PewDiePie Under Fire for Racial Slur Used in Recent PUBG Stream

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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, PewDiePie 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, PewDiePie 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.

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

[UPDATE]
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:


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Related Forum: Media Forum

Source: http://comicbook.com/gaming/2017/09/10/pewdiepie-uses-racial-slur-during-pubg-stream/#1

Comments

"PewDiePie Under Fire for Racial Slur Used in Recent PUBG Stream" :: Login/Create an Account :: 27 comments

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CraigPosted:

Decy
Mickers PewDiePie is an annoying moron who makes far too much money from gaming.


Tbh its just his youtube channel in general... everyone seems to like his content.. i don't personally watch him never have either.


His channel attracts more 12 year olds than a panel van with free candy though. His viewer base is as aids as him.

DecyPosted:

Mickers PewDiePie is an annoying moron who makes far too much money from gaming.


Tbh its just his youtube channel in general... everyone seems to like his content.. i don't personally watch him never have either.

L33t-Ninja-MuchPosted:

i dont think filing a dmca will work or go anywhere

MickersPosted:

PewDiePie is an annoying moron who makes far too much money from gaming.

CraigPosted:

The guy seems triggered asf... But PewDiePie can piss off and all...

SilkyPosted:

Daniel His videos suck and I hate him anyway but everyone has said the N word once in their life, People need to get over it and move on.


Not sure if everybody has but I agree with what you mean - unless the term is used abusively I don't see a problem.

YinPosted:

I don't agree with what the game developer wants to do. Seems like it'd set a very bad precedent. As for the criticism Pew is getting, I can't argue against that. Maybe he isn't actually racist, but it doesn't help his case at all. If you are that popular and you decide to stream, you have to be mindful of your words. This could also end up hurting other YouTubers as well. They are already having advertisement issues. This could complicate that further. It's just not good at all and quite disappointing.

DanielPosted:

His videos suck and I hate him anyway but everyone has said the N word once in their life, People need to get over it and move on.

RecessPosted:

Being as big as he is doesnt gove him the right to say the word, but as tryhard gamers we know how frustrated we can get and how spontaneous out words can be.

GT-RPosted:

The dude is a bad business man. His game already sucked ass to begin with.