Last Tuesday, the debate entry “Westerlin on VGTV: Will wrap women in animal costumes and date them” was published in Nettavisen.
The comment was written by Nettavisen’s entertainment commentator, Maria Ludvigsen, who was critical of Oskar Westerlin’s (25) new dating programme, “Av med maska”.
Read the comment: This happens when you criticize Oskar Westerlin
Shortly after, Westerlin responded to the comment on social media, referring to her as “Martin” instead of “Maria”.
On Tuesday this week, Ludvigsen wrote a new comment, “This happens when you criticize Oskar Westerlin”. There she writes, among other things, that Westerlin must withstand criticism without firing back with personal attacks:
– Journalists do not hate influencers. But influencers must be able to be criticized in the same way as other public figures, without being met with ugly personal attacks, writes Ludvigsen in the comment.
– Only meant as a joke
Nettavisen has repeatedly tried to get in touch with Oskar Westerlin and his manager, Vilde Darvik, in recent days. Neither Westerlin nor his manager has answered Nettavisen’s inquiries.
On Thursday morning, VG published an article in which the 25-year-old, on the other hand, has chosen to speak out about the debate to the newspaper.
– Drawing me into homophobia and drawing parallels to mass shootings is completely groundless and has no root in reality. Realize that I hit a sore spot with the weld, but this is just frivolous journalism, writes Oskar Westerlin in a text message to VG.
Read also: Answers Nettavisen: I stand by everything I wrote in this private conversation
Only after the VG article did Westerlin choose to also speak out to Nettavisen, albeit with the same statement he gave VG.
– My comment was only intended as a joke about a short and typically ‘boyish’ hairstyle, and had absolutely nothing to do with styling. Dragging me into homophobia and drawing parallels to mass shootings is completely baseless and has no root in reality. Realize that I hit a sore point with the weld, but this is just frivolous journalism, writes Westerlin in a text message to Nettavisen.
When asked if Westerlin understands that his influence can have negative repercussions and if he thinks he should give Ludvigsen an apology, however, the communication stops. Westerlin has not yet answered Nettavisen’s follow-up questions.
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Westerlin has also published several Instagram stories in which he comments on the debate, where he repeats himself:
“At the top of VG again. This time because I joked with a journalist and referred to her as Martin and not Maria because her short and ‘boyish’ hair”, he writes.
He has then attached a question box where he invites his 180,000 followers to give their opinion on the matter, and whether Westerlin crossed the line or not:
Maria Ludvigsen has the following to say about Westerlin’s answer:
– I register that Westerlin takes no responsibility. It’s a shame, I can only repeat that I hope he goes to the thinking box, she says to Nettavisen.
– Contributes to legitimizing bullying
TV profile Tore Petterson (45) is among those who have caught up with the ongoing debate.
When asked by Nettavisen what he thinks about Westerlin’s “name joke”, he is clear in his speech:
– I think it helps legitimize bullying. I think that these people are role models, and I think they forget to think about that sometimes, he says.
– The queer environment is vulnerable here. We are a vulnerable group who are constantly on the edge of having our rights taken away from us. I don’t think we are easily offended, but I think it is important that we give notice, he adds.
Petterson also doesn’t think anything of what he describes as a culture that has arisen among male influencers in particular:
– It has become a culture that some of these male influencers follow. That they are a little fed up with the fact that it is victims of bullying who have to decide what constitutes bullying, says Petterson.
He believes influencers have a special responsibility to be careful what they say – as it can contribute to more polarisation.
– It doesn’t seem like Oskar Westerlin will regret it, what do you think about that?
– It is also part of this culture. As for ourselves, we must be very much in favor of freedom of expression, but if someone tramples over our things, we must react. I think the tone would have been quite different if the treatment had been towards him.
– But I think in a way that I have an experience that he doesn’t think that what he does is that important. Therefore, I can also understand that he does not want to say sorry because he does not want the words he says to be so important. He just wants to have fun and slap his lip and be one of the guys. But that’s not how it is in society now, says Petterson.
– Trolling by a troll
Westerlin’s friend and collaborator, Snorre Klanderud (28), has also thrown himself into the debate.
He recently shared a video on Snapchat comparing Ludvigsen to a male acquaintance of his and Westerlin’s.
The latter has obviously caught on to Ludvigsen’s sequel on Tuesday evening, as he has kept the joke going on social media:
“Debate in Nettavisen! Answer to Oskar’s trolling by a troll,” he wrote in an Instagram story with a screenshot of the comment in Nettavisen on Wednesday.
Read also: Oskar Westerlin accuses Dagbladet of “fraudulent journalism”
Nettavisen has tried to get in touch with Snorre Klanderud. He has not yet responded to our inquiries.
Ludvigsen is open about her own orientation, and writes in the comment that she is mostly met with acceptance for how she looks and dresses. But she also experiences comments of the same nature as Westerlin.
Klanderud points out in another Instagram story that there was no purpose in criticizing Ludvigsen’s approach, and that there was also no point when he published the video on Snapchat:
“By the way, I see that incitement against homosexuals is dragged into that post, and I do not support that in any way. I didn’t think about laying at all. Was just so sickly random and fun that she looked exactly like our clipper at the office. I almost thought it was him who wrote the breaking latest news”, writes Klanderud.
In the comments section of the recent debate entry, there are divided opinions, which some describe as a “cruel party”. Several comments are about the fact that the criticism goes both ways.
Klanderud seems to agree with that, and he writes on Instagram that Ludvigisen must expect to receive criticism in return:
“If you throw shit at someone who makes a living from throwing shit, then shit comes back”.