Twitch Star Hits Out At Viewer Accusing Pokimane Of "Blackface"

After a viewer accused Twitch star Imane "Pokimane" Anys of blackface when she showed off her curly hair on social media, Hasan "hasanabi" Piker defended the streamer and called the viewer "insane" and "psychotic."

"Blackface" is to use makeup to mimic the natural features of a Black person when you yourself are not Black. Originally, in the 19th century, this was used in racist minstrel shows, though the practice has evolved across entertainment, and there are even examples of white actors performing in blackface in the last two decades. These instances do not have to be overt - the Kardashians, Rita Ora, Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, and Jesy Nelson have all been accused of "blackfishing" with cosmetic additions like spray tans and wigs.

Anys was born in Morocco in 1996 and lived there for four years before her family relocated to Quebec, Canada. Her hair while live on stream has almost always been straightened or with a loose wave, and last month, she shared photos of her natural curly hair. She said that her natural hair has "always been an insecurity" of hers and she thanked her fans for their compliments on the style. Since then, she has appeared in a few streams with her natural hair rather than her straightened hair, and explained that she didn't look like her friends when she was growing up and didn't understand how to style herself, which led to the anxieties over her appearance.

Not everyone has been so supportive, unfortunately. While watching one of Anys' streams, Piker encountered a viewer who asked "why is Poki blackfacing?” He was not happy when he read the question aloud. “Are you f**king insane?” responded the streamer. “That’s her natural hair, dude. What the f**k? Guys, she’s literally Moroccan. Are you f**king stupid? She’s literally from Africa, bro!” He added that he thought the person who had asked the question was probably not Black and there's a possibility that they were trolling to get a reaction out of the chat and out of Piker.

“That doesn’t mean she’s Black, but that is her natural f**king hair, you psycho!” continued Piker. “What a psychotic f**king take, dude!” At the moment, Anys has not replied to the controversial comment on Piker's stream.

Topics: Twitch