The demented, violent rhetoric of the media's favorite streamer
The failure to expose a hateful influencer is a blueprint for radicalization
Warnings are rare on They Stand Corrected, since facing facts automatically requires a willingness to hear some difficult things. But at one point in the new episode, I give a heads up about “graphic and demented” comments you’re about to hear.
The words come from a man whom, ideally, you’ve never heard of. To understand where we are as a country, and how mainstream media has played an enormous role in getting us here, you need to learn about him.
His name is Hasan Piker. He’s a far-left, unhinged streamer whose fame comes largely from saying shocking, violent things that decent people would never think, let alone utter. And the mainstream media praises him.
Before the assassination of right-wing firebrand Charlie Kirk, the media was piecing through his words, dissecting and condemning his commentary. These same news organizations refuse to do the same for Piker. Instead, they extol him as a great hope for Democrats winning over the “manosphere.”
Piker has said America “deserved 9/11.” Discussing landlords, he said, “Let the streets soak in their red, capitalist blood.” He has repeatedly praised Hamas and its massacres in Israel. “Doesn’t matter if fucking rapes happened on October 7th. Like, that doesn’t change the dynamic for me even this much.” He also has “no problem” with Hezbollah, another Iran-funded, murderous terrorist operation.
From glowing profiles in big news outlets like The New York Times, GQ, and of course The Daily Show, you’d have no idea that Piker is incomparably more extreme and dangerous than Kirk ever was.
Piker was gifted his platform.
His popularity began with appearances on a far-left operation called The Young Turks, run by his uncle Cenk Uygur. In one appearance, he talked about Dan Crenshaw, a Republican representative who lost his eye while serving as part of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Piker’s deep thoughts:
“Didn’t he go to war and, like, literally lose his eye because some mujahideen, a brave soldier fucked his eye hole with their dick? Isn’t that how he lost his fucking dumbass eye? Because he got his fucking eye hole fucked?”
Piker eventually said that one comment was inappropriate. He has also claimed at times that his violent rhetoric is just him being “hyperbolic.” That’s the same argument people on the far right, including some Trump supporters, have long used about their violent rhetoric.
While big legacy media have called out the right for fueling violence, they’ve done nothing about growing violence on the left. Now, attacks by the far left outnumber those from the far right.
Last year, Rep. Ritchie Torres, the terrific New York Democrat, wrote to Amazon-owned platform Twitch, whose leaders kept not only platforming Piker but even publicly celebrating him.
“Hasan Piker has emerged as the poster child for the post-October 7th outbreak of antisemitism in America. Mr. Piker has demonized Orthodox Jews as “inbred” and has dehumanized a Jewish man as a “bloodthirsty pig dog…”
“Mr. Piker revealed the depth of his depravity when he posted an image of himself as a reincarnation of Vladimir Lenin, one of the fathers of totalitarian terror in the 20th century. Lenin is estimated to have caused the deaths of 7 to 10 million people.”
Twitch finally gave Piker tiny slaps on the wrist with very brief suspensions after his references to killing Sen. Rick Scott and the murder of a young couple who worked for the Israeli embassy as a “false-flag operation.”
In this episode, you’ll hear how CNN “interviewed” Piker, and failed to challenge him on his vile hatred or fact check anything he said. I explain:
Back in 2016, the media gave more and more attention to Trump the more offensive his behaviors were. Whether he was insulting prisoners of war or pretending not to know who David Duke was. (I wrote something about that at the time for The Week, because Duke had gone after me by name.) Over time, all that attention helped him win support.
Right-wing and left-wing anti-democratic movements have been operating with that same system. Say shocking things. Lots of people will talk about you. Lots of people will pay attention. Many young people will think it’s funny in a super disturbing way. Keep them watching with these antics, and along the way lie to them about the world’s most controversial stuff. Their minds will be changed. They will get radicalized.
Of course partisan media point fingers at each other while ignoring their homegrown problems. “Mainstream” media should call out both.
Speaking of which, ICYMI, share my open letter to the BBC:
JL
P.S. Paid subscription rates are set to meaningful figures for a short time.👊
Hi! Exactly- I purposely do not link to failed media because I don't want to increase their traffic. But if you must read the stuff, then do so for free! Do not let them have your hard-earned money! See my post about how to do that...
Thank you for alerting us to this dangerous individual. I wish also that you had links to examples you mentioned because I'd like to read it for myself. You said: "From glowing profiles in big news outlets like The New York Times, GQ, and of course The Daily Show, you’d have no idea that Piker is incomparably more extreme and dangerous than Kirk ever was."