Is Pokimane controversy's favourite child?

By Saahil Agnelo Periwal
Modified Oct 01, 2020 11:45 GMT
Image Credits: Pokimane/ Instagram
Image Credits: Pokimane/ Instagram

Imane "Pokimane" Anys is currently one of the most popular streamers in the world, with millions of followers across various social media platforms.

The Morocco-born star rose through the ranks to become one of the top streamers on Twitch, where she is one of the top draws.

Pokimane's persona is modelled along the lines of a 'Kawaii' girl, who appeals to viewers via her interaction-based videos. It is these traits, along with her own trademark quips, which have made her a fan-favourite over the course of her streaming career.

However, Pokimane is no stranger to controversy as being famous has its own set of drawbacks. Of late, she has been facing a lot of heat from members of the online community due to a plethora of issues- be it her feuds with various content creators or her problematic 'simp' fans who are often a source of ridicule in the community.

Speaking of simps, Pokimane recently landed herself in a soup yet again, when her tweet about defending simps ended up horribly backfiring upon her:

Her crime? Using the phrase 'Attack Helicopter' which several interpreted as transphobic as they believed it invalidates transgenders as a legitimate third gender.

The perils of fame ft. Pokimane

The amount of hate that Pokimane has received throughout the course of her career often teeters on the edge of appalling.

While most of the criticism directed towards her seems to stem from a general apprehension of her persona and simp fans, there have been instances where she has been criticised for questionable reasons.

For example, in the past she has collaborated with fellow YouTubers Markiplier and Jacksepticeye on their brand Cloak.

Soon after she was announced as the Creative Director, fans began to petition for her removal on account of her threatening to go after ItsAGundam's sponsors:

Image Credits: Twitter
Image Credits: Twitter
Image Credits: Twitter
Image Credits: Twitter
Image Credits: Twitter
Image Credits: Twitter

While the Gundam issue persisted, she also got embroiled in feuds with fellow creators such as Keemstar and LeafyIsHere, with the former rating her 2 out of 10 and the latter going to the extent of revealing that she has a boyfriend.

Since then, her each and every move, tweet and appearance has been under endless scrutiny, which tends to point towards a situation where she just can't seem to catch a break.

Another example is her recent attempt at being a Vtuber, where she even gave credit to the artist but was again called out for being a hypocrite, considering she had criticised Gundam's digital avatar a few months back.

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While ItsAGundam and Pokimane may have cleared their beef, there still exists a rooted sense of aversion towards the 24-year-old, who, despite taking accountability in a recent video and apologising for her past misdeeds, is still being made to face a severe acid test.

Such kind of venomous hate which is being spewed at a female creator of Pokimane's stature certainly makes one wonder if there is more to it than what meets the eye. If it was any other streamer, would they also be relentlessly criticised every other day or is hating on Pokimane something which has just become a staple of the online community?

Despite there being a distinct grey line pertaining to the hate which comes her way, there is no doubt that Pokimane tends to have an unfavourable tendency to court controversy.

Going forward, what needs to be questioned and examined is the nature of the controversy. If a society continues to feed off hate and indulge in spewing venom, then all that will remain is unfiltered toxicity, which will end up ruling with a corrosive iron hand as cancel culture lies in wait.