Dear Colin,
The answer to your question may be rather more intricate than it first appears. In my professional career I've spent a great deal of time attempting to analyse the convoluted relationship between online message boards and the perpetual recrudescence of 'gimmick' accounts, and I've come to believe that the desire to commit such a heinous act can be motivated by various distinct aims. Let's take you as one example, if I may: early on in my research I began with a routine psychiatric assessment of a small number of posters here; your results in particular caused me a great deal of alarm. When testing for the abnormalities know as the four D's: deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger, your scores were so far off the charts that I genuinely considered flying over to Ireland to report you to the authorities myself. The only reason I didn't was because I hate potatoes and I'm not particularly fond of having to start my car every morning by crouching behind a stack of sandbags while attempting to manipulate a ten foot pole with a car key attached to the end of it into the ignition. However, I was perplexed as to why someone would find satisfaction in attempting to portray themselves as some sort of unhinged, 'ticking time-bomb' dissident republican-type who strikes fear in the hearts of men wherever he goes. The answer, I believe, is linked not only to one cause of gimmick creation, but to the pastime of bodybuilding itself: deep insecurities and the need to create an identity which the individual believes will generate the respect and admiration of their peers. This particular type of gimmick is the most alarming as it is born out of insecurity, delusion, and fear rather than a desire for mischief-making and general tomfoolery. In most instances you will find that the individual responsible for promulgating such tall tales is often mentally ill, and will typically shy away from most forms of social interaction. Often they will be on anti-anxiety medication and suffer from sporadic violent outbursts directed at various inanimate objects such as walls, picture frames, mirrors, crockery, etc. The likelihood of them turning to image and performance enhancing drugs is also alarmingly high, as they seek to build up a protective 'muscle suit' in the hope of deterring any violence that may be directed their way while out in public. The confidence that comes with this unnatural amount of muscle mass becomes addictive, and may lead to increased instances of narcissistic behaviour online - such as constant picture posting in the hope of receiving positive feedback, or fabricating tales of derring-do in an attempt to turn fantasy into reality.
Another explanation for the motivation behind gimmick creation has already been mentioned, but I will elaborate. Many individuals choose to create a second account because they wish to preserve the reputation they have established with their original account. It may be that they find themselves incensed by a particular discussion but fear the retaliation of the mob if they were to voice a dissenting opinion, or, indeed, they may be aware that to put forth an objection could risk harming a relationship they have formed online with an individual they have become fond of. Quite amusingly, what I have noticed in other instances of individuals who do this is that they tend to suffer from a strong desire to appear as figures of authority. Generally, they will have worked their way up the forum 'hierarchy' into a moderator position - often on multiple message boards, and will take the role particularly seriously - attaching a great deal of prestige to it. In real life they will tend to gravitate towards careers which grant them a degree of authority they would otherwise lack - such as the police force, prison service, or supervisor in an orphanage - anything that will allow them to dominate the weak, vulnerable or incapacitated. On message boards, they tend to go to great lengths to avoid being caught and will attempt to disguise their writing style as well as vehemently condemn acts of gimmickry as something so shockingly reprehensible that they couldn't possibly comprehend how an individual could do such a thing. These men and women are the Harold Shipmans, John Wayne Gacys, and Ted Bundys of the online world and must be avoided at all costs.
Lastly, there are those who do it simply for the entertainment value of annoying the indignant and moronic. Bodybuilding forums are particularly abundant in stupidity, given the nature of what the 'sport' entails and the personality types attracted to it, so the promise of a particularly explosive outburst of vexation can prove to be quite tempting for those who find these reactions amusing. 'strongmen' types and steroid users are especially susceptible to provocation online due to the fact that their physiques can't function as a deterrent against criticism, leaving them stripped of all their armour and therefore highly vulnerable to mockery. Their reactions are all the more comedic when you consider the fact that they spend most of their time expatiating on the flaws of others, championing hatred and ignorance, and generally trying to denigrate anything they aren't capable of comprehending - but when they find themselves on the receiving end of a light-hearted lampooning, their comments will abruptly change from the usual ' Hurr durr, liberal snowflakes, free speech, Hitler was a good man, lol @ the fascists banning Milo from Twitter', to: 'The gimmicks are out of control! Mods...do something!'
It's all rather silly if you ask me, and I take pride in being able to say that I've risen above it all and will never have the need for multiple accounts. I only hope that others will follow my example so that we can finally put an end to this nonsense and make GetBig great again.
