Never Grovel To Appease An Online Mob

Overwrought Contrition Will Invite More Trouble Than It Exorcises!

TikTok fitness influencer, Joey Swoll, felt the wrath of an online mob for declaring his unbridled devotion in an online tribute to his recently deceased “childhood hero”, Hulk Hogan. Swoll soon learned no apology is better than a botched apology — which made the controversy 10 times worse!

The One Thing You Must Avoid — GROVELING!

Whatever you do, don’t give an over-the-top, groveling apology! This can just invite more self-righteous douchebags, who are probably not even your followers or customers, to feed on your misery for their pure entertainment.  Pleading for appeasement is like quicksand — it only pulls you deeper into the hole. Appeasement signals weakness and opens the floodgates for more criticism. When you grovel, you give the mob the power to dictate the terms of engagement, and to frame the narrative, which rarely ends well.

Instead of gaining respect, you’ll likely find yourself further entrenched in a cycle of demands and more backlash, and inadvertently elongating this controversy. Worse, pandering comes off transparent, overwrought, and insincere to the offended party — while onlookers (aka your real subscribers) who could disagree with your detractors — feel you are pathetic for caving!

CASE STUDY: Joey Swoll Capitulates To Online Hate

Joey Swoll is a popular fitness influencer with over 17 million followers on various social media platforms, who calls out gym rats for being bullies, race baiter hustling, or skanks (male & female) who oversexualize themselves inappropriately on the gym floor.

Some of Swoll’s audience viciously turned on him for posting a Hulk Hogan tribute over Hogan’s 2015 racist comments that went mainstream. In defending himself, Swoll made matters infinitely worse by using the outdated racial term “colored” to describe African Americans, which predictably spiraled into an epic fail!

Then, Joey Swoll decided to do a 180-degree turn and issue an over-the-top, maudlin, and obviously phony apology that pleased nobody. Swoll claimed “he did research and talked to people” on how wrong he was on this whole matter. Thus, Swoll - who idolized Hulk Hogan just a day earlier - took down his tribute to appease the mob.

While Swoll rightfully apologized for using “colored” in 2025 to reference African Americans, Swoll’s fiercest critics still thought his apology was insincere, melodramatic, and accused him of only apologizing to save his business.

Really, Joey? I guess nobody was impressed that you had to research that African Americans don't like to be called "colored" in 2025? Did you call Kanye West for tips on racial sensitivity?

Other followers, who disagreed with Swoll’s critics perspective — thought Swoll totally emasculated himself, caved, and “punked himself out” to appease cyber crybullies who were faked offended. Shortly thereafter, an embarrassed Swoll left social media briefly due to the firestorm getting too hot.

Receiving forgiveness on social media is as fruitless as a finding a virgin in a Las Vegas whorehouse!

Is this an influencer fake apology or a hostage ransom video?

Key Takeaways: American Eagle’s Response vs. Joey Swoll’s Apology

Note: This is not a social or political evaluation on which side of either backlash is justified — or if either backlash is justified at all. We’re here to discuss the business aspects of handling online mobs by highlighting these 2 recent high-profile episodes — one where American Eagle succeeded and the other where influencer Joey Swoll failed — solely based on the business outcomes in the aftermath of online mob attacks. American Eagle was attacked by progressives for an ad featuring Sydney Sweeney using clever wordplay alluding to her captivating "genes" to promote her new signature jeans line. Detractors saw racially subversive messaging and a back tracking of American Eagle's previously lauded "Body Positivity" campaigns.

This basic American Eagle ad of a "hot blue-eyed blonde" in blue jeans would have caused no controversy if it were released in the 1980's to 2000's. Not so in 2025!

American Eagle Chose a Side From the business perspective, American Eagle picked a side, defended themselves, and earned a distinctive brand identity over the hullabaloo. While American Eagle did lose some progressive customers and got a lot of bad mainstream press, it appears they have gained new conservative-leaning customers to replace them — along with many sympathetic independents.

Swoll’s Fencing Ride Pleased Nobody Contrast this to Joey Swoll, who built his brand on being a tough, “musclehead” vigilante that calls out bad actors in the gym, yet came off like a total creampuff to much of his fanbase — while still not impressing his detractors. Worse, many of his own followers lost respect for him and clowned his apology on his social media platforms.

Ergo, Joey pleased nobody by trying to cater to everybody.

Not all of Joey Swoll's subscribers felt he should have genuflected to an anti-Hulk Hogan mob that was on the warpath.

One last thing... A BAD apology is worse than none at all, as evidenced when Joey Swoll awkwardly tried to initially defend himself for being a Hulk Hogan worshipper, which made the cyber storm linger far longer than needed!

Will the real Joey Swoll please stand up?