PewDiePie pokes fun at critics with “unintentional racism” meme video
PewDiePie, YouTubeYouTube’s top creator, Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg, uploaded a video on January 5, where he poked fun at his critics by reviewing “unintentional racism” memes – throwing particular shade toward news and opinion website Vox.
Pewd’s video began with a mock “hack” into the website, followed by the YouTuber appearing in front of a green screen backdrop depicting Vox’s offices.
PewDiePie likewise made a tongue-in-cheek statement referencing the mass amounts of criticism he received after promoting an anti-Semitic website in early December of 2018.
“You’re either racist, or you’re not – there’s no in-between,” PewDiePie laughed. “There are never any excuses – ever. …I am ‘smhing’ and disgusted right now,” he continued, referencing the ‘Accidental Racism’ subreddit he went on to review.
PewDiePie ended the segment with a statement clarifying that the video was made in jest, noting that “unintentional racism” would always exist despite the media’s efforts to suppress or censor “humor.”
“It’s just jokes,” Pewds explained. “…you can stop making these kinds of jokes, you can forbid humor… but at the end of the day, unintentional racism will always exist because people are always stupid.”
PewDiePie’s video addresses the media’s response to his previous scandals, including the incident where he uttered a racial slur during a live stream in September 2017, as well as the anti-Semitic joke he made in an attempt to showcase the boundaries of freelance website ‘Fiverr’ in February 2017.
PewDiePie has since taken issue with coverage of his controversies, calling out Vox and other websites in a slew of videos following his channel promotion in 2018.