One of my favorite video game reviewers is a crazy racist.
JonTron, a video game an movie reviewer so funny that I actually watch his video game reviews, tweeted and debated in a video some things about immigration, racism, and other hot-button political issues. Highlights apparently include him claiming "colonialism benefited the people that were colonized, wealthy black Americans commit more crimes than poor whites, the court system doesn’t display bias against people of color, that Irish and Italians were always considered “white” in America, and that Black Lives Matter doesn’t disavow violence."
Well, shit.
The JonTron reddit page has locked down in response to this, but not before some memes got in. Memes make everything better, right?
Damnit, I just got to work, saw there was an article about JonTron in google news, and now I've got a damned moral dilemma. I wasn't even sure I had any subject matter for a blog. I wish I didn't.
This isn't like when rape allegations are brought against a celebrity, and I can get rid of their books and unsubscribe from their channel without looking back. This is America, and Jon can hold any political beliefs that he chooses. They can be dumb, ignorant, or even alternative facts, and you'll still go far, as Mr. Trump has proven.
But a bunch of the things he said were just incorrect on their face. Black Lives Matter DOES advocate for non-violence. Irish and Italians weren't always considered white in America. There IS racial bias in our courts.
The question now is, can I separate JonTron the entertainer from Jon Jafari the person I deeply disagree with.
This isn't without precedent. Mel Gibson is a fine actor, even if he is a shitty human (although, I've not watched any of his directorial work or old movies since the incidents). I've often said you either need to be a good person or a good actor (my chosen hobby) for me to work with you. I can count on one hand the number of people I personally know who have failed on both counts.
Sometimes the charge is too great, and one thing cannot trump the other: I've rid my home of Bill Cosby and Orson Scott Card's material. Rape, Homophobia, and Antisemitism are my hottest hot-button issues. You fail those marks, I don't care how talented you are. We're done.
So, one of my favorite entertainers is at best, misguided and misinformed, and at worst an active racist and isolationist.
I guess if we can have one running the country, I can watch one make funny videos.
JonTron, a video game an movie reviewer so funny that I actually watch his video game reviews, tweeted and debated in a video some things about immigration, racism, and other hot-button political issues. Highlights apparently include him claiming "colonialism benefited the people that were colonized, wealthy black Americans commit more crimes than poor whites, the court system doesn’t display bias against people of color, that Irish and Italians were always considered “white” in America, and that Black Lives Matter doesn’t disavow violence."
Well, shit.
The JonTron reddit page has locked down in response to this, but not before some memes got in. Memes make everything better, right?
No, memes don't make everything better.
Damnit, I just got to work, saw there was an article about JonTron in google news, and now I've got a damned moral dilemma. I wasn't even sure I had any subject matter for a blog. I wish I didn't.
This isn't like when rape allegations are brought against a celebrity, and I can get rid of their books and unsubscribe from their channel without looking back. This is America, and Jon can hold any political beliefs that he chooses. They can be dumb, ignorant, or even alternative facts, and you'll still go far, as Mr. Trump has proven.
But a bunch of the things he said were just incorrect on their face. Black Lives Matter DOES advocate for non-violence. Irish and Italians weren't always considered white in America. There IS racial bias in our courts.
The question now is, can I separate JonTron the entertainer from Jon Jafari the person I deeply disagree with.
This isn't without precedent. Mel Gibson is a fine actor, even if he is a shitty human (although, I've not watched any of his directorial work or old movies since the incidents). I've often said you either need to be a good person or a good actor (my chosen hobby) for me to work with you. I can count on one hand the number of people I personally know who have failed on both counts.
Sometimes the charge is too great, and one thing cannot trump the other: I've rid my home of Bill Cosby and Orson Scott Card's material. Rape, Homophobia, and Antisemitism are my hottest hot-button issues. You fail those marks, I don't care how talented you are. We're done.
So, one of my favorite entertainers is at best, misguided and misinformed, and at worst an active racist and isolationist.
I guess if we can have one running the country, I can watch one make funny videos.
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