UPDATE: Kaceytron was unbanned and streaming as of March 27.
Veteran Twitch streamer Kaceytron has been indefinitely suspended from the platform following an offensive joke about the Coronavirus. Her edgy remark was made during an episode of “The Rajjelor” – Rajj Patel’s Twitchified version of The Bachelor.
When answering a question about kissing an infected Quackity, she sarcastically remarked, “yes, and we would leave quarantine, and we would try to spread it as much as possible.” If Kaceytron had stopped there, she likely would’ve been fine. Unfortunately, Twitch clearly took issue with the followup remark, “because the world would be a better place without old and poor people.”
The move by Twitch staff left users polarized on the matter. Some Redditors were quick to point out that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Kaceytron – a personality widely known for her controversial statements and edgy humor. Others seem to be annoyed at Twitch’s lack of understanding regarding Kacey’s dry and sarcastic style of comedy.
“Unsurprised” is the one word that seemed to unify witnesses. The general consensus can essentially be with the statement, “It was a joke, but in poor taste.” Even Kaceytron herself decided to publicly state her regret in making the offensive joke.
Taking to Twitter to both announce the ban and offer her apologies, the streamer made no attempts to defend herself.
She laid out her reasoning in following tweets, yet ultimately accepted responsibility.
She may be attempting to walk a path of “reformation” – similar to Tyler1 and his history with LoL – but who’s to say how forgiving Twitch staff will be after the dust settles.
As a Twitch streamer, there isn’t much security for those like Kaceytron who have built their following around controversial commentary and dry, offensive satire. A great example of her subtle humor (Warning: Loud Volume/Explicit Language) is a moment from her Women’s History Month stream. Leading up to her ban, she was no stranger to using COVID-19 as a vehicle for humor, either.
Mix those two ingredients together and you’re bound to get a negative response from Twitch. Although indefinitely banning streamers over sarcastic jokes is a bit much, Kaceytron’s timing couldn’t have been worse with the world currently on high-alert.
Sources: Twitch, Twitter, Reddit
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