On Friday, the Internet woes of a man named Phuc Dat Bich went viral. The fellow spoke out about how Facebook repeatedly shut down his account because they took him for a troll. Bich posted a photo of his passport, which was shared more than 164,000 times, as proof of his real name. He was fed up with Facebook zeroing in on his Asian name, and he’s not alone in his difficulty. A woman named Isis added her tale to the pile of people who are shunned in this way: “Facebook thinks I’m a terrorist. Sending them a screenshot of my passport is not good enough for them to reopen my account.”
Isis Anchalee is still battling Facebook, but Phuc Dat Bich has seen a happier ending. In only a few days, Bich gained 43,000 Facebook followers (and counting). Many left comments of support for his unusual name, and it looks like Facebook has relented. In a new wall post, Bich explained how life has changed since achieving Internet fame:
“I’d like to mention that I am very grateful to those who have been supportive of certain names that populate in different cultures. We live in a diverse and multicultural society and the fact that there are people out there who are supportive and encouraging really makes me happy. I’ve never ranted nor wept that my post would get this sort of exposure. But I am glad and honoured to be able to make people happy by simply making them laugh at something that appears outrageous and ridiculous. Much tragic events have happened all over the world, out of it all only happiness can mend. As an individual I hope I have played a part in brightening your days!”
The dude knows a difficult name is a small fight in comparison to true hardships, but it’s still nice to see him so happy. Bich also spoke to The Herald Sun to say, “Fame’s fame, to be honest. I don’t really care.” Maybe soon, we’ll receive an explanation about his his odd habit of posing inside car trunks.
(Via Phuc Dat Bich on Facebook and The Herald Sun)