The Amazing Atheist — Reddit screenshot of controversial MensRights comment thread involving TheAmazingAtheist under the username terroja.

The Amazing Atheist

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Published October 1, 2026

The Amazing Atheist is the YouTube handle of Terroja "TJ" Kincaid, a vlogger who started ranting about religion in 2006 and later pivoted to political commentary. His channel built a sizable following, but a string of scandals, including a 2011 banana video leak and a 2012 Reddit meltdown about rape, turned his name into shorthand for the cringier side of early YouTube atheism.

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Overview

The Amazing Atheist is the YouTube persona of Terroja Kincaid, often shortened to TJ Kincaid, who built a channel around unscripted monologue rants aimed at the camera3. Early uploads focused on anti-theism and takedowns of organized religion, but by the early 2010s his topics drifted into feminism, politics and whatever news story he was angry about that week3. The format is dead simple: a bearded guy at a webcam, cursing, pacing the frame and tearing into a target for five to ten minutes.

His reputation online is split between fans who treat him as a blunt-talking free speech guy and critics who point to a long trail of scandals, including ethnic slurs in his first video and his 2012 Reddit comments mocking a self-described rape survivor1. Kincaid also wrote four self-published books, including In Defense of Evil, Scumbag: Musings of a Subhuman and Neckbeard Uprising, which read like his videos in print form3.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube
Creator
Terroja "TJ" Kincaid
Date
2006

Kincaid uploaded his first video, "Rant #1," to YouTube on November 20th, 2006, where he laid out his views on world religions and atheism3. The clip drew criticism almost immediately for Kincaid's use of ethnic slurs during the rant2. The handle TheAmazingAtheist stuck, and he kept uploading in the same confrontational monologue style4.

In 2009 he joined Doug Walker's That Guy With The Glasses review site under the alias The Distressed Watcher, where he produced Trailer Failure and Sour Note, two sarcastic review series3. His segments were poorly received by the site's audience, who signed petitions to have him removed, and he was ousted from the review team in September 20113.

How It Spread

The channel grew steadily through the late 2000s on the back of the New Atheist boom alongside figures like Thunderf00t and TheraminTrees. By January 7th, 2009 Kincaid had opened the @amazingatheist Twitter account, which pulled in over 26,000 followers in its first four years, and his Facebook page launched December 27th, 2010 and hit 38,500 likes within two years3. KYM pegged the YouTube channel at roughly 118 million views, 320,000 subscribers and 530 uploads as of October 30th, 20123.

The reputation turn came in October 2011, when a personal video of Kincaid performing a sexual act with a banana leaked online3. 4chan users raided his Facebook page and website, and on October 31st he posted a response video titled "BananaGate 2011" trying to explain the clip5. The incident was picked up by IGN, Daily Dot and Escapist Magazine3.

The bigger blowup came in June 2012, when Kincaid got into a Reddit argument with a self-described rape survivor, mocked their pain and admitted trying to trigger their PTSD1. The backlash, nicknamed the "beardpocalypse," cost him at least 345 subscribers in a single day according to VidStatsX data cited by Daily Dot1. He posted a nine-minute video defending himself that only made things worse, then DMed a private apology that the recipient, redditor lorrdernie, posted publicly after Kincaid refused to apologize in a public space1. Kincaid deleted his Reddit account soon after1.

Timeline

2006-11-20

Kincaid uploads "Rant #1," his first TheAmazingAtheist video on YouTube, drawing criticism for ethnic slurs.

2009-01-07

The @amazingatheist Twitter account is created.

2009

Kincaid joins Doug Walker's That Guy With The Glasses as The Distressed Watcher, hosting Trailer Failure and Sour Note.

2010-12-27

The Amazing Atheist Facebook page launches.

2011-09

Kincaid is removed from the That Guy With The Glasses review team after audience petitions.

2011-10-31

Kincaid posts "BananaGate 2011" responding to a leaked video showing him with a banana.

2012-06

The "beardpocalypse" Reddit controversy breaks out after Kincaid mocks a self-described rape survivor, costing him hundreds of subscribers in a day.

2012-10-30

KYM reports the channel at ~118 million views, 320,000 subscribers and 530 uploads.

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