Being a female streamer can be hard. Many are harassed. Some are even stalked.
Imane “Pokimane” Anys is the most popular female streamer on Twitch, which apparently comes with a lot of disturbing side effects. She constantly deals with people
doubting her abilities
and consistent
inquiries about her relationship status. Now, Pokimane has decided to share the constant harassment she faces every time she has a live stream. This includes death threats and overtly sexual comments.
In a recent YouTube video, Pokimane decided to show her fans her “unbanned forms” without removing any of the ones that are “really bad.” By showing her followers “everything,” Pokimane gave people a better understanding of what female streamers encounter whenever they sign on to stream on Twitch.
Messages often included references to her breasts, sex, blowjobs, and other crude acts that seemed to make Pokimane uncomfortable. She laughed throughout the stream but didn’t seem to take pity on the banned accounts. Few viewers offered legitimate apologies when asking for Pokimane to unban them for their inappropriate messages.
Even though the video taken from her stream was just as entertaining as it was shocking for many viewers, Pokimane took time to note that the messages are “frustrating” and “irritating.” She said that in the past, she would have to read these messages “day in and day out.” By turning it into videos and laughing about it with her fans, she said she can at least “get something out of” the harassment.
“The bottom line is… please just stop. I’m going to keep banning you. Some of these really gross me out and I don’t want to have to read these when I’m trying to play games with my fans. Thankfully my mods delete these most of the time.”
Pokimane noted that banned fans can sometimes still make another account and chat in her stream. This is her way of allowing them a second chance if they promise to change. But using inappropriate language and sexually harassing her will just result in another ban.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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