It’s an event streaming enthusiasts are looking forward to: the “Once All Stars,” a soccer match between France and Spain. This is not a match about the FIFA game but a very real opposition, at the Jean Bouin stadium in Paris, on Saturday, November 19 at 8:30 p.m.
And the gathering isn’t just an opportunity to put on a show in a 19,000-seat arena and in front of thousands of people on Twitch. This is a real confrontation between French and Spanish streamers, best enemies for several months.
But beyond the competition, this match puts the issue of sexism in the world of streaming at the center of the table, as well as the harassment suffered by those who try to remedy it.
100% male teams
Whether on the side of France or on the side of Spain, one slogan: no women in the ranks of the two teams. If Squeezie’s GP Explorer had been able to welcome some female streamers (only three out of 22 entrants), the “Eleven All Stars” would have an all-male workforce.
Among the tricolores we will thus find Michou, Inoxtag or even Amine, all of them supervised by Kameto and Said de Pieds Carrés. For the Iberians, we will find Ibai in particular at the controls and Rubius on the ground, cameramen who had given a lot to talk about during the pixel war last April.
And as soon as the French team was announced, comments rained down to denounce the absence of women to participate in this match.
And this absence of content creators raises questions about how the French internet environment tends to evolve from year to year. Controversies and bullying phases are now common on social media, from Twitter to Twitch to Discord.
Bullying, the only solution?
In fact, some streamers are often accused of misogyny. And several are among the names present on the list of 21 players selected to participate in the “Once All Stars”. Issue highlighted by Ponce, a French streamer with 800,000 subscribers on Twitch.
In a tweet citing the French team’s announcement, Ponce denounced the presence of people considered problematic in the French internet environment. “After asking some streamers for help, it hurts me,” he added.
Ponce did not give any name in his tweet but it is enough to look at the comments and messages linked to the conversation to understand that it is Pfut, a French streamer specializing in soccer. Some netizens blame Pfut, among other things, for his many sexist jokes as well as a relationship with a minor.
Pfut is also used to attacking, humorously or otherwise, towards the streamer Ultia. This has also become collateral damage from the controversy with Ponce and the Once All Stars. For several days, she and Ponce trended on Twitter, receiving numerous insults, “jokes” and other derogatory comments.
But Pfut isn’t the only streamer concerned about allegations of harassment or misogyny. Yass, another “Once All Stars” contestant, has also been singled out on several occasions for derogatory tweets towards women.
Amine, at the initiative of Eleven All Stars, however tried to explain in a live video on Twitch, the absence of women at his event.
recurring accusations
In recent weeks, the issue of harassment of streamers has gained strength, with the rants of multiple protagonists involved. Maghla, one of the most famous streamers in France, was at the initiative of the movement. In particular, she ranted about the comments and content she received.
Fake nude photos, rape threats, misogynistic insults… The types of harassment by anonymous (or not) Internet users are diverse and have become legion in the day-to-day life of streamers.
And beyond the people present in the “Eleven All Stars” team, other names of streamers regularly emerge in cases of harassment or other more serious events. This is particularly the case for Sardoche, who has 1.3 million subscribers on Twitch, accused of having been in a relationship with a 16-year-old girl when he was 24.
Sardoche was also illustrated by his reaction when his partner told him that he had been followed on the street. “Well, maybe she was in a hurry,” he replied, then live on Twitch playing chess, hardly concerned with his wife’s concern.
Among males, harassment to avoid questioning and recurring controversies: the “Once All Stars” crystallizes a lot of anger. It will be necessary to see if the sports comments or the critics will prevail in the social networks this November 19.
Source: BFM TV
