American YouTuber IShowSpeed, also known as Darren Jason Watkins Jr, has once again found himself facing accusations of sexism. This time, it's due to his reaction to opening an unexpected player in his first EA FC 24 stream.
Shocking Discovery
While live streaming the new EA FC 24 game, Watkins was surprised to find that female football players are now included in the Ultimate Team. When Manchester United's Hannah Blundell was revealed as the footballer he had won, Watkins expressed his astonishment, asking, "Girls? Chat, am I tweaking? Is that a girl?"
Fans and viewers were quick to express their disappointment and disgust with Watkins' reaction.
Backlash and Criticism
Many onlookers criticized Watkins for his comments, suggesting that he has a negative attitude towards women. One person wrote, "I'm starting to gather that he doesn't like girls." Another tweeted, "Does he know that there are girls who play football too? Also basketball, ice hockey, and baseball. Some other sports too. Not just males." A third onlooker commented, "He’s acting like he’s never interacted with a woman before." And a fourth shared, "Kinda makes me remember that one time that he got into a controversy dissing a woman in a game. I see that nothing has changed."
This is not the first time Watkins has faced allegations of sexism. Last year, he was permanently banned from playing all Riot Games titles after a sexist rant while playing Valorant went viral. Fellow YouTuber Jake Lucky criticized Watkins' behavior, saying, "I now understand why Valorant queues are so unbelievably toxic. You got one of the most popular streamers on YouTube, IShowSpeed, saying crap like this and getting nothing but praise and laughs."
In 2021, Watkins was also banned from Twitch for breaking the site's "sexual coercion or intimidation" policy.
Mixed Reactions
While some viewers empathized with Watkins and felt bad for him, others strongly condemned his remarks. Some commentators even resorted to sexist rhetoric, claiming that "nobody wants to see women playing football." One person commented, "Imagine you spend real-life money in hopes to get Messi and boom, you're stuck with a random female." Another tweeted, "Ngl tho girls in Ultimate Team is probably one of the worst EA ideas in a while."
A fifth onlooker expressed concern about the impact of Watkins' behavior on the next generation, saying, "The amount of misogyny this guy is creating in the next generation is absolutely insane."
