The topic of “Booby Streamers” has become hot again after Twitch has started going after the some of the more notorious streamers on their platform. The term Booby Streamer is pretty self explanitory and describes a woman streamer that often shows a generous amount of cleavage without being pornographic so they can attract a large male audience. Usually this male audience tend to be young and gullible so they will donate and feed off the reactions of these streamers. There are a lot of people who are upset that platforms let these users exist, but to be honest, I dont have much of a problem with it.
I think many men and especially older gamers see these people moving in as an attack on their culture and way of life. That might sound a bit extreme but for many people gaming was a hobby that they did because it was a fringe outside thing back in the day. You were a nerd 30 years ago if you played video games and most of these girls wouldnt give you the time of day, but now that it has become a popular culture thing and they can make money off of the audience, the attractive streamers come in droves. People feel as if they are moving in on territory that was once sacred to a degree.
The biggest criticism is that the girls dont even like games and that the whole thing is just an act in order to con people into believing they do. With these streamers pulling in hundreds of dollars a night off donations alone, other streamers who actually enjoy the hobby but might not be pleasing to look at, feel shafted. While I actually tend to agree with this criticism I dont necessarily think it really matters. I think this is just how the world works. Pretend is something that everyone loves. We watch movies that we know are pretend, people watch programs put on by companies like the WWE which are very similar and enjoy them.
I think overall gamers tend to be very hyper sensitive to any changes in their industry and often lash out in unreasonable ways. The Booby Streamers in my opinion are just what happens in life. When there is an opportunity to be made, people take advantage of it. Even if they dont enjoy the hobby they are putting on a show that people enjoy and they can do what they want with their money. Booby Streamers might actually even bring more people into the industry with the allure they have. Maybe the girls will end up enjoying games and become gamers for life.
I want to mention that not all girl streamers are Booby Streamers, just like not all attractive girls are porn stars. However, I will say that there is a ton of hate for attractive women gamers in general. I think there is a bunch of anger on the side of gamers who often were pushed to the hobby because it was an escape for real life. Whether that meant they were bullied or they never had a social life, gaming was an escape for them. As gaming becomes more popular and the people who once called them losers now join the hobby, they feel as if the enemy is now pushing them out again. I think people need to realize that games are meant to be enjoyed and relax. Im a rabid fan of video games but I think people take it too seriously. Its okay to be passionate but at what cost is it worth being upset over?
-Calaber24p
