Description: A Blog by Margaret Pless
When does tolerating pro-Nazi hate speech become complicity?
YouTube’s SuperChat function has unquestionably been a boon to livestreamers. “SuperChats” are essentially premium text messages, which pin the buyer’s post to the top of the chat for a period of time so the streamer and other viewers are highly likely to see it. The creator gets a cut of the money from each SuperChat they receive, and the user gets the thrill of interacting directly with their favorite YouTuber. Some creators use SuperChat for karaoke sessions, or as a way of taking Q&A from their audience
Let me be clear that the shitlords who tend to receive these pro-Nazi SuperChats are not themselves self-affirmed white nationalists. The ones willing to talk to me about it tend to write these messages off as “edgelords” , and rigorously note that they can’t control who chooses to send them SuperChats or what those messages are gonna say . Roaming Millenial in particular scoffed at my suggestion of turning SuperChat off to avoid accepting money from Nazis whom she assumes are just kidding around, anyway.