The German Twitch streamer Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris (FIFA 20, CoD Modern Warfare) compared women to dogs. However, he does not want this to be understood derogatorily. A clip with the comparison went viral on Twitter – but what is behind the clip?
This is the scandal: The YouTuber David Hain took a 48-second clip of MontanaBlack from a nearly 7-hour live stream on Friday, December 6th, and posted it on Twitter. Hain provided neither source information nor context.
Hain implies: One of the biggest Twitch streamers in the world and a role model for many growing fans has a misogynistic worldview. A clip follows in which MontanaBlack says:
“Women are like dogs and I don’t mean that derogatorily.”
Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris
Then MontanaBlack explains that dogs need freedom; otherwise, they would leave at the first opportunity. Only when you give dogs a lot of leeway do they come back voluntarily.
He ends the clip with: “It’s the same with women, dude.”
The uproar on Twitter was massive.
This clip was picked up by several media outlets, including BILD.
This is how MontanaBlack reacts to the shitstorm: MontanaBlack reacts aggressively. He immediately attacks the person behind the statement, David Hain. Following the motto: He has nothing to say; he doesn’t have as many followers as he does.
MontanaBlack expresses himself like Hain on Twitter, where many of his fans are who share his views and way of speaking. This only makes the shitstorm that the media reports on even bigger.
MontanaBlack apparently feels misrepresented. He says this is just a “typical Monte example.” There is nothing in the clip that could be seen negatively. He insists that he is actually advocating against the oppression of women in the clip.
Kleiner Reminder:Das hier ist BeHaind.Nicht einer der größten Streamer der Welt.Nicht Autor des erfolgreichsten Hörspiel im deutschen Markt 2019.keine Millionen Follower.
Und in einem typischen Monte bespiel,wo ich mich gegen Unterdrückung von Frauen einsetze,sieht er ein Problem https://t.co/nQZcASwZ3H— GetOnMyLvL (@MontanaBlack) December 9, 2019
On Monday, December 9th, the hashtags #Monte, metaphor, Behaind, freedom, MontanaBlack, and leash were among the trending topics on German Twitter.
#FreeLeon – Where does it come from?
What is the context of the comparison? A few days ago, MontanaBlack was in a limousine with Twitch colleagues. His viewer, Leon, and his girlfriend, a young woman, were also present.
MontanaBlack and this young woman flirted with each other while his actual fan Leon sat beside them, visibly uncomfortable. Hence the hashtag #FreeLeon: “Free the boy.”
It was implied: MontanaBlack, as a “big Twitch star,” is taking his fan’s girlfriend while he sits next to them.
MontanaBlack first joked about these allegations, then defended himself against them and said that they should not make a big deal out of it. He defended the girl and ultimately explained how he interacts with women.
42 Seconds Clip in 7 Hours Live Stream
When did the comparison come? During an almost 7-hour Twitch stream on Friday, December 6th, MontanaBlack addressed, among other things, the allegations. He explained
- If he has a girlfriend, she can do whatever she likes. It doesn’t bother him if she flirts or goes out.
- Only in his first relationship was MontanaBlack jealous, which destroyed the relationship.
According to his view, women are like dogs; they need a lot of leeway and freedom; otherwise, they will break free and be gone forever. He learned this from his bitter experience.
Fans Demand the “Dog Comparison” Twice
You can’t see this in the clip: If you watch the entire stream, you can see that MontanaBlack is urged by a fan in the chat to make the “dog” comparison, and he himself says: “Better not.”
Because MontanaBlack already made the actual “women-dogs” comparison some time ago.
He is urged a second time a few minutes later: “Bring the dog comparison, that’s Monte-old school” – only then does the part that appears in the clip come.
MontanaBlack introduces the comparison quite self-deprecatingly. He calls it “Wisdoms with Monte” that would now follow. However, he seems to be aware that this comparison could be taken the wrong way.
What lies behind it: The difficulty here is that from MontanaBlack’s perspective, he is criticized for exactly what he expressly does not want to say:
- His message is “What you love, let free, and trust that it will return”
- However, by comparing with the dog, he brings a hierarchy between man and woman, like between dog and owner. MontanaBlack likely does not aim to achieve this with the comparison, but that is precisely what is criticized.
Das geht raus an alle, die finden die Kernaussage der Metapher sei schon ok: Alter nein!
Im Kern der Metapher werden Frauen als Eigentum von Männern betrachtet und genau das ist ein Riesenproblem.— Madita Pims (@MaditaMedusa) December 9, 2019
Due to the shortened representation in the clip without the context, MontanaBlack appears worse off than in the context of the situation, in which he clearly rejects this claim of possession – and that from his own experience.
MontanaBlack is the biggest Twitch streamer in Germany and his appearances also reach mainstream portals.
