The amount of responsibility that content creators have over their audience has been a long-time debate in the streaming community, and some big names recently spoke up about the topic after recent drama.
YouTuber Ian “iDubbbz” Washburn is mostly known for his
Creator Clash influencer event
these days, but he initially gained popularity — gaining over a million subscribers — for his controversial and edgy content, including the Content Cop series where he’d call out problematic influencers.
Recently, iDubbbz apologized for his previous content, claiming that he was responsible for making his following feel like that kind of racist and problematic behavior was okay.
“I’ve always had this dumb philosophy that I’m not responsible for, you know, my audience and how they behave beyond what content I put out,” he said. “And that’s stupid. And it’s led to a lot of hate and a lot of bad outcomes.”
Ludwig and Ninja argue over streamer responsibility
The apology video currently sits at well over 2 million views and has spread around the internet. Recently, YouTuber WillyMacShow gave his own opinion on the situation on Twitter, stating that streamers essentially “bear no responsibility” for how individual viewers behave.
“If 99 people like sarcastic humor, and the 100th person doesn’t get it, is that my fault??? No, it’s theirs for being an idiot. We cannot stupid proof the world, otherwise we won’t be able to do anything,” WillyMac tweeted.
The hot take didn’t sit well with some big name streamers, including Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Ludwig Ahgren. Ludwig shared the tweet, adding that WillyMac’s argument is “incredibly weak.” WillyMac
attempted to take advantage
of the attention by asking Ludwig to discuss the issue on a livestream but he didn’t take the bait.
Then, Ninja replied to the back and forth as well. The successful influencer explained that content creators are responsible for themselves, meaning they should be a “good role model and leader,” especially regarding sensitive topics.
The streaming community reacted to the debate with conflicting opinions of their own. Many agreed that streamers have a responsibility since they know the influence they have over young viewers. But some said that everyone is responsible for their own actions and streamers aren’t there to “babysit” fans.
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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