Dragon Ball Super: Broly and RWBY voice actor Vic Mignogna called for consideration of fans in the face of continued efforts by #KickVic members to cancel events or damage the reputation of businesses due to their association with the voice actor.
During his most recent weekly Unlocked livestream, after updating his fans to his upcoming schedule, Mignogna turned to the various Anti-Vic activists who have been attempting to disparage or shut down businesses and events that have hosted him, asking if they “really think it’s fair to rob hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people, from the opportunity to meet someone whose work they like, just because you don’t like me.”
Vic addresses people making fake yelp reviews that hurt businesses and conventions that invite him part1 @ComeGeekSome1 @gothicsushii @Squally_kins @StcFangirl @vicsrangers @Risembool_Lovi @BethGarrison93 @BoundingComics @_Hero_Hei_ @YellowFlashGuy @ThatUmbrella @SGSAMII pic.twitter.com/CmAokkTPxb
— Victor Vargas (@VictorV53505110) March 4, 2020
Vic addresses people making fake yelp reviews that hurt businesses and conventions that invite him part2 @ComeGeekSome1 @gothicsushii @Squally_kins @StcFangirl @vicsrangers @Risembool_Lovi @BethGarrison93 @BoundingComics @_Hero_Hei_ @YellowFlashGuy @ThatUmbrella @SGSAMII pic.twitter.com/XF3BcaZb21
— Victor Vargas (@VictorV53505110) March 4, 2020
Mignogna states:
“I want to get serious for a minute, okay guys? Is that okay? I want to say something very important. I want to say something to those people out there, these people that are being so hateful and that are trying to cause trouble to these events that have me, and are putting up fictitious bad Yelp reviews of places they’ve never even visited, and making phone calls and trying to cause trouble. Can I just ask you, please stop? Please, stop. Look, I get it. You don’t like me. You have some issue with me. I understand. But do you really, really think it’s fair to try to rob hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people, from the opportunity to meet someone whose work they like, just because you don’t like me, or you have a problem with me? Do you really think that’s fair?”
He adds:
“I get it. You don’t like me. I get it. I really do. Not everyone is gonna like everybody. I get that. You think I’m a horrible person. I get that. But please, I’m asking you please, for the sake of all of those hundreds of hundreds, thousands around the country, that want to come to these events: Please, please don’t ruin it for them just because you have a problem with me. Please.”
While the usual calls to prevent Mignogna from future appearances came from numerous #KickVic supporters, the “fictitious bad Yelp reviews” were produced primarily by Lynn Hunt. Since Mignogna announced his January 11th signing appearance at the Los Angeles-based Awesome Collectibles, Hunt has regularly published one-star reviews accusing the store of hosting “signings with sexual predators” and thinking “women are lesser in their hobbies”.
The first review came on January 5th:
“This is a place local to me and I have friends who are collectors of Funko.
However, their disappointing stunt booking of Vic Mignogna, a decades long sexual harasser who lost a lawsuit to silence his many accusers, ensures I will never spend my money with this company and advise anyone who is against sexual harassment in fandoms to avoid this organization.”
The next came on January 7th:
“Store is meh. Highly overpriced for what is basically a fad product. Can get most of their goods online for cheaper on collectable side and the run of the mill Funkos are nothing you can’t find in any hobby shop that has a wider variety of other goods.
More importantly, they care little about women as they actively seek out sexual harassers like Vic Mignogna who sue their victims into silence as part of their promotional activities.”
And the latest on February 4th:
More than anything this is in an area of town that is pretty unsafe and would not go at night. Store is massively overpriced for its collectables.
But also if you are a woman, you should know the owner is a rude misogynist who hosts signings with sexual predators like Vic Mignogna as part of the nerd culture wars.
A business that thinks women are lesser in their hobbies shouldn’t get your business.
At the time, Hunt, who uses the pseudonym LJ Montello, defended the reviews by stating that “the public may want to know about enabling sex pests.”
Leaving a negative review on a business is “insane” & “low-life”
Compared to d0xing on the farms and the constant barage of insults for a full year. https://t.co/r9ffmQ555V
— We Deserve Better Than Biden (@ljmontello) January 7, 2020
Also note how there is nothing in said review that is inappropriate.
This place is in the LA area, a VERY liberal city dominated by a business where #metoo has been all too present. The public may want to know about enabling sex pests.
— We Deserve Better Than Biden (@ljmontello) January 7, 2020
Gosh leaving a review for a local business is TI? Tell that to every terrible restaurant how whining about that goes for them.
For a group obsessed with “get woke, go broke” and for the fans, they seem quite annoyed when other people use consumer pressure to enact change.
— We Deserve Better Than Biden (@ljmontello) January 22, 2020
All of Hunt’s negative reviews have subsequently been removed by Yelp.