Minecraft YouTuber Dream has hit back at critics of his fanbase after the hashtag #canceldreamstans trended on Twitter.
Dream is one of the biggest streamers out there right now. After being virtually unknown at the start of 2020, his channel exploded due to the success of his Minecraft Manhunt series and mainstream attention on the Dream SMP – a collaborative Minecraft server involving other popular streamers.
With all this success, Dream has accumulated a loyal following of almost 20 million YouTube subscribers, as well as a Twitch channel with nearly four million followers.
However, with such popularity has come recurring controversy. Some of his followers have been accused of taking their support too far by sending death threats to people who don’t like his content.
Why is #CancelDreamStans trending on Twitter?
The feud began when, on March 18, Twitter user Awesome Nintendo Facts quote tweeted Dream. The YouTuber had celebrated entering YouTube’s Top 100 most-subscribed channels in the USA, but Awesome Nintendo Facts claimed the YouTuber was undeserving of his popularity.
“This was the least deserved thing I’ve ever seen, there is no reason this guy should be as popular as he is,” they said.
“You can enjoy his content if you want, I won’t judge. I’ve just had some bad experiences with his stans, they think being edgy is the funniest thing in the world.”
https://twitter.com/nintendofac/status/1372356303587209220
The situation soon boiled over, as Awesome Nintendo Facts accused Dream’s fans of sending him death threats in response to his comment.
“My accts are still being flooded with dream stans,” they added. “The community is an absolute s***hole. I do not respect any of the bull**** me or my supporters have been given and you guys need to get a f***ing life already.”
They later started the #canceldreamstans to publicize this alleged toxicity. “A ‘Stan’ Is someone who is in essence, a stalker fan. It’s unhealthy and often times toxic,” they said.
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https://twitter.com/nintendofac/status/1373065150094209028
Dream responds to #canceldreamstans
On March 20, Dream explained how asking his fans to stop sending such death threats was unlikely to accomplish anything.
“This community has gone way too far,” he said, sarcastically. “A bunch of mostly teenagers enjoying watching content creators and making friends with each other? I have never seen anything quite as disgusting…”
“Obviously I don’t support death threats or threats at all, or any kind of disrespect and I call it out all the time in my community. But people who do those things know that it’s wrong and do it anyway.”
https://twitter.com/dreamwastaken/status/1373183650125189120
Obviously I don’t support death threats or threats at all, or any kind of disrespect and I call it out all the time in my community, but people who do those things know that it’s wrong and do it anyway. “Just tell people to stop murdering” -murder rate drops to 0-
— dream (@dreamwastaken) March 20, 2021
Fellow Minecraft YouTuber BadBoyHalo also came to Dream’s defense. “The fact that people try to label an entire fandom under the actions of a few is awful,” he said. “Dream doesn’t condone any bad behavior and to blame him or anyone else for the actions of others is ridiculous.”
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This is not the first time Dream has responded to criticism towards his fanbase. Back in January, the streamer condemned the actions of fans who were creating art to ‘ship’ romantic connections between underage content creators, and hit back at those who blamed him for these fans’ actions.
Fanbase toxicity is an occupational hazard that comes with becoming a major figure in streaming. As his channel continues to grow, it’s unlikely that Dream being caught up in situations like this will become less common.
