The Twitch and gaming community have thrived in recent years and even more so during the pandemic as more and more content are being produced online than in television.
American TV host Bill Maher is under fire from the gaming community and beyond for saying that those who watch the streaming platform Twitch are only wasting their time.
Twitch is a streaming service that is used widely for gaming, esports tournaments, and even music broadcasts but apparently can’t please Maher and his producers.
A clip online from Maher’s talk show on HBO is making its rounds online discussing how the elderly interact with technology. “You think someone 80 is hopeless because they can’t use an iPhone?,” he starts. “Maybe the one hopeless is the one who can’t stop using it.”
Maher then brought up Twitch saying he “gets it” but then bashes its users saying “people watching other people play video games is a waste of time.”
The Twitch and gaming community have thrived in recent years and even more so during the pandemic as more and more content are being produced online than in television.
Even Disney has begun focusing on its streaming service, Disney+ and is reported to be shutting down most operations in Southeast Asia this year.
(See: Disney channels in SE Asia to shut down )
While Maher has yet to address his new found infamy in the online gaming community, some of the popular personalities in the industry have Tweeted the clip and responded.
Basketball star Rick Fox couldn’t disagree more and pointed out the similarity of Twitch to 20,000 people gathering to watch basketball. “Twitch viewers are watching but they are also listening, sharing, connecting.”
Esports mother and parent of Rocket League pro Ronaky called Maher out “I’m 63 years old and I’ll rather watch games on Twitch than watching your show.”
While many pointed out Maher’s age, others suggested he might have started to feel the decrease in viewers, and in turn, his ratings.
On a positive note, whether or not you understand Twitch, the only quote that matters in this topic is Lennon’s “the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”
Tags: #videogames, #Twitch, #BillMaher