Search Engine — “The Obituary”

Host: PJ Vogt
Date: September 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this deeply personal and investigative episode, PJ Vogt explores the world of “obituary trolls”—internet conspiracy theorists who target grieving families online. Triggered by the experience of listener Alex, whose wife's death and obituary became fuel for anti-vaccine conspiracies, the episode examines the mechanics, motivations, and consequences of this disturbing internet phenomenon. Through Alex’s story, expert insight, and a revealing dive into the world of viral conspiracy media, the episode seeks to understand how a meme like “died suddenly” weaponizes personal tragedy and why it’s so hard to fight back.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alex and Whitney’s Story

[04:13-14:17]

• Meeting and Life Together:
  Alex introduces himself and fondly reminisces about his wife Whitney, their first meeting, and her impact on him and others.

  • “She was just the kindest, most authentic, creative, and truly empathetic person I've ever known.” (Alex, 06:30)
  • They met working at a supermarket in Chicago, quickly became inseparable, and supported each other’s growth.

• Marriage and Tragedy:

  • Despite Whitney’s type 1 diabetes and a high-risk pregnancy, the couple were committed to starting a family.
  • Whitney suffered from severe pregnancy complications (hyperemesis gravidarum) and, at 22 weeks pregnant, died unexpectedly in her sleep from eclampsia.
  • Alex recounts the overwhelming bureaucracy and emotional devastation post-loss.
  • “You go from what was to be almost certainly the best moment of my entire life to... I had no context for it. It was the worst thing that ever happened to anyone I know. And it happened to me.” (Alex, 10:26)

2. The Online Aftermath

[14:17-22:23]

• Obituary “Hijacked”:

  • Alex writes Whitney’s obituary himself, striving to convey her essence. He includes the phrase “died suddenly.”
  • The phrase is seized upon by internet conspiracy theorists searching for “evidence” to support anti-vax claims.
  • Strangers begin posting cruel, false, or conspiratorial comments on Whitney’s obituary and social media, blaming the COVID vaccine for her death.
    • “They ranged from celebrating her death as another kind of lib casualty of the jab. Many were just very, very cruel and accused her of just being selfish and foolish and reckless for getting the vaccine.” (Alex, 17:04)
  • Alex describes his horror at seeing Whitney and himself featured in conspiracy videos on alt-right video platforms like Bitchute, as well as viral posts from the account “Died Suddenly.”
    • “He and his wife had been cast as characters in some dark fantasy made by lunatics on a website he'd never heard of.” (PJ, 19:11)

• Alex’s Attempt to Fight Back:

  • Considers infiltrating troll communities, ultimately has a lawyer draft a cease & desist to Bitchute, leading to some content removal.
  • “Since then, I haven't been able to bring myself to go look to see if it's still out there. … I just can't.” (Alex, 21:18)

• Call to Action:

  • Alex wanted to warn others: avoid certain language in obituaries to protect loved ones from similar trolling.
    • “I think funeral homes and newspapers … should warn people that certain words and phrases could potentially lead to this.” (Alex, 22:23)

3. Understanding Obituary Trolls

[27:28-45:33]

• Trend Analysis:

  • PJ notes this isn’t isolated—many grieving families have faced abuse by “obituary trolls” for using phrases like “sudden” or “unexpected” death.
  • Real-life examples: Amanda McCulloch (2021), Maddie Gold (2022), and others.

• How Did We Get Here?

  • Small, pre-pandemic anti-vaccine movements were amplified by COVID-19 mandates and social media deplatforming.
    • Bans on prominent accounts (e.g., Alex Berenson, Marjorie Taylor Greene) sent conspiracy communities to platforms like Rumble and Bitchute, strengthening their beliefs and connections.
    • Mainstream censorship inadvertently fueled radicalization and the hunt for alternative spaces.

• The Role of Media: "Died Suddenly" Film

  • An anti-vax “documentary,” “Died Suddenly,” becomes a viral sensation (20M+ views), encouraging adherents to comb the internet for “evidence” using obituaries of strangers.
  • The film’s logic replaces truth with viral conspiracy: an elite plot is “proven” through obituaries stating “died suddenly,” gory visuals, and emotional appeals.
    • “This is the movie's evidence. … A tower of increasingly hysterical paranoia is erected.” (PJ, 37:55)
    • “Whenever you look at the Internet, you've been given this pattern to search for.” (PJ, 39:13)
  • The film's executive producer, Stu Peters, is profiled:
    • A failed rapper and bounty hunter turned far-right media personality who found fame exploiting vaccine paranoia.
    • Regularly spreads anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and launched “died suddenly” as a daily social media campaign.

• Motivation and Psychology:

  • For some, trolling obituaries becomes a mission: “saving lives” by warning others through cruel, viral spectacle.
  • “I don't give a damn that somebody got their feelings hurt. Real kids are out here dying every single day.” (Stu Peters, 47:14)
  • Empathy for grief is overwritten by a sense of justice and urgency in their minds.

4. Why This Is So Hard to Stop

[47:37-51:53]

• Systemic Factors:

  • Social media amplifies virality; algorithms reward outrage and novelty over truth.
  • Deplatforming tactics yielded limited or counterproductive results—communities grew more insular and paranoid in response.
  • Legal recourse (defamation, cease & desist) is slow and piecemeal, but sometimes effective (e.g., Bitchute’s compliance, Alex Jones’ lawsuits).

• Limits of Prevention:

  • Avoiding certain phrases offers little protection: trolls find obituaries to exploit regardless of wording.
  • “I don't think there's some language modification you can make that keeps you safe from the delusions of other people.” (PJ, 50:26)
  • Lies—especially ones that can morph or travel rapidly—are inherently viral. Truth is stubborn and static.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Whitney’s Character:
  “She just had the most incredible moral compass that I've ever seen on anyone.” (Alex, 06:30)

• On Grief: “There are losses we move on from and others we don't. … Whatever that force is that binds us, that combination of love and grief and memory. Alex, three years from Whitney's death, is gripped by it.” (PJ, 14:17)

• On Online Cruelty: “The facts are true. It's just they've escaped their context … in which Whitney is now a character in a story she does not belong to.” (PJ, 47:18)

• On Conspiracist Rationalizations: “You want to know if I care that somebody got their feelings hurt? No, I don't give a damn that somebody got their feelings hurt.” (Stu Peters, 47:14)

• On Societal Solutions: “We haven't figured out in 2025 what to do about bad actors who behave like this. … Our laws still work at the edges. But there's still this larger problem. How our country built on the idea that anybody should be able to say what they want starts to sputter once you invent social media.” (PJ, 48:00)

Humanizing the Lost

[51:53-56:32]

In a moving final segment, Whitney’s family and friends remember her, recapturing her true essence beyond the viral distortions:

• Stories from parents, brother, “sisters,” and Alex.
• Remembrances: her laugh, her style, her joy, her love for art and family.
• “We're all doing our best to carry on her legacy and not use her death as an excuse to be cynical or angry.” (Alex, 54:00)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:13 | Introduction to Alex and Whitney’s story | | 10:26 | Alex describes the moment Whitney died and initial aftermath | | 14:17 | Grieving process & Alex’s emotional state | | 15:49 | Alex discovers the phrase “died suddenly” gets weaponized | | 17:00 | Description of the trolling and specific comments | | 19:11 | Photos and videos of Whitney and Alex appear in conspiracy spaces | | 21:18 | Alex gets Bitchute videos removed; feels unable to check for further postings | | 27:28 | PJ details other families targeted by obituary trolls, shows prevalence | | 34:47 | “Died Suddenly” anti-vax documentary’s argument and effect | | 39:13 | Explanation of how the conspiracy theory propagates online | | 41:25 | Profile of Stu Peters, creator of “Died Suddenly” | | 44:23 | Died Suddenly campaign “trolling” as marketing strategy | | 47:14 | Stu Peters: “No, I don’t give a damn...” quote in BBC interview | | 50:26 | PJ: No online safety through language tweaks | | 51:53 | Family, friends, and Alex share memories of Whitney |

Conclusion

“The Obituary” is a powerful, sobering episode about the interplay between personal grief and public conspiracy, and about the strange new wounds social media can inflict. By tracing how Whitney’s death was reframed by internet trolls and conspiracy movements, PJ Vogt reveals the mechanics and psychology driving viral misinformation—and the limitations of our legal, technological, and social tools to fight it. Above all, the episode is a call to preserve the truth and dignity of lost loved ones against the viral lies of the digital age.