Last week Friday upon the launch of YouTube Gaming, comedian Jimmy Kimmel took a stab at “gamers watching other gamers play games” in one of his usual comedy skits. If you’re unfamiliar with the type of comedy show Jimmy Kimmel runs, it’s usually pretty edgy and pushes some boundaries, but is often hilarious. The poke at gamers was no different, and as an avid supporter of online streaming and an obvious victim here, I found it hilarious. Unfortunately a large majority of his viewers and many others online didn’t agree, and chaos ensued.
If you’re going to make fun of gaming in this day and age, especially if you’re as famous as Jimmy Kimmel, you’re going to get the full force of the internet which I’m sure he expected. While hate mail is a common occurrence, some people took it a bit too far with death threats to his wife and daughter. This is the video in question.
The video spread like wildfire through various social media platforms, and of course the internet hub Reddit. Currently just shy of one million viewers, and over 100,000 thumbs down, Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial video was not as funny as he thought it would be. Perhaps his comments prior to the skit are what really struck the nerve of gamers as he shows an incredible amount of ignorance, but then again we have to remember he’s a comedian and this is what comedians do. Think of the amount of time comedians bash religion, can you imagine the amount of hate mail you’d receive when you make fun of something followed by several billion people? I’m not saying what he did was right, but in the name of comedy, it wasn’t exactly wrong either. It definitely wasn’t wrong enough to warrant death threats to his family.
Two days ago Jimmy Kimmel responded to the hate mail in another video during his show. He proceeds to recount some of his favourite Tweets and comments from the YouTube section, which we all know is often inhabited by the portion of the internet we don’t tell our friends about. Needless to say hilarity ensues.
Sticking to his edgy nature Kimmel ends the video by retaliating with “go outside and play, or watch a video of someone going outside to play,” showing his iron skin, a necessary trait for all comedians. It’s understandable that Jimmy Kimmel may in fact truly feel this way, many older Americans do. When ESPN showcased Dota 2 the Twitter war which ensued elaborated the ignorance of many older Americans, but making a comedy skit about it should be harmless. Needless to say Kimmel achieved what he wanted and both videos currently have a combined two million views. I’m sure he’s hurting after all the mean tweets, cowering in his multimillion dollar home in Los Angeles.
If you’re one of the gamers who watch gamers you’d understand many people would find this strange, if you enjoy what you’re doing then you shouldn’t care what other people say, especially someone whose job it is to push your buttons.
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Last Updated: September 4, 2015
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 4, 2015 at 13:17
I loved his original video. Especially about ONLY watching other people play because your money ran out – ROFL
His response is good too – I especially liked “it’s not like watching people play football, it’s like watching people play fantasy football.” BWHAHAHAHAHAHA All it needed to be perfect was an “actually it’s about ethics in video game journalism”.
Some kids get so salty & defensive when it comes to their ehobby. Why?
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:50
HAHAHAAH! Oh man this is so funny!
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 4, 2015 at 13:19
I’m not going to lie. I really did have a good laugh at the comments vid. People need to realize comedians use these everyday personal things to make jokes. Take it with a grain of salt, people/gamers get offended way to easily these days xD
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:51
It is a sad fact man. This is the reason FOX likes reporting negatively on gamers. Death threats to his daughter? I would love to that little degenerate to meet Kimmel and say that to his face.
AbyssWalkerX8
September 4, 2015 at 13:24
How is watching people play sport different from watching people play video games? I don’t see how it’s any different.
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:54
Degrees of separation, as he said. 1. Me watching 2 a person running in real life sports. 1 Me watching 2 a person playing a 3 game where the action takes place. His point here being that the thing you are watching is the game, and not the person themselves. Of course watching the person can be very interesting, just watch DOTA and see how the players reflexes are all over the place. Point is it was supposed to be a comedy skit and people sent death threats which is BS.
SentientSlug
September 4, 2015 at 14:13
Its completely different. Watching people play video games on YouTube is like watching people playing rugby in their back garden. Watching professional eSports tournaments I totally understand that. But watching a playthrough is just absurd.
AbyssWalkerX8
September 4, 2015 at 14:48
They’re both entertaining, but the only way someone would think that watching someone play video gaming is stupid is because they don’t understand what that entails, does not have a passion for video games and has not watched someone play before. I watch people stream on Twitch because they play the game differently, I enjoy watching challenge runs, interacting with the chat is entertaining. I guess people who don’t get gaming won’t get streaming, huh.
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:50
HAHAHA! I love this guy. And to the people who hated on him for his comments, GET A LIFE. Not, watch someone else being born? Isn’t that the same thing?
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:55
http://i.imgur.com/YRCrfDX.gif Fuck you Montey Python! I am going to kill your family, the poor bird, you beasts, you utter beasts!
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 4, 2015 at 13:56
You don’t mess with PETA!
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:58
Yez! Y dey wantz to b dikz?!
Geoffrey Tim
September 4, 2015 at 13:57
Gamers take themselves way, way way, WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too seriously.
RinceThis
September 4, 2015 at 13:58
Ill KILL YOU!
Sageville
September 4, 2015 at 14:00
Generalizations = Stereotyping = Bad
Aries
September 4, 2015 at 14:14
Its the stereotyping that gets to me about this, nobody likes to hear what they love being hated on
SentientSlug
September 4, 2015 at 14:13
JERK
CypherGate
September 4, 2015 at 15:38
Its funny cause gaming suppose to be fun, relaxing and a way to destress and not really get you so aggro and yet they did just that. Get aggro and threaten him and his family. Waaaaaaaaaay out of line.
Mark Treloar
September 4, 2015 at 16:03
And yet more football fans will die this year from fan related violence than any other sport.
CypherGate
September 4, 2015 at 16:08
Thats so true as well. I could never understand how serious people take these things.
Sageville
September 4, 2015 at 13:59
Francis did a follow up on kimmel….
HvR
September 4, 2015 at 14:22
Watching people play video games is like watching Jimmy Kimmel Live
Guild
September 4, 2015 at 14:44
There were 2 more videos that followed:
More comments where people were still hurling abuse
And Jimmy Kimmel trying to understand gaming
CypherGate
September 4, 2015 at 15:37
The one guy who spoke for the whole gaming community put the gaming community to shame with horrible spelling and grammar lol
NotBatpanda
September 4, 2015 at 15:38
Best insult. Go f- a pigeon. 😀