In the conflict between the German streamers KuchenTV and Shurjoka, there is a technique on YouTube that MeinMMO author Schuhmann dislikes: the acceleration and pitch-shifting of the voices of the opposing side. Some find these grotesquely distorted Mickey Mouse voices funny, but it’s just not acceptable.
Which trend is annoying?
- In KuchenTV’s Christmas special about Shurjoka, numerous statements from the streamer were played at multiple speeds with an unpleasantly distorted pitch.
- Some fans of KuchenTV are happy that the streamer speaks with a high-pitched “Mickey Mouse” voice.
- But even MontanaBlack says he can barely stand the audio track from Shurjoka at this fast-forward speed. And I have to agree with him.
Unfair, manipulative and disrespectful
What advantages does this measure have? From KuchenTV’s perspective, the advantages are clear:
- The video thus has more pace – any redundancies in the spoken contributions are skipped.
- The quoted passages that are outside of his control take up less space in the video.
- Proportionally, his share of speaking time increases, for which the viewers are there – they want to hear him and his opinion.
What is the problem with this trend?
Distorting the voice of the opposing side has several problems:
- It is unfair: One distorts the arguments of the opposing side: Due to the increased speed, any emphasis and emotionality in Shurjoka’s spoken contributions are lost. One is immediately biased against everything she says. Any empathy is eliminated.
- It is manipulative: By making Shurjoka appear so grotesquely distorted, it gives the impression that she is scatterbrained and speaks incoherently as if in a daze. It also appears equally unprofessional when KuchenTV alters his own voice and repeats the arguments of the respective opposing side to emphasize how stupid he thinks they are.
- It is disrespectful: While the opinion blogger takes his time with his own contributions, highlighting them with grand gestures or comic snippets, it is made clear through the “fast-forward speed”: What she says really doesn’t matter much. Never mind.
This is a technique that really should stop immediately. MontanaBlack is completely right about this.
The conflict between KuchenTV and Shurjoka has been going on for several months now and has led, among other things, to the ban of the opinion blogger from Twitch:
