In the midst of tragedy, the internet always finds a way to add fuel to the fire. The attention always seems to end up on the humorous aspects of the situation. Maybe it is a way of coping through difficult times, or maybe it’s easier to be ignorant to the serious situations occurring around us. For whatever the reason may be, this idea found itself to be accurate during the recent hurricane season. The Southern states in the U.S. were struck with two hurricanes, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, back-to-back. Florida in particular was impacted so strongly that the damage will take years to reverse.
Rather than stomaching the natural disaster that was about to take place, the internet did what the internet does best. The spotlight found itself on a man in Tampa, Fla., named Joseph Malinowski. A video that went viral on TikTok showcased his small sailboat floating in the Atlantic Ocean. He described that he had planned on remaining in his boat through the hurricanes and would let the internet know if he survived. Viewers were amazed at the dedication, bravery, and hint of negligence that came with Malinowski’s actions. He was given the nickname “Lieutenant Dan,” inspired by the iconic Forrest Gump character.
News coverage quickly found Malinowski and he participated in many interviews prior to the hurricanes hitting Florida. In each of them, he reiterated that he would be staying with his boat. People online were constantly talking about him and searching for updates on his situation. Someone even took it upon themselves to make him a GoFundMe account, where over $43,000 was raised. His story became so viral that a streamer by the name of Adin Ross even offered to buy him a new boat for $100,000 if he would live stream his experiences during the hurricane. One of his goals as an influencer is to collaborate with other influencers on his streams to gain more viewers, so as Malinowski’s story was getting more viral, it was in his best interest to reach out. As this story developed, Ross retracted his offer due to some information that came to light.
However, “Lieutenant Dan” was not a fan of the coverage he was receiving. He became the target of videos, interviews, and pictures. News outlets were constantly nagging him and authorities made many attempts to help him to a safer location, but he refused. The internet viewed him as a humble individual, due to his commitment to the bit. There was a respect that he had earned during that time for being so nonchalant about this living situation.
In its own humorous fashion, the internet has a running joke for people like Malinowski. In 2016, a Twitter user with the handle @pixelatedboat curated a genius tweet to post to the platform. The tweet said, “The whole internet loves Milkshake Duck, a lovely duck that drinks milkshakes! *5 seconds later* We regret to inform you the duck is racist.”
Sure enough, “Lieutenant Dan” was found to check all of the boxes of being a bad person. His casual attitude about his living situation wasn’t due to being a humble or appreciative individual. Instead, it was a “make your bed, sleep in it” scenario. The internet had discovered that he had a criminal record spanning across several states. He has done everything from punching a police officer in the nose to attempting to set a woman on fire on a bench. Instead of owning his questionable past, Malinowski insisted that he was not guilty of any of the things he was charged with. His fourteen mugshots, publicized in the midst of this controversy, would say otherwise.
The viral tweet of the Milkshake Duck is truly the epitome of micro-influencers. With social media constantly evolving, anyone can be “famous.” TikTok in particular has been the leading platform for viral videos. For someone like Malinowski, you don’t even necessarily have to be seeking popularity for yourself. Another person thought that his situation was funny and proceeded to record him and post it to the internet. People are quick to jump on the viral bandwagon and this typically results in the “15 minutes of fame” phrase that people often use. Right when someone seems like they deserve the attention and support, information comes to light that allows people to make the choice for themselves. For “Lieutenant Dan,” he was proven to have a terrible history as quickly as he was deemed a determined, humble individual. The legacy of the Milkshake Duck shows itself constantly and Malinowski is by no means the end of the cycle.
