"She was so nice about it" - Twitch streamer xChocoBars talks about fans treating Pokimane like a "zoo animal"

In a recent Twitch stream by Janet “xChocoBars,” she discussed Imane “Pokimane,” and how unsettling some fan interactions can be. While discussing how some fans treat superstars like Dua Lipa in the real world, Janet shed some light on an interaction she had while hanging out with Imane at Twitchcon in the past.

Despite being harassed by someone who desperately wanted a selfie with Pokimane, the streamer was incredibly nice to them. xChocoBars talked about how stream viewers feel entitled to someone famous’s time if they’re a fan or support them monetarily by purchasing their products or subbing to their stream.

"And you know what? She was so nice about it, still. She was still like, smiley, I was like, p***ed for her!”

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xChocoBars talks about how fans treat Pokimane and other streamers in real life

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“I’ve seen it happen to Poki a lot.”

xChocoBars spent some time on a recent Twitch stream talking about how Dua Lipa was harassed by fans who wanted to take a photo with her while she was on vacation. The streamer discussed how toxic fans were demanding the superstar’s time simply because they were fans. This led to a discussion about Pokimane and how people treat her.

“When I’m walking with her at Twitchcon, I remember, we were struggling hard to find this Fortnite area, we were gonna be late, because we had to play in this Fortnite tournament at Twitchcon, and some guy was like, ‘Poki, can I have a picture?’”

xChocoBars and Pokimane were hanging out at a Twitchcon, and the streamer went on to talk about a moment when fans invaded Pokimane’s personal space without consent and without any regard for how either of the streamers felt about it.

“She was like, ‘I’m really sorry, I’m running really late!’ And he, he just like, went up to her while, and took it. I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ This was a couple of years ago but, oh my God, I thought that was so rude!”

While discussing this, xChocoBars mocked someone holding out their phone for a selfie. Despite Pokimane explicitly stating that she was running late, the fan would take a selfie while all three were walking.

“Like, I was like, ‘holy f**k’, these people are so, like, personal space, I, don’t even. I’ll never forget that.”

It baffled the streamer that a person could be that rude to another while professing to be a fan. It is common for popular Twitch streamers to get harassed in public, and it confused Janet that some people don’t understand personal space.

“It was like she’s a zoo animal. It’s really really crazy to me. I was like ‘dude!’ and you know what? She was so nice about it, still. ‘Thank you Alex!’ She was still like, smiley, I was like, p**sed for her! And she was just like, ‘Let’s just get to our thing’ kind of thing. And she took it like a champ, because she’s so probably conditioned, or used to it. But for me, I was like, ‘What did I just watch?!’ What the hell?”

While xChocoBars was shocked and mollified by the situation, it was clear that Pokimane was used to dealing with these situations in public, especially at conventions.

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YouTube reacts to parasocial stream viewers in public

Some would think it's all the fault of Gen Z, others think it's just people being entitled (Image via OTVCopium/YouTube)

Though some would generalize and blame it entirely on young viewers and Generation Z for how entitled they feel to someone like Pokimane’s time, others would just highlight how gross and entitled some stream viewers are. Another YouTuber commented that this problem was discussed in one of their exams.

Some were unsympathetic, blaming the streamer's popularity, and that they should just have to deal with it (Image via YouTube)

However, not everybody was so sympathetic. Some YouTube commenters blamed famous people. They were of the opinion that that’s the life the streamers chose, and they should learn to deal with it.

Other commenters think Pokimane and other streamers should be putting up strict boundaries in public (Image via YouTube)

Some would agree and suggest Pokimane do what PewDiePie does and simply not allow selfies unless it’s at a meet-and-greet event or something similar. That way, streamers could be out in public without worrying about being harassed quite as much.

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It’s unlikely that streamers will stop being asked for photographs while in public, though. Twitch streamers like Pokimane are celebrities in the streaming community, so it’s natural for their fans to want to meet them. However, harassing someone for attention because you’re a fan is never okay.