In response to the ongoing hot tub meta controversy on Twitch, streamer Pokimane comments on the matter, calling out the platform for its unclear and exploitable rules.
Though hot tub streams aren't new on Twitch, they've only recently started to bring in both attention and criticism on a mass level. Hot tub streams began in 2019 when Twitch updated its guidelines to allow swimwear when worn at beaches, pools, and inside hot tubs. Wearing bikinis still isn't allowed during a regular gaming session, however, the rule simply tackles streams where swimwear would be contextually normalized. In 2021, hot tub streams have turned into a side hustle for some, but not without an outcry that Twitch is no longer a gaming site, according to some on one side of the argument.
What's now been dubbed as the "hot tub meta" has become Twitch's biggest controversy of 2021 so far, with opinions on both sides of the argument. Streamer xQc recently criticized the practice, calling it a "pathetic" use of the loophole. On the other side of the fence, streamers like Valkyrae don't see what the big deal is, saying that women should be able to consensually monetize their own bodies without judgment. Now, Pokimane's opinion on the matter falls somewhere between the two.
In a recent Twitch stream, Pokimane had a lot to say on the stigma and conversation around the hot tub meta, rather than simply the act of hot tub streaming itself. According to Pokimane, the issue is partially because some viewers generalize all female streamers, saying they should or should not dress a certain way during streams. "Don't hold resentment towards the individuals that are doing this," she says, referring to the women that host hot tub streams.
Instead, people should be looking at Twitch as the cause behind this loophole, Pokimane says. This isn't the first time a streamer has called out Twitch for its ambiguous terms of service. In fact, many criticized the platform for Dr Disrespect's permanent ban last year when other streamers such as Alinity have been accused of much worse on stream, blurring the lines between bannable offenses and slaps on the wrist.
The problem that many find with the hot tub meta is how it affects underage viewers. "I don't think Twitch is saying that this content isn't sexual," Pokimane says, calling for some way to categorize content that isn't bannable but also isn't appropriate for all ages. In Pokimane's chat, one underaged viewer said that they are often recommended hot tub streams because they watch female streamers and enjoy the Just Chatting category, which highlights the issue with Twitch's current system, if true.
Twitch had previously responded to the issue, saying that it's carefully monitoring the content, but the Valorant streamer believes that Twitch needs to step in, recognize what content is suggestive, then do something about it that isn't simply banning streamers.
Source: Twitch