"Fortnite" Star Streamer Ninja Has a Bad Excuse for Not Playing With Girls

Twitter has spoken: "It’s not okay."

One of Twitch’s most recognisable haircuts faces, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, says he doesn’t stream with girls because it’ll start romantic rumours.

This is, obviously, an extremely dumb justification for a bad idea, and comes just a few months after his last controversy: saying a racial slur during a live stream.

Speaking to Polygon, Ninja said, "If I have one conversation with one female streamer where we’re playing with one another, and even if there’s a hint of flirting, that is going to be taken and going to be put on every single video and be clickbait forever."

This is why he’s not inviting any women to participate in his exceptionally popular Fortnite live streams, which, this year, featured Drake and Travis Scott.

Ninja argues that, as a married man, he doesn’t want to invite any speculation about his relationship. (And, as Polygon points out, there is a cottage industry on YouTube of clickbait videos wondering which streamers are dating one another.)

But, many female gamers have spoken out in response to Ninja’s argument, saying that it’s no defence for discriminating against women in the eSports and streaming industry. It has also earned comparisons with American Vice President Mike Pence’s pledge to never hold solo meetings with women in the workplace.

Whether it’s Mike Pence or Ninja, when men with power in a field refuse to associate with women in that field, it normalizes gender discrimination and hurts women. https://t.co/PUoNqjXZs1

— Carolyn Petit (@carolynmichelle) August 11, 2018

I think the most disappointing part of the “Ninja won’t play with women” thing is that he’s literally the person in the best position to show younger male viewers, his primary audience, that it’s cool to just be friends with women. He could have made such a positive impact.

— Joshua MacDougall (@FreakinClever) August 12, 2018

To the people saying they "understand where Ninja is coming from".. I'm a bit curious as to how your relationships function. Not playing with ANY women? Do you not have friends who are women? Do you not have any trust in your relationship? That sounds miserable. Can't relate.

— Yellow Ferrari Like (@PikaChulita) August 11, 2018

Last word on this:

I am not blaming Ninja for trying to protect his family.

But going into an interview, in front of an audience of millions, and saying Women are Not Allowed in My Gaming Space is wrong.

It’s keeping women and men segregated in gaming space. It’s Not Okay.

— bluejay (@bluejay_712) August 12, 2018

Between saying the N-word for fun and refusing to platform women, maybe it's time to stop calling Ninja a role model and start calling him a bigot. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

— Derek (@ComplicitOwl) August 11, 2018

"hey ninja, women have a harder time growing as streamers cause they're harassed endlessly and not taken seriously, how're you going to use your huge platform/audience to help?"

"well my plan is to completely ignore them all because there might be some little rumors."

🙃🙃🙃🙃

— Riley J. Dennis (@RileyJayDennis) August 11, 2018

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Header Image: YouTube (Ninja)