Share

Ken Bone isn't who we thought he was

Washington - Ken Bone is learning the hard way what it's like to be famous.

The 34-year-old undecided voter from Illinois became an overnight sensation following his appearance in a bright red sweater at the second presidential debate last weekend.

He answered questions from Reddit users late on Thursday and early Friday.

Bone included his Reddit username in a Twitter post announcing the session. Those who looked up the name found Bone has shared his thoughts on such topics as images of a pregnant woman in a bikini and the increased "sexual satisfaction" he found after undergoing a vasectomy.

In another post, he said the 2012 fatal shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin was justified but also expressed contempt for the shooter, George Zimmerman.

According to CNN, Bone even recently commented on Jennifer Lawrence's hacked nude photos from 2014. He wrote: "Maybe she should have been more careful with her pics, but the bad guys are still the ones who sought them out and looked at them. By which I mean guys like me. I saw her butt hole. I liked it."

The comments surprised some on social media, with one Twitter user joking: "example 1,345,702 that you should never meet your heroes because they're probably a weirdy." Another said that the undecided voter was "no longer undecided on the whole 'twitter comes for everyone eventually.'"

Bone conceded that using his actual Reddit username in announcing the chat was "a bad call," but he also said: "I'm not running for president. I can say whatever I want."

He also elaborated on his experience going from an unknown to a topic of conversation across the country in a matter of hours.

"It's been unreal, both the good and the bad. Everybody has responded to the positive message with the exception of a few nuts," he wrote on Reddit. "For instance, I've had almost a quarter million new Twitter followers, and only 3 death threats. Great ratio!"

Bone has been quick to capitalize on his newfound fame. He tweeted a since-deleted ad for Uber Wednesday and is selling shirts with an image of himself similar to Shepard Fairey's "HOPE" poster created for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign.

Jimmy Kimmel has tapped Bone to serve as a special correspondent reporting from Las Vegas for his special post-debate program on Wednesday.

Trevor Noah shares his thoughts about Ken Bone:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE