Name: 100 men v one gorilla.
Age: The debate seems to have begun in 2020, on Reddit, when a poster asked the question in a r/whowouldwin subreddit, a forum for hypothetical discussions on myriad subjects.
Wait, one gorilla debated against 100 men, on Reddit? Is that where politics has got to? No, that’s where the discussion began, about who would win: 100 men or one gorilla?
At what? Chess? Life? Life would be interesting. No, a fight of course. A hundred men against one silverback gorilla.
Like when 100 Japanese kids played football against three professional footballers? Not really, because that actually happened (the kids lost 1-0). This is purely hypothetical.
It would be the way to settle it, once and for all: 100 men v 1 silverback. No rules (try explaining the Marquess of Queensberry Rules to an ape), anything goes. True, but animal rights people might have something to say about it.
Human rights people, too, possibly. Anyway, the debate has kicked off again, when the question was posed to X users last week. Since then it’s been raging on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, all your socials. Mr Beast even weighed in.
On whose side? Mr Beast is, despite the name, a man. One man.
I know! The influencer. Actually, he didn’t really say who he thought would win.
100 men obviously – we used to hunt mammoths. With spears.
We’ve got spears, and you said no rules. OK, then the gorilla has an AK-47… Anyway, the point is, it’s what one user called a “real interweb discussion”.
Other examples of which are … Man v bear.
Bear obviously, plus I’ve seen Grizzly Man. Man v shark.
Duh! Shark! (see Jaws). Bear v shark. (Also a novel, interestingly.)
Blue dress v gold dress? The dress. Exactly. Those viral debates that gain momentum and plot twists with the addition of videos and memes.
But ultimately aren’t that important? Maybe not, but perhaps they bring people together in a different way from the usual toxic conversation online. A humorous distraction.
From work, too. See also the real world.
And to return to 100 men v 1 gorilla: what about women? What about them?
Where do they stand on this important issue? Well, I’m afraid some are seeing it as a way to get rid of some unwanted men. “Can I be the one that specifically picks the 100 men to fight the gorilla?” one posted. Followed by: “I have a list.”
Do say: “Yeah, but the silverback can not just lift – but throw – up to 815kg!”
Don’t say: “So when are we getting the reality TV show of this?”
