this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2023
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Late Stage Capitalism

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[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 36 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Twitch streamers are the epitome of cringe. Making money off of other people through donations to spend on themselves and accumulate wealth into the bourgeoisie status. How ungrateful that she has to poor-shame her viewers. Like seriously fuck off with that bullshit. Not like penguinz0 is any better. He just makes reaction videos.

[–] toilet_wolf@lemmygrad.ml 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

maybe it's because I'm an old geezer compared to the average twitch viewer but I honestly don't understand the appeal of these streamers. It must be some kind of parasocial thing

and every once in a while I'll see a clip where some popular streamer is talking, little "donation" messages show up on the screen and I'm reminded that people who are presumably much less wealthy than the streamer routinely donate money to them and it just breaks my brain

[–] DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It depends very much on the streamer, as a (probably) old geezer compared to the average twitch streamer the really loud and obnoxious ones are just unpleasant and horrible. I like having streaming content in the background when I work though, as an alternative to music or podcasts sometimes. Having someone who isn't hamming things up and is just playing a game they like with commentary is nice background noise, like having a housemate doing something in the background. I like very "low energy" stuff though, so I might not be the best representative of this, and the sorts of people I watch rarely beg for donations, usually just a little message like "hey, this helps me pay the bills, so donate if you've got money to spare" kind of thing. (I am pretty biased though, as I also rely on donations from supporters for my income)

[–] urshanabi@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

When you stream stuff in the background, is it usually people playing games or is it sometimes like the linked content where the streamer is talking?

[–] DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 year ago

Always the games, I've got no interest in most other streamer content. If they do youtube content I'll usually watch that as well, I'm not at all interested in their "lifestyle" or whatever, they're just background noise so I can work without hearing my neighbours arguing through the paper thin walls.

[–] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's wild that there is an entire economy for reaction videos. It's the most uninteresting thing imaginable. Once he was done playing the clip in this video, I had no incentive to watch the rest of it.

[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 year ago

An invention of the corporation. Capitalism innovation baby!!!! Easily selfish money shoving sponsorships and ads down our throat!!!

[–] Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I, fucking, can't stand that guy. Literally does nothing, and makes a career out of it

[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 year ago

All he does is speak bullshit in a monotone voice. I really can't stand him either.

[–] FuckBigTech347@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I despise these influencer/content creator types that have made it their career. I remember when making videos and streaming was about fun, not making profit. I don't understand how anyone can watch these fake shitbags for hours and spend ANY amount of money on them or their shitty merch. Every time someone showed me videos of such "content creators" I felt pissed off afterwards. Not because of the people showing them to me, but because of the annoying, loud and capitalist nature of the videos/streams themselves. I just don't get it.

[–] Munrock@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 1 year ago

I remember when making videos and streaming was about fun, not making profit.

Everything gets commodified in this shithole system. Everything.

Influencers feel more egregious because what they commodify is the sense of human connection and community itself.

But if they weren't doing it, the market would 'innovate' some other person or some other method to do it.

[–] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago

It boils down to loneliness, people want to feel part of a community and streamers provide that very easily. It tells a lot about our current state of society when you think about it.

[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 year ago

Exactly right!

[–] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago

What is even worse is that her parasocial simps are still gonna support her lol, streamers entire wealth comes from being crowdfunded by their public, if the public actually got mad bc of her attitude they could strip all their income and make her a broke girl.

[–] doccitrus@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Reaction videos are the lowest form of content imo. Far lazier and far less interesting than speedrunning, coding streams, reading/discussion streams, etc. (Not that I find Twitch streams generally compelling, either.)

And payments to streamers aren't donations in the sense of charity and don't claim to be. They're tips paid to entertainers, like money tossed into the hat of a street musician. It's a different model than wage work but it's not like a scam or a trick or something.

Using those tips to employ the wage labor of others (e.g., video editors) is exploitation, though.

[–] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

peng is just "talking over video game footage" youtube only without the nazism and without the game footage.

He's relatively harmless but if you find yourself watching him frequently you need to get a hobby because that's not a fulfilling way to live.

[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Harmless but nothing good in the sense of acutely providing something. His monotone voice and everything is beyond boring.

[–] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I wouldn't say fully harmless, he does lean somewhat reactionary. I mean, react streamer, it's literally in the job description.

[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Couldn't resist.

[–] toomanyjoints69@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 year ago

What is the distinction between that and selling hot dogs you made yourself using store bought ingredients?

Pretending to enjoy video games is work, considering how much video games suck.

[–] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's entertainment. It would be no different from supporting your local music band or theater group if Twitch wasn't the middleman.

[–] Henkire@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lowest form of entertainment. Lazy content.

[–] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 year ago

I'm not defending react streamers, that kind of content is trash that should be banned. But most streamers don't do that.

[–] supersolid_snake@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Money does change people. It really is a virus. I have had friends literally go from understanding sympathetic people to racist conspiracy theorists right after moving into a suburban home in a wealthier neighborhood

[–] Ronin_5@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

‘ 1. I just learned that Hasan and Penguinz0 are different people

‘ 2. I learned what pokimane sounds like and I don’t understand how people can watch her, much less how she became popular.

I grow ever more impatient for the revolution.

[–] Valbrandur@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh boy, something mildly dramatic has happened on twitter. Time for penguinz0 to record a video about it pushing the 10 minute mark and collect a paycheck that would allow any of us to live free of worry for at least an entire year.

[–] Aru@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago

sometimes he makes a whole video about an argument in a youtube comment section

[–] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago

FIVE! FUCKING!! DOLLARS!!!

[–] TankieReplyBot@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 1 year ago

I found a YouTube link in your post. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml -4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Predictably people pile on the millionaire because she's a woman, while the billionaire sues journalists because of his anti-Semitism, and it's fucking crickets.

Pokimane knows who will buy her cookies: tier 3 losers. I don't blame her for the hustle. Who gives a shit for calling her audience poor? You'll like the abuse you parasocial losers.

I'm so glad I never let streamers or vtubers occupy my mind.

Hey. We don't shit on Pokimane because she's a woman, we shit on her because she's a condescending asshole.