🔗 Share this article ‘I relish when my foes hate me’: the way Hasan Piker became a leading the largest voices on the US political left Hasan Piker calls it an everyday benchmark: “Picture yourself on a bus and you have 30 seconds to explain whatever online phenomena took place to the bus driver before them turning to you and going, ‘Get off the damn bus.’” Most online debate, no matter how intense, does not pass the test, he contends – not least an incident recently, when someone on a Dublin street requested to take a picture with Piker, then held up a picture of his dog and yelled “Free Kaya!” Never mind the bus driver; trying to explain the importance of that specific event could easily take the rest of this article. Existing in the Blurred Zone Piker increasingly exists in this liminal zone increasingly these days. Until relatively recently, the thirty-four-year-old was known only to the very online, especially Americans in their twenties and thirties, largely thanks to his presence on the streaming platform Twitch. But following the last presidential election, Piker has become an sought-after voice in “offline circles” for his analysis on the beleaguered political left, and especially that inordinately discussed demographic, young men. A Prime Target for the Right Predictably, this also positions Piker a prime villain of the political right. To his enemies there is plenty to criticize: his blunt political views; his cultural background; his associations with left-wing politicians. But they also take issue with the fact that Piker – tall, muscular, fashionable and handsome – defies typical lefty caricatures. He has leveraged his physique in shirtless magazine photoshoots or social media posts. “I’ll be honest, I had no idea that this is what I was going to be doing,” states Piker. “For instance, if someone were to ask me, did you ever think that you’d become a Twitch streamer? I’d be like, what is Twitch?” It’s the morning and he’s preparing to start his daily 11am show. He typically streams live for seven or eight hours consecutively, talking off the cuff about the news, lifestyle stories, what he’s up to, playing video games, engaging with memes and media clips, and interacting with the constant stream of comments from viewers. From The Young Turks to Solo Streaming Establishing himself on Twitch, which is primarily for livestreaming video games, was a conscious decision, Piker says. His media career started out with The Young Turks, the left-leaning online news network. Piker’s parents are Turkish immigrants, and he grew up between New Jersey and Istanbul before studying political science. He eventually hosted his own show on the network in 2016 but in 2018 he decided to go solo on Twitch, to counterbalance what he saw as dominantly conservative, and often toxic views that permeated the space. “You can find ideological variety amongst the gamers, amongst the developers, among the consumers, but unfortunately, the market for political commentary in this arena is so overwhelmingly dominated by the right,” he says. The Problem with the American Left This is the core problem with the American left in general, argues Piker: they’ve ceded so many battlegrounds to the right. “You still have to market your ideas … but they just completely abandoned all notion of marketing or branding.” Piker is regularly critical of past administrations on his show, particularly on foreign policy, but he is not a loyal supporter of the dominant center-left party. His own politics are generally social democratic and “compassion-driven”, he clarifies. “My position is actually the standard position in much of the world.” Firestorms and Backlash One of the dangers of Piker’s style of relaxed, relatable commentary is that he’ll occasionally go too far, which provides his opponents fodder. He has been temporarily banned from Twitch multiple times for perceived offensive content. In a highly publicized incident, in 2019, in the context of a wider critique, he made a statement about a national tragedy that was amplified by conservative media outlets. Piker later expressed regret and said the wording was inappropriate. Similarly, Piker’s vocal support for Palestinian rights and criticism of certain state policies have led to accusations of prejudice, which he strongly rejects. He has also been mocked for expressing praise for a different major global power, after a trip there. “I have no problem getting vilified by people on the right. I relish when my enemies hate me,” he says. “It is what it is.” Real-World Repercussions The hate increasingly risks to spill offline, however. On one occasion, Piker was detained by American border agents on his return from travel abroad. They questioned him about his views before releasing him. “I think they did it because they know who I am,” he said. These levels of hostility help explain the “Free Kaya!” incident in Dublin. It started with a Twitch stream where his dog, Kaya, yelped suddenly. Online detractors jumped to the conclusion that Piker was mistreating the animal, igniting a meme-fueled controversy dubbed “collargate.” Even a prominent animal rights organization put out a statement. This led to the ambush by a random in Dublin. Piker took that encounter in his stride. Online, though, the encounter was edited from his live stream and disseminated with his reply edited out. “They wanted to make it look like I was devastated,” he said. The Difference Between Digital and Offline Worlds This highlights the difference between the offline and online worlds, he explains: “It’s very hard to maintain a very hostile energy in the real world and not coming across as unhinged and odd. Interactions on the internet create this environment where you can be as hostile as you want.” That Dublin encounter was relatively low stakes. In the US, he feels less safe. The assassination of a conservative commentator was a harrowing example of where this online hate can lead. Piker watched the event develop in real time on his stream. Piker still do real-life streams in the US. “I can’t let fear guide my life. I’ve gotten death threats for years,” he says. Toxic one-sided fan dynamics come with the territory, he acknowledges. Looking Ahead and Finding Balance Having been prescient about the last election, how does Piker feel the next few years? “The landscape shifts quite rapidly, but if you look at the avenues where there is some semblance of hope, it’s the left candidates that are actually truly galvanising the public,” he says. He references the progressive “wing”. “We have to embrace that, because I feel like it’s a matter of critical importance at this point,” he continues. “So I will do everything in my power to try and avoid a dark alternative.” The American left could arguably do with someone like Piker. But it seems unlikely as if Piker is tempted in traditional political office. He makes occasional media guest spots, but he’s not tempted further into traditional media, he says. “The audience is moving in my direction, and away from legacy publishers.” And on top of that, he clearly enjoys it: “I find a lot of personal fulfilment in what I do.” As he’s talking, he’s got one eye on the clock. Another lengthy live stream awaits, and he’s eager to get started.
Hasan Piker calls it an everyday benchmark: “Picture yourself on a bus and you have 30 seconds to explain whatever online phenomena took place to the bus driver before them turning to you and going, ‘Get off the damn bus.’” Most online debate, no matter how intense, does not pass the test, he contends – not least an incident recently, when someone on a Dublin street requested to take a picture with Piker, then held up a picture of his dog and yelled “Free Kaya!” Never mind the bus driver; trying to explain the importance of that specific event could easily take the rest of this article. Existing in the Blurred Zone Piker increasingly exists in this liminal zone increasingly these days. Until relatively recently, the thirty-four-year-old was known only to the very online, especially Americans in their twenties and thirties, largely thanks to his presence on the streaming platform Twitch. But following the last presidential election, Piker has become an sought-after voice in “offline circles” for his analysis on the beleaguered political left, and especially that inordinately discussed demographic, young men. A Prime Target for the Right Predictably, this also positions Piker a prime villain of the political right. To his enemies there is plenty to criticize: his blunt political views; his cultural background; his associations with left-wing politicians. But they also take issue with the fact that Piker – tall, muscular, fashionable and handsome – defies typical lefty caricatures. He has leveraged his physique in shirtless magazine photoshoots or social media posts. “I’ll be honest, I had no idea that this is what I was going to be doing,” states Piker. “For instance, if someone were to ask me, did you ever think that you’d become a Twitch streamer? I’d be like, what is Twitch?” It’s the morning and he’s preparing to start his daily 11am show. He typically streams live for seven or eight hours consecutively, talking off the cuff about the news, lifestyle stories, what he’s up to, playing video games, engaging with memes and media clips, and interacting with the constant stream of comments from viewers. From The Young Turks to Solo Streaming Establishing himself on Twitch, which is primarily for livestreaming video games, was a conscious decision, Piker says. His media career started out with The Young Turks, the left-leaning online news network. Piker’s parents are Turkish immigrants, and he grew up between New Jersey and Istanbul before studying political science. He eventually hosted his own show on the network in 2016 but in 2018 he decided to go solo on Twitch, to counterbalance what he saw as dominantly conservative, and often toxic views that permeated the space. “You can find ideological variety amongst the gamers, amongst the developers, among the consumers, but unfortunately, the market for political commentary in this arena is so overwhelmingly dominated by the right,” he says. The Problem with the American Left This is the core problem with the American left in general, argues Piker: they’ve ceded so many battlegrounds to the right. “You still have to market your ideas … but they just completely abandoned all notion of marketing or branding.” Piker is regularly critical of past administrations on his show, particularly on foreign policy, but he is not a loyal supporter of the dominant center-left party. His own politics are generally social democratic and “compassion-driven”, he clarifies. “My position is actually the standard position in much of the world.” Firestorms and Backlash One of the dangers of Piker’s style of relaxed, relatable commentary is that he’ll occasionally go too far, which provides his opponents fodder. He has been temporarily banned from Twitch multiple times for perceived offensive content. In a highly publicized incident, in 2019, in the context of a wider critique, he made a statement about a national tragedy that was amplified by conservative media outlets. Piker later expressed regret and said the wording was inappropriate. Similarly, Piker’s vocal support for Palestinian rights and criticism of certain state policies have led to accusations of prejudice, which he strongly rejects. He has also been mocked for expressing praise for a different major global power, after a trip there. “I have no problem getting vilified by people on the right. I relish when my enemies hate me,” he says. “It is what it is.” Real-World Repercussions The hate increasingly risks to spill offline, however. On one occasion, Piker was detained by American border agents on his return from travel abroad. They questioned him about his views before releasing him. “I think they did it because they know who I am,” he said. These levels of hostility help explain the “Free Kaya!” incident in Dublin. It started with a Twitch stream where his dog, Kaya, yelped suddenly. Online detractors jumped to the conclusion that Piker was mistreating the animal, igniting a meme-fueled controversy dubbed “collargate.” Even a prominent animal rights organization put out a statement. This led to the ambush by a random in Dublin. Piker took that encounter in his stride. Online, though, the encounter was edited from his live stream and disseminated with his reply edited out. “They wanted to make it look like I was devastated,” he said. The Difference Between Digital and Offline Worlds This highlights the difference between the offline and online worlds, he explains: “It’s very hard to maintain a very hostile energy in the real world and not coming across as unhinged and odd. Interactions on the internet create this environment where you can be as hostile as you want.” That Dublin encounter was relatively low stakes. In the US, he feels less safe. The assassination of a conservative commentator was a harrowing example of where this online hate can lead. Piker watched the event develop in real time on his stream. Piker still do real-life streams in the US. “I can’t let fear guide my life. I’ve gotten death threats for years,” he says. Toxic one-sided fan dynamics come with the territory, he acknowledges. Looking Ahead and Finding Balance Having been prescient about the last election, how does Piker feel the next few years? “The landscape shifts quite rapidly, but if you look at the avenues where there is some semblance of hope, it’s the left candidates that are actually truly galvanising the public,” he says. He references the progressive “wing”. “We have to embrace that, because I feel like it’s a matter of critical importance at this point,” he continues. “So I will do everything in my power to try and avoid a dark alternative.” The American left could arguably do with someone like Piker. But it seems unlikely as if Piker is tempted in traditional political office. He makes occasional media guest spots, but he’s not tempted further into traditional media, he says. “The audience is moving in my direction, and away from legacy publishers.” And on top of that, he clearly enjoys it: “I find a lot of personal fulfilment in what I do.” As he’s talking, he’s got one eye on the clock. Another lengthy live stream awaits, and he’s eager to get started.