Twitch streamer Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker fired back at his chat during an emotional outburst. HasanAbi is a popular political commentator who’s made a reputation for himself as one of Twitch’s most respectable political streamers. He’s known for his leftist-centrist takes, passionate monologues, and fiery debates.
The current political climate is, in a word, volatile. With racial injustice issues dominating the news and the upcoming elections, HasanAbi’s plate is more than full. On any regular day, it’s difficult for a broadcaster of his size to manage an overactive and, at times, troll-filled chat. While his moderators typically have a stronghold on active chatters, today was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
PlayStation fanboys infiltrate chat
During today’s broadcast, HasanAbi said he planned to watch a Ben Shapiro video with chat. However, at the start of the stream watchers poured in and immediately asked HasanAbi if he planned to watch the PlayStation 5 reveal event.
At first, he assured the chatters that he would watch the event in due time. Unfortunately, his eager chat didn’t let up, and out of frustration, he lashed out. He slammed his desk and yelled he was unable to answer questions because he couldn’t focus.
Moreover, the constant barrage of PlayStation requests made him uninterested in watching the event, and he abruptly ended stream. Shortly after his outburst, he took to Twitter, saying streaming is becoming progressively more difficult for him to enjoy because of “selfish chatters.”
i can’t even get through a 30 min segment of ben shapiros systemic racism debunked video when my entire community is spamming to watch the ps5 launch. it’s disgusting and frustrating and makes me hate everything about the community i’ve worked so hard to cultivate.
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) June 11, 2020
For the time being, it may be in HasanAbi’s best interest to take some time away. Even if it’s just a few days or weeks, it could alleviate things as it’s obvious the constant pressure of news reporting and friction with his chat got the best of him today. HasanAbi’s community understands his frustration and looks forward to seeing him on Twitch again, in his own time.
