Turner ‘Tfue’ Tenney has become the latest major streamer to mock the now-viral incident of BadBunny berating viewers for not subscribing or donating to her channel during a broadcast.
When BadBunny told her viewers that she was “heartbroken” about the lack of subscribers she was getting, it couldn’t have been predicted to turn into the controversy it did.
After streaming for an hour on January 20, the Twitch streamer clocked that not a single viewer had hit the subscribe button, nor had they donated, asking: “Am I f**king working for free?”
The clips soon spread on social media, as debate sparked around what level of asking for subs and donations is acceptable. Some argued that BadBunny was acting entitled, while others argue the backlash was an overreaction, and that it’s common for streamers to ask for support.
Nonetheless, some of the biggest names on the platform have chimed in, first Dr Disrespect, and now Tfue. On his January 21 broadcast, he mocked BadBunny with his own imitation of her complaints.
“I’ve been streaming 40 f**king hours a day, and you guys are not giving me five f**king dollars!” he joked, “I’m teaching you how to play the game, teaching you how to play controller, and you guys aren’t even giving me your money?! I’m literally heartbroken.”
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“This is a wall of non-subs – I’m f**king pissed,” he continued, referencing BadBunny’s similar comment. “I’m ending my stream right now if you guys don’t sub in the next five seconds.”
Unlike BadBunny, Tfue’s rant actually did result in a handful of subscriptions, as some of his fans even gifted multiple subs to other viewers.
Of course, Tfue doesn’t need to ask to maintain a healthy sub count, which is often in the tens of thousands at any given time.
For smaller streamers, it can be challenging to ensure that the time spent broadcasting on Twitch is compensated financially. For some, it is their full-time income, and it’s understandable that prompting viewers to contribute may be necessary.
One fellow streamer even argued that the backlash towards BadBunny was due to sexism, claiming male streamers are not criticized for doing the same. There has been instances of male streamers facing criticism for their attempts to encourage viewers to give money.