It Was Just a Joke. Demagoguery, Humor, and Video Game Streaming

Abstract

Video game communities and fandoms have been a breeding ground for hate speech and neo-fascist ideology. In 2017, the most popular YouTuber at the time, PewDiePie, used a racial slur during a stream, apologized, and obfuscated the racism of the moment by calling it a joke. Other personalities like streamer Dr. DisRespect have faced little-to-no backlash for using similar racist slurs. Massive fan support from across the internet has insulated these, and similar gaming content creators, from consequences for their behavior because they embody the ideologies of these fans. These communities have relied on establishing in and out groups. Typically, these in an out groups position white, straight, males as the primary in group within the streamer communities. Using Roberts-Miller’s (2017) definition of demagoguery, we demonstrate that streaming communities promote demagoguery and anti-democratic communication. Through an analysis of problematic humor used by PewDiePie and Dr. DisRespect and their response to the fallout, we argue that humor often functions as a rhetorical shield against criticism and further entrenches the troubling political trends found within many of these fan groups.