It gets a ton worse than nicknames between public figures. Raging hostility by non-public actors at non-public individuals, impeccable timing to maximize damage..it seems at times, if you’ve seen it in person, only the intelligence of Satan and his minions can orchestrate this kind of brutal misbehavior.
Certainly. I've seen it, and it's horrible. (See also a lot of corporate "harassment training", which generally portrays a particular group as the perpetrator but never the victim.) It's also encouraged by misconduct at the highest levels. The incessant use of contemptuous, pejorative "nicknames" by public figures encourages similar bad behavior among the general public. It sets a bad example. I used to do that, I now strive to turn away from it, even as regards people I find to be truly loathsome.