Despite its problems, one thing I love about Reddit is all the strange and funny reasons why a subreddit, and thus a new community, can be created.
Someone cracks a joke or floats an idea in a comment, and right before your eyes it can blossom into an entirely new community, sometimes with broad appeal, sometimes just as niche humor. One of my favorite examples (of the latter) is the subreddit r/BitchImABus.
Note: That sub expressly forbids footage of actual violence, like bad collisions. Sometimes bus or car accidents may appear there, but only the kind where people are not seriously injured.
Over a decade ago, someone posted a story about riding on the bus when a car aggressively tried to cut it off and turn right in front of it, all the while honking like a jerk. The bus driver, calmly speaking to himself and anyone in ear shot, just defiantly said “bitch, I’m a bus.” Someone joked in the comments that this should be a new subreddit, and boom.
It has over 229,000 subscribers now. I think I’ve submitted a couple posts over the years. All of it done for free and love of the game—from a moderation and participation standpoint, Reddit communities are staunchly against things like influencers, clout-chasing, and financial incentives. Hence why the entire site is structured around topics instead of following people, like on most other social media (This is one of my favorite aspects about it). While you technically can follow other users on Reddit, I don’t think it’s a popular feature. After all, the site and its culture are built on a foundation of anonymity (for better and worse, but that’s a different conversation).
The communities that do tolerate or solicit things like self-promotion or interacting with known celebrities, such as the occasional events put on by the Ask Me Anything subreddit, usually have strict rules about how it’s done. In my experience, you almost always have to clear it with a mod before you post.
Bitch, I’m a Bus is just people enjoying humor about anthropomorphized buses, thanks to a funny anecdote from a bus ride. I love it.
