I’ve gone back and forth about ever getting my thoughts down on this issue for many years. It seems like it goes through cycles of how much people do or don’t care about it. It’s something that is always in the background but every few months will spike, and suddenly everybody cares again. I have a lot of thoughts about it, and I have gone through various stages as far as my thoughts are concerned. As a whole, I’ve landed on a stance. Once again the issue has come up, and once again I find myself conflicted. This time I am actually typing my thoughts out, but I am not sure what I will do with them.

First, what is a “titty streamer” (or whichever term you’ve heard for them)? I think the problem starts here. No one can agree on what is or is not a titty streamer. There is a baseline assumption of a woman who tries to look attractive and tends to have a certain degree of cleavage while streaming is kind of the baseline. However, it goes much further than that. People will lump any girl who puts any effort into her looks no matter how much or little skin she shows as a titty streamer. Some people say it’s less about what the streamer is wearing and more about their behavior. Either way, right out of the gate there is a fundamental issue with using the label. It is something that is ill defined by its very nature and simply little more than an insult to throw at individual streamers depending on how someone feels. There is simply no purpose for it anymore. Stop using it and stop worrying about it.

Second, why do people have a problem with this? Once again we have a fundamental issue. There is no one reason for why they are supposed to be problematic. The biggest arguments I see are that they make other girl streamers look bad, they take advantage of their viewers, they are simply bad for the community.

On the issue of how it makes other girls that stream look, this is where I am most torn. I am not now, but I once was in the past. Full cards on the table, it used to deeply bother me because I believed it created negative perceptions about girls like myself that also streamed. I think most women like myself have experienced something like, “how much do I have to tip to get you to do ___?” or something along those lines. On the other hand, there is also the people that will show up if you happen to be wearing something that shows “too much skin,” and you get berated for being a titty streamer. It can be annoying to deal with, and honestly, ruin a good stream depending on how hard they want to go with it. The problem with blaming the “titty streamers” is the assumption is that shitheads would stop being shitheads if titty streamers didn’t exist. I will let you in on something; they won’t. The terrible people that are going to harass all girl streamers because they “hate titty streamers” or “want to see more titty streamers” would simply find another reason to bother us if they didn’t have that. I understand the desire to want to blame the girls, again I went through that stage myself, but it’s simply not right. Instead, we as women should stand by other women and say that this abuse towards them is not right. Stop the infighting, and stop helping people hurt other women. Say no, people who are assholes are wrong, not women making choices for themselves.

“They are taking advantage of their viewers.” This is something I have simply never agreed with. Even at the closest, I was to being “anti titty streamer” I never agreed with this complaint. When you go to Twitch you choose who to watch, you choose who to sub to, you choose who to tip. If you don’t like a streamer there is an easy solution; you don’t watch them or support them. There is no advantage taken, stop talking about this, I have nothing more to say because it’s a straightforward thing to get.

The last is that they are bad for the community. This is something else that I might have understood the argument for, but I still can’t get on board with anymore. The beautiful and amazing thing about Twitch is that it has such a broad community. If you spend time visiting the different areas of Twitch you will find something for basically everybody. From streamers that are really into the showmanship with costumes and lighting effects, to streams that are more closely related to shows, streams for the big RPG nerds, streams for those that love esports, speedruns, sports games, retro games, modding communities, creative communities, people that dress up, people that won’t even use cam. Simply put, the wonderful thing about the vast community of Twitch is that it’s made up of so many small communities. To say that “titty streamers” are ruining it simply makes no sense. They are one part of the community, and if you don’t like it… don’t support it. There is not a lack of channels for you to watch, personalities for you to enjoy, and games to focus on. The Twitch community is far too vast, too amazing for it to be such a big concern to those that dislike it.

The only people that are ruining Twitch are the people that simply want to be negative and hurtful to others.

So I say this.

1: Let’s just stop using this term altogether. I know this will never happen, but it’s worth saying. It’s a lame and pointless insult. No one agrees on what it means, and it’s clear people just throw it around to insult women streamers they don’t like.

2: Women, I know you can get negative feelings about this when you see some side effects related to it. Remember though that harassment will find an excuse. Stop blaming other women, and instead just ban the people being shitheads. Women should support one another not point fingers.

3: If you feel you’ve been taken advantage of by a “titty streamer” grow up.

4: If you are worried that they are hurting Twitch then don’t support them. Support the people and things you like about Twitch, and help the areas in Twitch you want to see grow. It’s much for effective for you to support people that you do like instead of complaining about what you don’t.

5: But again can we stop using this term and every term related to this?

*edit*

It’s been pointed out that I missed the “they’re stealing my views” argument. I forget about it because it’s just so… dumb. Look this happens with a number of things “creative streamers steal my views” or “speed runners steal my views” or “boobs steal my views”. No. You earn your views or not, that’s it.