Vlogger Logan Paul has posted a controversial trailer for his comeback, just over a month since he hit headlines for posting a video showing what appeared to be the body of a suicide victim.
The internet personality was suspended by YouTube after the post appeared to show a body hanging from a tree in Aokigahara forest in Japan – a location known as a frequent site for suicides.
The trailer for Paul’s return comes just days after his first interview on the controversy, in which he told ABC he is a “good guy who made a bad decision” and “will think twice in the future” about what he posts.
THE RETURN. pic.twitter.com/itXTe4t2U4
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) February 3, 2018
The tone of the trailer has been criticised on Twitter for its apparent jovial nature, depicting Paul as a hermit by the sea and describing him as a “maverick”.
ok yeah he learned nothing https://t.co/KupRxF3aCU
— Dave Jorgenson 🗯 (@davejorgenson) February 4, 2018
Logan Paul treating his “return” like some sort of reality tv show. https://t.co/Z3G5uWa1zJ
— Brian Koerber (@bkurbs) February 4, 2018
Some particularly took aim at the relatively small amount of time Paul has waited for his comeback.
Apparently @LoganPaul thinks enough a month is enough time passing that you’ll forget he filmed a the body of a suicide victim, edited that film, and then published it to make money off other people viewing the body, too. https://t.co/UUIkDrZm3T
— (((David Lytle))) (@davitydave) February 4, 2018
While some thought he should not be returning to the platform at all.
No need to return back to this platform, just like you can't return the privacy you robbed from that man and his family just for the views. What a lack of respect. https://t.co/gjSxcei7gv
— Dre (@_andreaagtz) February 4, 2018
However, his fans were pleased by the news of his return to creating videos and even enjoyed the style of the trailer.
Logan’s return video😂 Honestly so extra, but it makes it that much better! @LoganPaul, way to be 👊🏽 Can’t wait for tomorrow! Xo
— Shanice Teresa (@shaniceteresa) February 4, 2018
This division of opinion is perhaps best exampled by a tweet from one of his fans saying “like if you forgive Logan” and another which reads “like if you don’t”.
Both have thousands of likes, but the second post won out with more than 25,000 – five times that of the first post at the time of publishing.
Like if you forgive Logan
— ICONIC M🍒 (@jerikaslane) February 3, 2018
Like if you don’t
— elle✨ (@costellarshine) February 3, 2018
Since his controversial post a month ago, Paul issued an apology online and made a video on suicide prevention for his YouTube channel, which has 16 million subscribers – many of whom, critics point out, are young viewers.
He told Good Morning America this week the post showed a “horrible lack of judgment”, criticism he received has been “fair” and suggested he had intended the video to be educational.
“The idea was to shock and show the harsh realities of suicide and get people talking about something that I don’t think people are talking about much,” he said.