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In 2018, Twitch streamer Pokimane decided to stream without makeup, which has led to "Pokimane without makeup" still being one of the most highly searched terms on the internet.
Streamers in the community, especially female streamers, have to pay a lot of attention to their appearance because the fanbase judges them based on their appearance quite a bit. When Pokimane decided to stream without makeup, it triggered multiple debates, which the community clearly hasn't resolved.
There is no doubt that Pokimane is one of the most attractive streamers in the Twitch community. Her fanbase is largely said to comprise of 'simps.' This means that a significant portion of her fanbase consists of people who obsess over the minute details related to her physical appearance. Anything out of the ordinary would be a shocker to those. The reactions of many self-described 'simps' to Pokimane without makeup exposed their double standards.
Why is "Pokimane without makeup" a thing even in 2021?
In 2018, Pokimane decided to film a makeup tutorial video, which obviously needed her to be makeup-free at the beginning. Her face sans makeup came as a huge shock to many people, who ridiculed Pokimane for her appearance. They began using the age-old claims that women who use makeup are basically deceiving people.
Soon enough, "Pokimane without makeup" became one of the most trending searches. This yielded loads of memes and trolls demeaning the Moroccan streamer's appearance. It was a truly vulgar reaction by an online mob.
However, the streamer retaliated like a champ and did not hesitate to shut down trolls who ridiculed her for her appearance. She posted several tweets shutting down her haters, basically clarifying that highlighting her supposedly bad photo would not demoralize her.
In a final move, she posted a bunch of selfies where she was wearing no makeup. She proved how "looking good" in a photo involved many other factors such as camera angles, lighting, and others.
The streamer even posted a video on her YouTube channel addressing the entire "Pokimane without makeup" drama.
How have this impacted other female streamers in the community?
Valkyrae was one of the lead female streamers who spoke out in Pokimane's support during the "Pokimane without makeup" controversy. Things did work out in her favor, though. Later on, when Valkyrae posted a makeup tutorial video, she received a lot of support online for being comfortable with streaming in her makeup-free face.
A major part of the credit for this change in attitude should go to Pokimane for vehemently retaliating against people shaming her for the way she looks. Pokimane did her part in educating trolls on the internet to be better. Her refusal to silently bear through the trolling definitely helped make the internet more inclusive for women.
This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
