there is something from the local paper out there or some neighbor blogger that we're all missing because it's simply buried under the vast hoard that is already deluging the internetz concerning OPL. Perhaps the backwoods paper isn't/wasn't online and it never hit us.

 

[Butta Face Lopez]

And he owes it all to us.

 

[Marvin]

I wonder what the neighbors have to say about Chris. After almost ten years of celebrity, surely someone would have noticed who was living next door. I'm surprised we've never heard from any of them. Or have we?

I'm not. Aside from the terrible condition of their house, they don't really have any reason to notice Chris.

Wasn't there anything on the local papers about Chris and The Game Place? If I read a blurb like that in my local paper, I'd probably be googling those involved to find out what other hijinks they have been involved in. Possibly there is something from the local paper out there or some neighbor blogger that we're all missing because it's simply buried under the vast hoard that is already deluging the internetz concerning OPL. Perhaps the backwoods paper isn't/wasn't online and it never hit us.

Eh, I doubt it. Unless there's a section in a paper about stuff you'd hear on a police scanner, I don't think they'd have anything about the Oct 28 incident.

 

[cypocraphy]

His best years was everything before and including high school.

 

[Thetan]

I wonder what the neighbors have to say about Chris. After almost ten years of celebrity, surely someone would have noticed who was living next door. I'm surprised we've never heard from any of them. Or have we?

I'm not. Aside from the terrible condition of their house, they don't really have any reason to notice Chris.

Wasn't there anything on the local papers about Chris and The Game Place? If I read a blurb like that in my local paper, I'd probably be googling those involved to find out what other hijinks they have been involved in. Possibly there is something from the local paper out there or some neighbor blogger that we're all missing because it's simply buried under the vast hoard that is already deluging the internetz concerning OPL. Perhaps the backwoods paper isn't/wasn't online and it never hit us.

Eh, I doubt it. Unless there's a section in a paper about stuff you'd hear on a police scanner, I don't think they'd have anything about the Oct 28 incident.

Some of the smaller local papers around here have the 'Police Log' which lists all of the arrests (with all of the embarrassing details) made over a certain period of time. Unless they've got something like that in the Ruckersville / Charlottsville area (and, assuming that people would take the time to read it) then, I doubt they pay much attention to the Chandlers.

Chris did make a couple of videos in front of the house: the cheerleader one, the McDonald's 'date, Silence of the Lambs / digging up Patti to name a few: but who can say if any of them attracted the attention of the neighbors.

People in the local gaming community, however, may very well be aware of Chris considering his antics. This is one of the reasons why he may find it difficult to join another league. How many people have heard about The Game Place incidents?

 

[CatParty]

Everyday he doesn't get his way is the worst day of his life.
Heck even before the trolls he'd whine how awful everything i an his loneliness. His diary from 2004 is good evidence of this.

 

[Marvin]

People in the local gaming community, however, may very well be aware of Chris considering his antics. This is one of the reasons why he may find it difficult to join another league. How many people have heard about The Game Place incidents?

He's finding it difficult to join another league because Barb won't let him.

Like, it happens that people recognize him, but not at a rate that'd really fuck up his abilities to find a new league. He went to that convention, for example. Or he went to that mythbusters show. That's kind of a nerdy gathering.

 

[waffle]

Chris is lonely, depressed, and miserable, and things could not be better.

Before the death of his father, Chris had considerable freedom, both on and off the internet. He set up his own websites to hawk his comics. He corresponded with both fans and trolls. He made countless videos to promote his art and his body. In real life, he travelled throughout the greater Charlottesville area to slake his LoveQuest. On campuses, in malls, in restaurants, and other semi-public fora, he proclaimed to the world his need for a boyfriend-free girl.

In every way possible, participating in these activities was a disaster for Chris. His perfect storm of personal characteristics--autism, mental retardation, assholery, and laughable artistic skills--caused trolls to clamp onto him and never let go. His life came to replicate The Truman Show. His efforts to market Sonichu came to naught. His online LoveQuest was completely gummed up by the trolls, to the point where he was forced to assume that any hint of interest from a girl was yet another example of trolling. In real life, his inability to come to terms with social niceties caused him to be physically banned from countless locales. He barely graduated from PVCC. He tangled with cops on numerous occasions. I think it's safe to say that he is lucky that his encounters with law enforcement have not produced more serious consequence for him.

Now, five years after bursting onto the public scene, everything is different. Having learned that internet socialization is fruitless, he has almost completely withdrawn from cyberspace. His profile has lowered considerably. He no longer makes videos or posts comics. His Youtube channel is reserved for collecting favorite videos. His Facebook comments are (theoretically) hidden from the world. There is almost no new content, and he has become boring. Meanwhile, his mother has sharply restricted his adventures in the outside world. He doesn't go to church. He doesn't go to bars. He's already banned from nearly everywhere else. Barb keeps him under close watch, concerned that he remain a reliable footservant as her health deteriorates and her life spirals away.

This puts Chris in the best situation since his Discovery. The fact is that Chris simply does not have the emotional or psychological maturity to be in society. He can't be trusted to make independent decisions that will benefit either himself or others. In a recent Facebook post, Chris made the astute realization that he should have never put Sonichu on the internet. He is absolutely correct. For his own sake, he needs to stay off the internet and away from real-life social spaces without adult supervision. His adventures have only made things worse. Therefore, while Chris is utterly despondent, he is now protected from factors that could make his life even worse. Things aren't entirely grim, as there are things he could do to improve his life--psychological care, better antidepressants, menial employment, personal creative artistic expression--but these actions must be taken away from the public eye.

Hi barb

 

[qld]

Eh, I doubt it. Unless there's a section in a paper about stuff you'd hear on a police scanner, I don't think they'd have anything about the Oct 28 incident.

I just did a deep search over at http://www.dailyprogress.com/ the newspaper for Charlottesville, and there is nothing on the Chandlers. No obit for Bob, there are police blotters, but the one that would cover OCT 28 is missing, they cover a bit of time and then are published a couple days later, and there is just an absolute gap on the one that would cover OCT 28. I even dug a little on the times the Game Place may have called about a trespasser in 2010. Nothing.

 

[asperhes]

At this point, he's mature enough to know how to handle people online, and he does it pretty effectively

So he's no longer the most gullible, the most easily trolled person in the history of the universe?

you're really overestimating the significance of his police encounters as they apply to his life today

By his own count, Chris is currently banned from five locales. The CWCki provides the deeper history of his bans and jerkop encounters. This extraordinary situation indicates a pattern of socially inappropriate behavior. It is very difficult to persuade Chris that he is at fault for these bans. and there is nothing that I see (although I defer to Marvin's superior understanding) that would indicate that anything has changed in terms of how Chris sees the world. That is to say, if Chris had more freedom, he would just provoke more clashes with authority figures, with bad results for both himself and--given his impulsivity, stubbornness, and egotism--his fellow Virginians. Unless and until he gets intensive psychological help, or a chaperone, he's better off indoors.

Unfortunately, being shackled by Barb prevents him from getting help as much as it keeps him out of trouble. Ideally, he should be institutionalized. But if by some miracle a window opens and the opportunity arises for Chris to move his life in some constructive direction, he is currently better positioned than he's been in for some time, because he is shielded from society.