Organized by French and Spanish streamers, this football match has been unleashing the excitement of internet users in both countries. But along with excitement, controversy is also part of it.
Here’s an event that streaming enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting for: “Eleven All Stars,” a soccer match between France and Spain. This is not the game in the FIFA game, but in the Jean Boin stadium in Paris, on Saturday November 19 at 8:30 p.m., a real opposition.
The meeting isn’t an opportunity to put on a show on Twitch in a 19,000-seat stadium and in front of thousands of people. This is a real clash between the French and Spanish streamers, great enemies for several months.
But beyond the competition, the competition brings to the center of the table the question of sexuality in the streaming world, as well as the torture experienced by those trying to address it.
100% male teams
Whether on France’s side or Spain’s side, one word: there are no women in the ranks of either team. While Squeezy’s GP Explorer was able to welcome a few streamers (only three of the 22 participating), the “Eleven All Stars” would be an all-male workforce.
In the tricolor we find Mikhou, Inoktag, or even Amin, presided over by Cameto and Said of Pieds Karas. As for the Iberians, we will find Iba at the controls and Rubius on the ground, the videographers who made so much talk about them in the Pixel War last April.
As soon as the French team was unveiled, comments poured in condemning the lack of women participating in the competition.
This lack of content creators raises questions about how the French internet environment is developing year by year. Controversies and stages of harassment are now frequent on social networks, from Twitter to Discord to Twitch.
Bullying, the only solution?
Some streamers are often accused of misogyny. There are many in the list of 21 players selected to participate in the “Eleven All Stars”. Ponce, a French streamer with 800,000 subscribers on Twitch, highlighted the problem.
In a tweet citing the French team’s announcement, Ponce condemned the presence of people deemed problematic in the French internet sector. “It hurts after getting calls for help from some streamers,” he added.
Pons didn’t name himself in his tweet, but one look at the comments and messages linked to the conversation suggests he’s referring to Pfut, a French streamer specializing in football. Some internet users blame Pfut for, among other things, his sexist jokes and underage relationships.
Pfut is also known to attack streamer Ultea with or without humor. It has become a collateral damage of the dispute with Pons and the All Stars XI. For several days, she and Ponce trended on Twitter, receiving numerous insults, “jokes” and other offensive comments.
But Pfut isn’t the only streamer accused of harassment or misogyny. Yas, another participant in “Eleven All Stars”, has been singled out several times for his derogatory tweets against women.
At the initiative of Eleven All Stars, Amin tried to explain the lack of women in his program in a live video on Twitch.
If I invite a girl I want to put her in a good mood. I don’t want to fool a girl, in a big field, I don’t know how many sharp guys there are.
Repeated allegations
In recent weeks, the issue of streamers being harassed has gained momentum, with multiple protagonists taking center stage. Magla, one of France’s most famous streamers, was at the forefront of the movement. In particular, she gave a shout out to the comments and content she received.
Fake nudes, rape threats, misogynistic slurs… The types of harassment from anonymous (or not) internet users are diverse and legion in streamers’ daily lives.
Beyond the people on the “Eleven All Stars” team, other names of streamers regularly come up for harassment or other serious facts. That’s the case with Sardoche, a 1.3 million-subscriber on Twitch who allegedly had an affair with a 16-year-old girl when he was 24.
Zardoshe also filmed his reaction when his partner told him he was followed on the street. “Well, maybe he’s been busy,” he replied, then made a living playing chess on Twitch, with little concern for his wife.
Sexual harassment between men to avoid questioning and repeated controversy: “Eleven All Stars” crystallizes many angers. It remains to be seen whether sports commentary or criticism will gain the upper hand on social networks this November 19.