Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2013/07/24/taylor_swift_backstage_photo_contest_cancelled_after_competition_is_hijacked_by_reddit_fans/

Curses! Reddit plan for fat old beardy to 'smell hot pop girl Taylor Swift's hair' FOILED

Radio compo felt 'compromised'

By Kelly Fiveash

Posted in Bootnotes, 24th July 2013 15:23 GMT

A campaign to get a fat, "creepy", and apparently over-aged bloke to win a contest to have his picture snapped backstage with country music popstrel Taylor Swift has backfired.

The radio station - Boston's Kiss 108 FM - running the competition issued a terse statement that brought the race to pose alongside the Grammy Award-winning 24-year-old to an abrupt end. It appears they knew he was trouble when he walked in. It said:

Disappointingly, we have determined that the integrity of the 'Taylor Swift's Biggest Fan' contest has been compromised. In accordance with our contest rules, effective immediately, the contest has been terminated. We apologise to all of our loyal listeners who have participated.

Users on 4Chan were behind the campaign to get a middle-aged, beardy bloke apparently called Charles Z (who may not even be real) to win the comp by being voted into the number one slot, possibly with the help of spam bots.

At least one Redditor did vote, however, commenting:

I voted and I feel like the site is more or less accusing me.

YOU JUST HELPED CHARLES

Swift justice administered

Redditors were quick to spread the news online and back the campaign. As it noted: "4chan managed to get Charles Z to first place in a contest, so he could meet Taylor Swift and smell her hair."

It also meant that thousands of young girls would miss out on the chance to be photographed with the dirty blonde, be-fringed one.

His profile read: "I'm a 39-year-old man and I love Taylor so much and don't care that both adults and children mock me for it."

But he and his legion of fans were swiftly (geddit?) elbowed out of the way by the radio station for hijacking its competition. ®