Fired X Factor Bully Judge Now the Target of Harsh 'Justice' Herself

Kills, whose albums are rumored to have seen lower sales numbers than the number of signatures on the petition to get her fired, is taking the brunt of the outrage for her comments. While her husband sat idly by and contributed that the contestant, dressed in a suit and tie with slicked-back hair like Moon and millions of others in the world, looked like he might kill someone and stitch their bodies together to form a suit, Kills tore the guy apart, telling him he had no artistic integrity and saying that she was disgusted by the whole package she was being presented with. I don’t feel sorry for Kills who, as a public figure, should have considered what kind of reaction her words would cause.

What I don’t agree with, however, is the fact that so many of the people going after Kills are using gendered insults to punish her. Even her former co-judge, Melanie Blatt, referred to Kills as a “twat” on Twitter, to the delight of thousands.

Vice’s Michelle Lhooq has written an excellent piece on the fallout that Kills’ words have caused and how people are using words like “cunt” and “slut” to get back at her, even though neither of those words have anything to do with what Kills said to the contestant. But what can you expect from an internet mob? Even when they’re exacting online justice against someone who deserves it, their methods are crude and hard to agree with.

The top comment on her video for “Mirrors” reads “you are a slut,” but the video has also garnered more than 12 million views as of today, many of them probably being amassed as downvote armies show up to send the videos into oblivion (I don’t actually know what happens to downvoted videos) or to see exactly who was calling others “creepy” and “unoriginal.” But does the reason for the publicity matter as long as her name is out there? Kills has been posting songs and images on social media in the wake of the controversy and is, Vice reports, gaining more and more followers…which isn’t bad for a fired judge with unremarkable album sales.