The 1999 Columbine High School Shooting, in which two male classmates killed twelve students, one teacher and injured twenty three other people, is an infamous event in United States history. Years later this case is still examined starting in high school sociology classes and staying relevant into graduate school. Studying the events that led up to Columbine, the shooters themselves, the awful occurrences of that day in Colorado and the aftermath of the shooting are common in our society. Yet, obsessing over and glorifying the more horrific parts of the event is not. Columbiners are members of an online subculture that romanticize the Columbine killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, and “build on their collective adoration” of the two teens (Nayar 105).
Online communities dedicated to the interest in Columbine have existed since the shooting, yet the Columbiners term didn't come onto the radar “until about five years ago, according to journalist Dave Cullen, author of Columbine”. With the rise of the Internet, fan sites for the shooters populated. Columbiners are part of a fan community that constitutes a subculture “by virtue of being a process of meaning generation that may or may not be legitimate” (Nayar 105). Thousands of Columbiners gather via social media sites, predominantly Tumblr, to obsess over Columbine and other mass killings. I have identified three key components to this subculture that solidify its place on the Internet. Firstly, the shared faith in the infamy and holiness of the killers, secondly the obsession with violent and disturbing graphics that makes up their language, and lastly the shared feelings of isolation that bond the subculture.
Like many subcultures, there is a shared mecca and overarching value in the Columbiners community, yet there are degrees of severity within it. In this case, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold are that mecca. We see Columbiners who idolize and worship the shooters and others who, to a lesser degree, obsess over the incident as a whole, but still contribute to the infamy of the shooters. Teen girls often make up the most dedicated worshipers of the subculture. In what was one of the more surprising discoveries I made during this exploration, these girls are more open about their lust for Harris and Kleobold than anything else. Anime drawings of the two shooters, Youtube videos expressing sexual desires, and posts from girls of themselves “dressed up like Reb or VoDKa in cargo pants, NATURAL SELECTION t-shirts, and black trench coats” are very common among this portion of the subculture. Whether these members are playing out a sexual fantasy or more of a worship of the shooters, there is a definite fandom that unites the group and solidifies its presence on social media sites. Columbiners’ most popular location for communication is on mediums like Tumblr and other blog spaces that serve as shrines to the shooters. Common user names are often concerning the shooters, such as “dylankleboldblog” or “Mrs. Eric Harris”. One tumblr account includes a description describing Harris as “flawless” and “god like”. Admiration of the two shooters is pillar of the Columbiner subculture.
“We did what we had to do” appears written in text across the bottom of a bloody photo taken from the crime scene depicting Harris and Klebold lying in their own pools of blood; the hashtag reads #art. A second pillar is the display of graphic images that depict “footage from horror movies, of genocide, and war”, GIFs, and quotes from the shooters. These are the most common shared artifacts within the Columbiner subculture. Replication of bloody images and of mass murder are common images that rack up comments condoning these horrific actions. These graphics serve as the subcultures main means of communication and are actively shared with other members. Videos are also commonly shared among this subculture. On many blogs, such as Columbine Confessions, home videos of the two teens are archived and also remade into GIFs. The common theme of these GIFs is rebellion, with subtitles that read “one big fucking problem is people telling me what the fuck to do, think, say act, and everything else. I’ll do what I want IF I feel like it”. Similar to the violent images and bloody clips, these homemade vidoes from the lives of the Harris and Klebold before the shooting exude frustration. The convergence of image, text, sound, and video makes blogging the most desired form of communication among the subculture. The Columbiners subculture is a captivating subculture to examine because to the graphics that are popular among participants are so taboo, so in order to understand the purpose of the subculture, one must observe the way in which participants identify with one another across digital space.
In many cases, those who identify as columbineres struggle with depression. The two shooters also indicated having suicidal thoughts in their journals, so most likely many Columbiners identify with the feelings and motives behind Columbine. The obsession with suicide and homicide is not only prevalent in the graphics and texts of the subculture, but is rooted in the members’ mindsets. Sociologist and author of Comprehending Columbine, Ralph Larkin supports this idea and claims that “it's embedded in mythology, and even though many young people online have absolutely no personal memory of it, it had a tremendous impact on those who felt themselves to be disenfranchised or bullied". The phenomena of uniting behind a common sentiment is not new, but the sentiment is not depression in all cases. The overarching feeling that unites the subculture seems to be the feeling of isolation, as one Columbiner states "it's more about what it represents to them; the stick-it-to-the-man kind of thing for anyone feeling isolated, or like they don't fit into a mainstream kind of society," she said. Feelings of isolation have been instrumental in the success of this subculture. By occupying digital space and joining together Columbiners have united and bonded together on social media platforms. An entry from a user named "ericvodka" reads "i need some irl friends that re into Columbine, but that's probably never gonna happen. I try to mention it around my fiends to get the idea out there...They all just think I'm weird, and obsessed with murder." As this entry demonstrates, the conversion of such a culture would never have happened if not for the Internet and its service in fostering the commodore between the users. The world has become smaller as we develop the ability to communicate and connect in digital space. This is not a negative aspect of our society, for digital culture is an extension of real life culture, but it does make it easier to seek out those with similar beliefs. Cyberspace matters to this subculture because it gives the participants a place to express their desire that do not fit the social norms of mainstream culture.
It is common for participants in this subculture hold menial jobs and are of a lower socioeconomic class and as a result struggle with feelings of powerlessness and even uselessness. Once these participants enter the digital subculture, those who are not Columbiners are the “other” and the participants gain back the power that they struggle to gain in real life interactions. These participants are exercising their right to freedom of speech that cybercultural technologies have opened up in digital space. Yet freedom of speech is different once it starts manifesting itself into actions thus “the discourse of cyberhate has the potential to have very material and physical consequences for their victims” (Nayar 109). Two Columbiners James Gamble and Lindsay Souvannarath posted on Tumblr showing themselves wearing masks and displaying the words “der untergang”, or “the downfall” and a line that read “Valentine’s Day – It’s Going Down”. Shortly after, the Halifax shooting plot unfolded.
The Halifax mass shooting plot is an example of how subcultures inform real culture and can have detrimental effects. The Halifax mass shooting plot occurred this past February in Nova Scotia and was carried out by two Illinois residents, Gamble and Souvannarath with the assistance of three other teens. The shooting was interrupted and the suspects were caught, but the incident has raised red flags. Reports state that the suspects were part of the online subculture of Columbiners. After the failed execution of the Halifax mass shooting, Cara-Jade, a fellow Columbiner and an online friend to those who planned the shooting stated that “to be a Columbiner is basically just having a huge interest in the Columbine shootings and being interested in the shooters, Eric and Dylan, themselves. They [the media] portrays us as people who condone these things, and honestly I can say now we really don't in any way, shape or form”. Cara-Jade adamantly denies that this part of her life would ever manifest in the real world, but from looking at her Tumblr page, one might be inclined to question the reliability of that statement. Her tumblr is cluttered with violent, graphic images and large portions dedicated to Dylan Klebold. When asked if the Halifax event will have an influence on her participation as a Columbiner she replied, “it won’t faze me”.
The justification of this subculture is often that these are people that are merely interested in Columbine and the shooters. This is not a valid excuse for posting horrible graphic that depict mass shootings and inherent evil. Yet, there is something to be said about the motives behind these Columbiners. As I stated, many battle with depression, bullying, or suicidal thoughts, just like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Subcultures provide a space for people to come together and share their beliefs or feelings and in this case, the majority of Columbiners are looking for outlets. It is paramount to understand that simply being a Columbiner is not guaranteeing action, but is an indication of a person reaching out for some sort of support. As seen in the Halifax incident, this subculture is not contained to digital space. As a result, it is important moving forward to make sure that other copycat cases don’t emerge and that the subculture does not blossom into a bigger entity. In response to being called a fan club, one member wrote, "No no no, we're not a fan club," another blogger replied. "We're a society".
Online communities dedicated to the interest in Columbine have existed since the shooting, yet the Columbiners term didn't come onto the radar “until about five years ago, according to journalist Dave Cullen, author of Columbine”. With the rise of the Internet, fan sites for the shooters populated. Columbiners are part of a fan community that constitutes a subculture “by virtue of being a process of meaning generation that may or may not be legitimate” (Nayar 105). Thousands of Columbiners gather via social media sites, predominantly Tumblr, to obsess over Columbine and other mass killings. I have identified three key components to this subculture that solidify its place on the Internet. Firstly, the shared faith in the infamy and holiness of the killers, secondly the obsession with violent and disturbing graphics that makes up their language, and lastly the shared feelings of isolation that bond the subculture.
Like many subcultures, there is a shared mecca and overarching value in the Columbiners community, yet there are degrees of severity within it. In this case, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold are that mecca. We see Columbiners who idolize and worship the shooters and others who, to a lesser degree, obsess over the incident as a whole, but still contribute to the infamy of the shooters. Teen girls often make up the most dedicated worshipers of the subculture. In what was one of the more surprising discoveries I made during this exploration, these girls are more open about their lust for Harris and Kleobold than anything else. Anime drawings of the two shooters, Youtube videos expressing sexual desires, and posts from girls of themselves “dressed up like Reb or VoDKa in cargo pants, NATURAL SELECTION t-shirts, and black trench coats” are very common among this portion of the subculture. Whether these members are playing out a sexual fantasy or more of a worship of the shooters, there is a definite fandom that unites the group and solidifies its presence on social media sites. Columbiners’ most popular location for communication is on mediums like Tumblr and other blog spaces that serve as shrines to the shooters. Common user names are often concerning the shooters, such as “dylankleboldblog” or “Mrs. Eric Harris”. One tumblr account includes a description describing Harris as “flawless” and “god like”. Admiration of the two shooters is pillar of the Columbiner subculture.
“We did what we had to do” appears written in text across the bottom of a bloody photo taken from the crime scene depicting Harris and Klebold lying in their own pools of blood; the hashtag reads #art. A second pillar is the display of graphic images that depict “footage from horror movies, of genocide, and war”, GIFs, and quotes from the shooters. These are the most common shared artifacts within the Columbiner subculture. Replication of bloody images and of mass murder are common images that rack up comments condoning these horrific actions. These graphics serve as the subcultures main means of communication and are actively shared with other members. Videos are also commonly shared among this subculture. On many blogs, such as Columbine Confessions, home videos of the two teens are archived and also remade into GIFs. The common theme of these GIFs is rebellion, with subtitles that read “one big fucking problem is people telling me what the fuck to do, think, say act, and everything else. I’ll do what I want IF I feel like it”. Similar to the violent images and bloody clips, these homemade vidoes from the lives of the Harris and Klebold before the shooting exude frustration. The convergence of image, text, sound, and video makes blogging the most desired form of communication among the subculture. The Columbiners subculture is a captivating subculture to examine because to the graphics that are popular among participants are so taboo, so in order to understand the purpose of the subculture, one must observe the way in which participants identify with one another across digital space.
In many cases, those who identify as columbineres struggle with depression. The two shooters also indicated having suicidal thoughts in their journals, so most likely many Columbiners identify with the feelings and motives behind Columbine. The obsession with suicide and homicide is not only prevalent in the graphics and texts of the subculture, but is rooted in the members’ mindsets. Sociologist and author of Comprehending Columbine, Ralph Larkin supports this idea and claims that “it's embedded in mythology, and even though many young people online have absolutely no personal memory of it, it had a tremendous impact on those who felt themselves to be disenfranchised or bullied". The phenomena of uniting behind a common sentiment is not new, but the sentiment is not depression in all cases. The overarching feeling that unites the subculture seems to be the feeling of isolation, as one Columbiner states "it's more about what it represents to them; the stick-it-to-the-man kind of thing for anyone feeling isolated, or like they don't fit into a mainstream kind of society," she said. Feelings of isolation have been instrumental in the success of this subculture. By occupying digital space and joining together Columbiners have united and bonded together on social media platforms. An entry from a user named "ericvodka" reads "i need some irl friends that re into Columbine, but that's probably never gonna happen. I try to mention it around my fiends to get the idea out there...They all just think I'm weird, and obsessed with murder." As this entry demonstrates, the conversion of such a culture would never have happened if not for the Internet and its service in fostering the commodore between the users. The world has become smaller as we develop the ability to communicate and connect in digital space. This is not a negative aspect of our society, for digital culture is an extension of real life culture, but it does make it easier to seek out those with similar beliefs. Cyberspace matters to this subculture because it gives the participants a place to express their desire that do not fit the social norms of mainstream culture.
It is common for participants in this subculture hold menial jobs and are of a lower socioeconomic class and as a result struggle with feelings of powerlessness and even uselessness. Once these participants enter the digital subculture, those who are not Columbiners are the “other” and the participants gain back the power that they struggle to gain in real life interactions. These participants are exercising their right to freedom of speech that cybercultural technologies have opened up in digital space. Yet freedom of speech is different once it starts manifesting itself into actions thus “the discourse of cyberhate has the potential to have very material and physical consequences for their victims” (Nayar 109). Two Columbiners James Gamble and Lindsay Souvannarath posted on Tumblr showing themselves wearing masks and displaying the words “der untergang”, or “the downfall” and a line that read “Valentine’s Day – It’s Going Down”. Shortly after, the Halifax shooting plot unfolded.
The Halifax mass shooting plot is an example of how subcultures inform real culture and can have detrimental effects. The Halifax mass shooting plot occurred this past February in Nova Scotia and was carried out by two Illinois residents, Gamble and Souvannarath with the assistance of three other teens. The shooting was interrupted and the suspects were caught, but the incident has raised red flags. Reports state that the suspects were part of the online subculture of Columbiners. After the failed execution of the Halifax mass shooting, Cara-Jade, a fellow Columbiner and an online friend to those who planned the shooting stated that “to be a Columbiner is basically just having a huge interest in the Columbine shootings and being interested in the shooters, Eric and Dylan, themselves. They [the media] portrays us as people who condone these things, and honestly I can say now we really don't in any way, shape or form”. Cara-Jade adamantly denies that this part of her life would ever manifest in the real world, but from looking at her Tumblr page, one might be inclined to question the reliability of that statement. Her tumblr is cluttered with violent, graphic images and large portions dedicated to Dylan Klebold. When asked if the Halifax event will have an influence on her participation as a Columbiner she replied, “it won’t faze me”.
The justification of this subculture is often that these are people that are merely interested in Columbine and the shooters. This is not a valid excuse for posting horrible graphic that depict mass shootings and inherent evil. Yet, there is something to be said about the motives behind these Columbiners. As I stated, many battle with depression, bullying, or suicidal thoughts, just like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Subcultures provide a space for people to come together and share their beliefs or feelings and in this case, the majority of Columbiners are looking for outlets. It is paramount to understand that simply being a Columbiner is not guaranteeing action, but is an indication of a person reaching out for some sort of support. As seen in the Halifax incident, this subculture is not contained to digital space. As a result, it is important moving forward to make sure that other copycat cases don’t emerge and that the subculture does not blossom into a bigger entity. In response to being called a fan club, one member wrote, "No no no, we're not a fan club," another blogger replied. "We're a society".