Twitch streamer banned after laughing at disabled man
Thanks to the advent of live streaming, more and more internet personalities have found ways to interact with their audiences in real time – but some of these streams can expose toxic behavior.
Twitch streamer “BocsGraphics” displayed such toxic behavior during a broadcast in late October, while browsing through viral clips from the site’s “Just Chatting” category.
The broadcaster came across a clip from fellow streamer Roger “livinginawheelchair” Faulkner, a wheelchair-bound polymer scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur living with ALS who is unable to move his body on his own.
Roger Faulkner, center, poses with staff at Queen’s University for development of a prototype Conformal Vest Ventilator.Despite Faulkner’s obvious struggle with his condition, Bocs appeared to find the situation humorous, busting out into laughter and even ducking out of frame of the camera for further “comedic” effect.
However, another member of Bocs’ voice chat didn’t seem to find the matter very funny, claiming, “I’m not laughing to this. I can’t laugh to this.”
(Mobile viewers click here to watch.)
The rest of the internet is in large agreement with this statement, with commenters across sites like Twitter and Reddit decrying Bocs for his reaction to Faulkner’s stream.
“…this was truly abhorrent,” one Reddit user wrote of the matter. “Just imagine the level of depravity one must possess to mock someone who whilst is in the most severe of situations still dedicates his time to help people.”
“Literally laughing at the disabled and ‘ugly people’ on your stream, what sort of ego do you have that allows you to do that?” a Twitter user replied to Bocs’ now-deleted account. “…Is this your content on Twitch? Mocking people for how they are born? Actual tw*t, get help.”
Literally laughing at the disabled and "ugly people" on your stream, what sort of ego do you have that allows you to do that, you're an absolute twat and just general disgrace of a human, Is this your content on Twitch? Mocking people for how they are born? actual twat, Get help.
— .,.0 (@ilank0k0) October 19, 2019
Bocs Twitch channel has since been banned in wake of his offending clip going viral, with searches for his Twitter profile showing that his account has been similarly deleted.
BocsGraphics’ Twitter account has been deleted in wake of the drama.With Bocs going dark on social media, the streamer has yet to issue a public apology regarding his actions.
In a more positive light, Faulkner has gained a wave of new supporters, with many commenters in the Reddit thread claiming to have sent positive and uplifting messages to the wheelchair-bound streamer in response to Bocs’ hateful behavior.