this post was submitted on 29 May 2026
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Question: does "leveraging their sex appeal while playing video games" as you put it, make them "fake gamers"?
Like, I see the occasional clip from OfflineTV (the org that Pokimane was (is?) a part of) and it seems that a lot of the time, they're just playing games and enjoying playing games and being part of a community like any other gamer. Of course streaming is their job and these people make their millions by doing what they can to get views and encourage donations or whatever - but does that make them fake gamers? At what point does a "fake gamer" play enough games or be "genuine" enough to be a "real gamer" or vice versa? Are all game streamers fake gamers because they're trying to get views instead of just enjoying the game?
Also at what point do you think being attractive and dressing nice becomes "leveraging sex appeal" because trying to put a definitive line on that feels like a slippery slope into sexism and if you say it's a matter of intent, well then only they themselves know that unless they've outright admitted that intent publicly.
I mean, would you ask me to describe the precise criteria and boundary points that would or would not make someone into or not into a chud, a nerd, a goober, a shit disturber, a crunchy mom, a baddie, a hipster?
These boundaries are fuzzy and permeable when you try to drill down to minute, specific criteria thresholds.
What they actually are, are labels that exist more as spectrums of traits that begin to solidify into a type, a category, as more of those traits are more prominent and present.
The amount to which someone leverages their sex appeal, or any other personality or physical trait or what not, is part of that spectrum, not a yes/no flipped bit.
I already gave my best attempt at my own definition of a fake gamer: Someone who is cynically and obnoxiously performing the identity of 'gamer' for some purpose beyond just expressing their true self.
Probably there is just some overlap there with me being an autistic introvert and being easily exhausted by the antics of hyper extraverts, which I tend to just interpret as inauthenticity.
The word order is important. Fake is the first word for a reason.
I just don't like 'fake', overly performative and dramatic people. 'fake gamer' is just a subtype of this, 'fake gamer girl', 'fake gamer dudebro' would be further subtypes... hell i could probably go even further with even more specific subniches within those.
Maybe a contrast could be somebody like Emiru.
She comes across to me as far, far less 'fake', in general, to me. She comes across as very authentic to me, so I would not categorize her as a 'fake gamer girl'.
Likewise, Charlie/MoistCritical is, to me at least, very authentic seeming... he's not performing an obnoxious caricature of himself. So, not a 'fake gamer dudebro'.
Pokimane is not the best example because she does seem to like playing games. If there is a line between "dressing nice and being attractive" and "leveraging sex appeal" she is definitely way over it though lol. It's like putting on eyeliner and foundation compared to the perfectly styling their hair and putting on makeup and wearing revealing clothes to make themselves look as generally attractive as possible. Also leaning in to parasocial relationships like saying omg you're so sweet!! To donations saying im in love with you. It's usually pretty obvious when someone just wants to look good / attractive vs when they're thirst baiting.