Controversy in the Ninja interview: history of Twitch streamer, Tyler Blevins

Controversy in the Ninja interview: history of Twitch streamer, Tyler Blevins

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  • Twitch streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins was recently interviewed by the New York Times, sharing his thoughts on parenting and more.
  • Blevins has a long history of controversial statements and behaviors, from explosions to refusing to play with women.
  • Visit the Insider home page for more stories.

On Sunday, the New York Times posted a profile featuring the game’s personality Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, discussing the creator’s rise to fame and celebrity on the internet. In the swearing interview, the gaming superstar, who has millions of followers on all platforms, said his move to the now-defunct streaming mixer platform “was smart”, that you shouldn’t spend “a lot of time alone with a woman , in general, if you are a married man “, and that he is” very good at inventing things that people don’t think “.

The internet is a little more critical of Blevins than most other content creators because of the fame he has achieved. A quote in the article sparked online outrage centered on how Blevins feels about his smaller audience.

“You want to know who your son is,” Blevins said in the interview. “Listen to him when he’s playing video games when he thinks you’re not. Here’s another thing: how does a white child know he has the privilege of whites if his parents never teach him or don’t talk about racism?”

Continuing with the topic of discussing racism with his audience, “is it my job to have this conversation with this boy? No, because the first thing that goes through my head is: this boy is doing this on purpose to trick me.”

After Gamespot added the interview, the Twitter sphere went crazy with Blevins’ critical opinions. More than 60,000 tweets were posted about the streamer over the next three days, leading to the trend. YouTubers and streamers shared their opinion on the subject, some believing that content creators have a responsibility to teach their audience, while others think it is the parents’ responsibility.

Blevins’ wife, Jessica, was quick to defend her husband against detractors, citing that “he DOES his part” when it comes to discussing racism.

During the BLM protests by George Floyd that took place in May 2020, Blevins tweeted “I am with the black community, and all races.” When someone online began to criticize him, writing that he should stay out of politics, Blevins replied “this is not politics (;) these are human rights.”

Ninja the brand vs. Ninja the person

Blevins has been a professional player since 2009, when he competed for the first time in a “Halo 3” tournament and quickly became one of the most recognized players in the world. He started streaming in 2011, becoming a huge hit in shooters like “H1Z1” and “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.” In late 2017, he started broadcasting Fortnite and his popularity soared at the same time as the game.

With the success of Fortnite, Blevins, who has 16.7 million followers on Twitch, became the poster boy for non-obsessive players. He appeared in Ellen, danced in Times Square on television on New Year’s Eve and ran Fortnite’s Battle Bus with Will Smith during YouTube Rewind 2018. He has his own line of Adidas sneakers, underwear and an “official game track” . For a while, he wasn’t just another Twitch streamer – he was the face of culture.

This consumer friendly version of the Ninja brand was in direct contrast to how Blevins can sometimes act on the broadcast. It is not difficult to find clips of the Ninja scolding or teasing other players in a video game. In February 2017, while playing sniper H1Z1 and taking down another player who said some slander to him, Blevins shouted “what did you say to me, you shit … How are you not at f — school, are you? kiss your mom with that mouth? “This clip has become one of your most famous and widespread, becoming a popular meme in the gaming community.

In August 2018, Blevins told Polygon that he didn’t like streaming with women, saying “the only way to avoid [the rumors] is not to play with them. “He expressed that playing with a woman can generate rumors among his fans and it is not something he wants to see. This became a massive story and Blevins reiterated his point in the Times interview, causing criticism to flow once again.

In April 2020, Blevins generated controversy again when talking about players who mock him for being on the Mixer, saying “I can literally buy the bank that your house is being loaned to you and — foreclosure.”

While playing “Valorant” with his T1 player e-sports team in July 2020, Blevins said, “You really are the stupidest person on the planet,” while one of his teammates played a baby crying sound in the background. Sonii, the player considered “stupid” was later removed from the team.

Freedom of the masses

Ninja’s level of fame is unique to an internet personality, as is the level of scrutiny applied to him, but if numbers are an indication, he may have to worry less about how he is seen.

Blevins is no longer attracting 600,000 viewers on Twitch to see him play “Fortnite” with Drake. According to TwitchTracker, on average, a Ninja Twitch stream attracts an average of 16,000 viewers who watch it play “Valorant” or “League of Legends”.

With this smaller audience not here to see him play Fortnite, Blevins can feel free to let more of his inner personality pass.

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