User:Kevin Durant/Sandbox

Shock sites that can induce "shocking" effect without being pornographic or gore-y, just equally disturbing enough. Terms that knock curiosity into our sense the same way traditional shock sites do. However, some might include gore or sexual undertones; but does not display any graphic content that falls under the criteria of main shock sites.

Bonsai Kitten

Bonsai Kitten was an experiment conducted by an MIT graduate student Dr. Michael Wong Chang. It was originally hosted on various university servers like MIT and the University of Michigan before getting its own domain, Bonsaikitten.com.

The website claimed that a kitten's bones could be molded as it grew, much like the Japanese art of shaping bonsai trees. This method could be similarly compared to foot binding, a real-life practice of tightly binding the feet to change their natural shape and size. Here, users could find the development stages of "bonsai kittens." and how it's done. During the process, the kitten would grow into the shape of the jar, which was then broken once the cat reached the desired size. Users could view three of the four images showcasing this process. The last image, which showed the kitten in a later stage of development, could only be seen via the MIT student's email. The backlash was so intense that the FBI investigated the creators for potential animal cruelty statutes, but no charges were filed because no actual animals were harmed.

Gamer Leg

Gamer Leg is a wrinkled leg full of pressure marks, purplish-red and blue splotches, and skin inflammations. The image went viral after it was reposted to r/greentext on Reddit, with several other reposts luring people to search for 'Gamer leg' on search engines.

The "Gamer Leg" belonged to an American League of Legends player Martin "Marn" Phan. The image first surfaced when Marn was diagnosed with Vasculitis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels. Marn reached out to medical professionals to rule out blood clots and was later treated for skin vasculitis. Despite the real issue being diagnosed years prior, the condition was not caused strictly by gaming, but it is commonly associated with factors of prolonged stress, which led to poor blood circulation, also known as stasis dermatitis.

South32

In 2018-2019, South32.com was changed to a moving picture of the possessed figure from The Russian Sleep Experiment, with "South32" text flashing on the forehead and across the screen. A laughing sound could be heard playing loudly. Words above the screen suggest that 'South32' was once an 'xxx motion picture company', or simply put, an adult film production company.

In 2016, a neo-noir film called South32 was released. The film was written and directed by Luigi Bian, who is commonly associated with, and referenced by, South32.com multiple times. However, it was revealed that Luigi Bian was a fake name. The real person behind Luigi Bian was Saeid Yomtob Ian, an Iranian sex trafficker. He used South32.com to extort the mining company South32 and used methods such as cybersquatting.

The dispute begun when the owner of the mining company, BHP Billiton, filed complaints against Luigi Bian, despite his having owned the trademark since April 3rd, 2012. BHP Billiton chose the name South32 because it refers to the 32nd parallel south line of latitude, which links the company's major operating regions in Australia and Southern Africa. South32.com never included any disturbing content until 2014, when BHP Billiton announced they would be naming their new company after his own website, which is officially hosted under South32.net.

Luigi Bian used South32.com to defame the mining company. For example, bizarre images and the words "xxx motion company" were added to give users a bad impression of the mining company. Another instance was that South32.com occasionally display self-harm content until it was changed to a sex registry slander in May 2026.