Voting Station

Gawker

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Internet Website

The Resume

    (2002-August 22, 2016)
    Creators: Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers
    Owned by Bustle Digital Group
    Headquartered in New York City
    Known for 'daily Manhattan media news and gossip'
    Filed for bankruptcy; ceased operations two months later (2016)

Why Gawker might be annoying:

    They spawned Wonkette.
    It repeatedly came under scrutiny for posting content which either violated privacy laws or which was illegally obtained.
    They announced they were selling Wonkette in the midst of a corporate merger (April 14, 2008).
    They have outed several prominent media personalities as gay, including Shep Smith and Anderson Cooper.
    They were forced to remove a story on a New York media executive soliciting the services of a male escort after it was determined to violate standards of journalistic ethics.
    They incurred a $140 million legal judgment after publishing a sex tape with Hulk Hogan.
    They publicly criticized the leaking of hacked nude celebrity photos on the internet but refused to take down the Hulk Hogan sex tape video after receiving the initial cease-and-desist letter.
    Several celebrities accused it of enabling stalkers with its 'Gawker Stalker' feature.

Why Gawker might not be annoying:

    Some of their content was clever and inventive.
    They were acquired by Univision in an auction.
    They drew the ire of conservative billionaire Peter Thiel after outing him as gay, prompting him to embark on a multi-billion dollar smear campaign.
    Many interpret its downfall to be a major victory in the fight against internet free speech. 
    Its sister flagship sites, Gizmodo and Jezebel, are still running strong as of 2020.
    It was a frequent target among Gamergaters.
    They got their asses kicked by Hulk Hogan.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 40 Votes: 45.00% Annoying