What is the ‘Cracker’ Issue on Twitch? Why are streamers like Pokimane, Hasanabi, Nmplol, and more getting banned? Read below to know everything.

Fresh difficulties might have developed for prominent Twitch streamers Pokimane, HasanAbi, Nmplol, and others, as we all know about the recent heated issue centered around the term “cracker.”

The term has sparked a lot of controversy on Twitch, and the community is still debating it. Many people appreciate Twitch’s action, but others, such as HasanAbi and minders, believe it is simply another term and that Twitch’s harshness is unjustifiable. There were creators, such as Nmplol, who stated why HasanAbi’s ban was unreasonable.

As the debate about what is proper and wrong in the use of a term continues, many streamers are refraining from using the word or expressing any position on the subject. Furthermore, they appear to be playing it safe, as if they don’t want to stir up another round of controversy by using the phrase.

Cracker Issue on Twitch: HasanAbi suspended

HasanAbi, a popular Twitch streamer, has been suspended for a week, allegedly for uttering the term ‘cracker’ on-stream. He was removed from the platform for calling white people “crackers.” This comes after Piker, in his normal sarcastic tone, stated what is now humorously referred to as the “c-word” a number of times throughout the course of many streams. On his channel, Piker regularly promotes social justice and informs viewers about key issues such as Black Lives Matter and universal healthcare.

“Yes,” Piker remarked in reaction to the news of the ban, which broke about midnight ET last night. It’s for the precise reason you believe it’s for. For using the epithet “cracker,” anti-white racism exists.

He was banned immediately after finishing his live on December 13, during which he had challenged a viewer about the usage of the term “white people.” It was a continuation of an earlier talk in which he supported its usage. He said that because he is extremely online, he has called a cracker more often than others.

HasanAbi is on the list of the top 10 streamers of 2021. To know who is first, read Top 10 Twitch Streamers of 2021

What others are saying?

Redditors, unfortunately, have already had a field day with this one. A frightening percentage of the internet has already pretended to be upset by the word cracker, with some even claiming that “cracker” is a derogatory epithet similar to racial insults used against Black people.

Others are pointing to Piker’s suspension, which is expected to last three to seven days, as an example of Twitch’s uneven policy enforcement. Stephabue, a Twitch streamer, claims that the platform doesn’t care about most instances of prejudice and only draws the line when white people are angry.

Cracker Issue on Twitch: Nmplol

Cracker Issue on Twitch
Nmplol on twitter

Nmplol, a Twitch streamer, is enraged with the platform because his head mod was banned for thirty days for using the term “cracker.” The term has since gained a lot of traction, with Twitch banning Nmplol’s buddy and streamer HasanAbi after the latter’s moderators were suspended.

However, since Nmplol came to Hasan’s aid, it appears that the streamer is now facing his own set of issues, with his mod Oro missing for thirty days, which the streamer says is unjust. In a recent show, Nmplol reported that Twitch has banned fan-favorite head moderator Oro for 30 days for using the term “cracker.”

He even shared images of her conversation logs in which she used the phrase. While some fans speculated that she was attempting to persuade the platform to prohibit her, it also demonstrated that viewers who use the term “cracker” may be punished. Nmplol was upset on the broadcast because Oro had been banned since his channel was at risk of becoming toxic without her.

He also went on a tangent about how Twitch banned people like Oro and HasanAbi for using a phrase that most people don’t find offensive. When Hasan was suspended earlier this week, the streamer came out in favor of him, voicing similar sentiments on the meaning of the word “cracker.”

Nmplol went on to explain why Oro didn’t deserve to be banned because she helps him a lot with nasty people that want to damage his channel. While he feels that individuals should not be banned for using the term “cracker,” he also claims that the platform has done nothing to safeguard his mod from users who send obscene messages.

See Nmplol’s reaction here.

Cracker Issue on Twitch: Pokimane

During a recent stream, an audacious fan almost made her spill the word “cracker.”. She would have been in serious trouble had she done so. In quite an unpredictable manner, Pokimane was caught in the trap. A shower of donations rained down on her chat, as she receives them regularly on her stream. She thanked all the people who subscribed and re-subscribed. In order to show appreciation, streamers usually read out their usernames.

An anonymous user offered her a Tier 1 subscription for one month with a red flag, right at that moment. She was about to say “cracker” when she noticed that the username was itself the word “cracker”. A quick reflex or her professionalism saved her from a ban this time.

https://youtu.be/Inc0F_-vRwU

Ableist slurs

xQc, a French-Canadian streamer who has also used the r-word publicly and extensively while streaming without being banned, has Twitch’s second highest-earning channel. Unlike Asmongold, however, xQc was aware of the potential harm that such statements might inflict. Following an experience with a handicapped fan last year, xQc realized the r-word was harmful and announced to his community that he would no longer use it.

Unlike the word “cracker” ableist insults cause harm to a marginalized group and have contributed to a long history of disability discrimination and condemnation. The r-word came from the phrases “idiot” and “moron” which were formerly commonly used (even by the whole medical community) to insult handicapped persons, according to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

History

What many newcomers to the live streaming industry may not realize is that Twitch’s hate raid endemic, which received some media exposure this year, has existed since 2016: After coming out as transgender, Twitch streamer DistractedElf was hate-raided by 4chan members. Twitch has mostly neglected the subject of hate raids since then until a media tempest this year prompted it to decide to sue two anonymous individuals.

The suspension of Hasan Piker by Twitch feels like a rerun of the “simp”, “incel”, and “virgin” word restriction dispute. It’s been a year, but Twitch has failed to demonstrate that it has made significant steps to combat the incel culture that still exists on its site. 

As for HasanAbi, he says he is going to join Ludwig on YouTube and also appear with Amouranth on Ethan Klein’s channel.

There will likely be many streamers with similar stories about Twitch’s lack of support. The actions of the platform may cause other content creators like Nmplol and HasanAbi to consider leaving the platform, given that popular streamers like Ludwig have already left.

For more stories

Check out the Entertainment section for more stories.

Published by Omer Khan

Omer has a proven track record in the online media industry as a Content Writer. He holds a bachelor's degree in international journalism and mass communication and enjoys sports and video games.