Recently, Chris Cuomo (disgraced CNN news actor who did propaganda for his criminal, serial sexual harasser brother back when he was the governor of New York and was subsequently fired when the network couldn’t cover it up any longer) did a segment with a TikTok influencer living with Tourette syndrome on NewsNation.
It was a viscerally satisfying spot, in that the girl with Tourette's (which appears based on my research to be legitimate) threw various epithets at Cuomo on national television, including telling him “f**k you, Chris” and admonishing him to “butter your own biscuits, fat**s.”
Chris Cuomo interviews girl with Tourette’s syndrome and it goes about as well as expected pic.twitter.com/nONhxW2uJD
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) December 13, 2023
While such outbursts can seem comical, Tourette's is actually a serious condition that causes embarrassment to those who suffer from it and lessens their quality of life.
Via the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder that may cause sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics. TS is one of a group of disorders of the developing nervous system called tic disorders.
The motor (involving body movement) or vocal (involving sounds you make) tics of TS come and go over time, varying in type, frequency, location, and severity. If you have tics, you cannot stop your body from having them. The first symptoms usually occur between the ages of 5 and 10 years, generally in the head and neck area. These may progress to include the muscles in your torso, arms, and legs. Motor tics generally occur before the development of vocal tics.
Given how devastating it can be, no one would ever fake Tourette’s on the internet for cash and clout, right?
Surely not.
Right?
Meet Emerald Rose, who fashioned herself into an internet celebrity posting videos of herself allegedly having Tourette’s tics under the name “ticsandroses.”
Related: Converted Pagan Headhunters and the Shining City on a Hill
As detailed in this well-produced (minus the theatrical melodramatic music; why documentarians feel the need to add this unnecessary and annoying element is forever beyond me) piece, Rose created a merch store and amassed a half-million followers running the Tourette’s scam on her audience.
After videos of her talking without tics for nearly an hour and vast troves of other evidence emerged indicating that she was lying, she went so far as to produce a faked doctor’s note claiming to diagnose her with Tourette’s, among other medical conditions fashionable with the left like ADHD and PTSD.
It took her sister coming out to Reddit and posting confirmation that she was faking it for the scam to unravel in its entirety.
Via Reddit:
Hi everyone, I recently found out about everything going on. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions and share my part. I am Emeralds sister and we grew up together, although we were raised non-denominational Christian, my mother (who is an amazing woman) and I have always been supportive of Emerald and miss them dearly. We have always accepted them. They cut communication with us, we have tried to reach out but they no longer wish to have contact with us and we haven't talked in years. I'm just commenting in hopes of clearing up misinformation. Also, my grandpa does have Huntington's, it's late onset which means it doesn't show up until late in life. My grandpa is currently suffering from the side effects and is not doing well. It's very sad. My mother has it too but is not yet showing symptoms thankfully, and I have not been tested. Lastly, I don't believe Emerald has tourettes syndrome and they never showed any symptoms as a child. They are mentally ill though. I love my sister, always will and I wish them the best but I don't agree with what they have done, it's incredibly disrespectful to fake a mental illness for any reason. I am extending my sincerest apology to everyone their actions have hurt. although I know it's not my apology to give. I do wish for Emeralds safety all I ask is respect and privacy for my parents and grandparents.
The blue hair and the gauges should have been the giveaway from the start. This is what happens at the confluence of two powerful social forces: the Social Justice™ victimhood hierarchy in which mental illness is a virtue and social media, which rewards narcissism and self-promotion.
