Pictured: Screenshot of video report on NewsChannel 5 titled 'Armed man arrested at Nashville's 'No Kings' protest had long fascination with Nazis, mass murder.' The picture provided is of VTuber Pipkin Pippa next to a handgun and a book titled Democracy: The God That Failed, with a caption that reads 'things are about to happen' posted by the X account '@rohmstuff' on December 18, 2024.

Written By: Nyra Drakonia

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Are VTubers responsible for the people they influence?

Short answer: Yes. 

Nuanced answer: There are degrees of responsibility that come into play when one becomes a content creator. While individuals can’t be blamed for the actions of other people, there are complex psychological factors that come into play when said individual is in a position of influence.

A VTuber is a subset of content creator, and while it’s a more niche space, it still follows the same rules. We create content to be consumed by the communities we build. By definition, the content we create does not exist in a vacuum. It exists to produce emotional reactions in the people that consume it, and therefore, it has the power to influence their emotional and psychological state.

This influence can be positive, of course. There are many instances of fans sharing heartwarming stories about their ‘Oshis’ and how watching their content changed their life for the better. How they felt less lonely, how they found a loving community to be a part of. And while these are great things, we cannot ignore the rot that taints the very core of this industry: ‘Apoliticism and the (mostly) silent pandering to right wing communities’.

I say ‘mostly silent’ only because it’s a very common phenomenon for corporate VTubers or Indies with large communities to outright remain silent amidst this growing wave of racism, transphobia, and general aversion to political topics.

Ignore the rot, or else you risk your pockets getting hurt.

If you state a strong stance in favor of marginalized communities, you risk alienating the apolitical/right wing crowd, and you don’t want that, do you? They’re the ones who engage in the parasocial behavior that keeps you in the position you are in, after all. Why would you want to antagonize them? Can’t we all just get along?

No, we cannot, in fact. To think there is a middle ground between the rights of marginalized people and those who want them dead/gone is quite simply being on the side of the oppressor. There is no such thing as getting along with people who want to see trans people, POC, or any other marginalized group hurt in any capacity.

There is no middle ground. There are only two sides, and the neutral party is silently cheering on the oppressors, while they pretend they’re morally superior for not being the ones holding the gun.

So, how are VTubers responsible for their communities?

By choosing to remain neutral in the face of oppression, these VTubers allow hateful individuals and bigots to define the space they exist in, even if they themselves are not actively hateful. A community with one bigot is not a peaceful one. For it to truly be ‘Safe’, the rot needs to be removed. You cannot have a community where both the marginalized and the oppressor coexist peacefully, because such a thing is simply impossible.

By choosing to remain silent, you allow the voices of hatred to dominate the conversation. Social media prefers it that way, and you know it. It’s why grifting is so popular nowadays, and why being apolitical is the easiest cop-out for those who don’t care enough about marginalized people to take a stand.

It’s a privilege to remain neutral.

I can't remain neutral. Not as a person of both black and indigenous descent. Not as someone who is bisexual, or nonbinary. Not as someone who is autistic. My existence, in itself, is political. And like me, many other individuals who are POC, LGBT+, disabled or marginalized in any way cannot exist in a way that is apolitical. Because society makes our existence political, even against our will.

Something as simple as having a black character in a show becomes political commentary. Casting a trans actress for a role that has nothing to do with gender? The woke mob is at it again! Can’t they stop sullying our pure, cishet, white media? Ugh!

So for these creators, who on top of it all, PROFIT off of these neutral stances, to claim that they just want to be welcoming to everyone… That they just want everyone to ‘get along without worrying about politics’... I’d prefer if they were just honest. If the bag is more important than human rights, then by all means, chase it. But do it with your whole chest. Don’t pretend to be neutral just to appeal to every side. Because we are not fools, and we see right through it.

There is an incredible responsibility that comes with having the power to influence hundreds, thousands, even if it's just dozens of people. If your face, or your VTuber model in this instance, is used as a symbol of hatred by someone who intends to hurt people, what does that say about you as a creator? What does that say about the type of community you have created?

Sure, maybe these creators aren’t out there committing the crimes themselves or telling people to do evil things, but their silence is all that is needed to embolden the people who are willing to do the dirty work on their own.

Because all these bigots need is silent compliance. All they need to know is that you won’t speak up when they commit these atrocities. All they need to know is that you will look away and continue to pretend to be an anime girl online. All they need to know is that you won’t judge them or call out their behavior, because you’re too busy profiting off their hate.

All they need to know is that you will keep the door open when they come back home, drenched in blood.

You are responsible for the communities you build and the influence you have on them, especially if you profit off of it.