Gaming

PewDiePie Under Fire for Racial Slur Used in Recent PUBG Stream

[UPDATE] as of 4:30 PM 09/10/17Firewatch developer Seaon Vanaman took to Twitter with a […]

[UPDATE] as of 4:30 PM 09/10/17

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Firewatch developer Seaon Vanaman took to Twitter with a call-to-action. Vanaman is filing DMCA takedown notices for all Firewatch content with the PewDiePie name attached to be taken down. His statements can be seen below distancing himself, and his company, from Kjellberg:

Original story:

Shortly after being dropped from both Google and Disney for anti-semitic remarks in a highly publicised video, Felix Kjellberg – better known as PewDiePie on YouTube – has once again landed himself in hot water for not being aware of his audience.

During a recent stream, the highly public YouTube sensation once again took things unnecessarily far by using a racial slur during a dicey moment in the popular PC game PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds. The use of this particular slur was loud and immediate. The stream in question can be found here, though there is a language advisory with derogatory connotations.

PewDiePie is no stranger to these types of controversies, his brand has even incurred substantial damage because of this. With over 57 million subscribers, the public outreach is immediate and though streamers are not expected to be “cookie cutter,” it is important to keep the fanbase in mind. This is even more vital in terms of language that has the intent of harm behind it, such as this most recent instance.

Previous instances concerning the public figure have seen similar backlash, including the the reason behind Disney’s decision to drop him.

Previous controversies

Back in February, PewDiePieย found himself in a similar situation where he was present in a video rife with Nazi imagery alongside two other people holding “Death to All Jews” signs. Rather than immediately apologise, PewDiePieย went on the defensive claiming that media has mischaracterized him and that it was simply a “joke gone too far.” His apology that followed was not so much for the content that occurred, but sorry that people were offended.

His career hasn’t all been critical missteps, he is also known for his strong community and charity work but what is important for figures like him is that once you’ve accumulated a large following such as his, there is a social responsibility that should always be present. “With great power comes great responsibility,” and so should it be with great social media presence.ย 

At the time that this article was written, Kjellberg has not issued a statement regarding the latest community backlash.ย 

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