Reaction streams on Twitch are arguably the most engaging type of content put out by Just Chatting streamers. The category has, in one form or another, always existed on the internet, perhaps because it captures the attention of audiences in a way that other video content cannot. Online reactions create an environment in which audiences and content creators can share the experience of watching something for the first time. As far as what they react to, there have naturally been plenty of Twitch trends over the years, some of them good, some bad, and some downright weird. Most recently, however, the increase of live reactions to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial has come across as morally questionable at best.
It's true that Twitch users are within their right to react to whatever content they want to, whenever they want to. Practically no one will argue that this creative freedom should change. Still, this sort of trend does beg questions about what sort of content viewers want to see online. Given the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard lawsuit, it may be a good time to take a step back and reconsider the attitude toward online drama—and this applies to other websites, too.
The React Genre
The novelty of "reaction" content partly comes from the streamer’s personality; audiences want to see their favorite creators weigh in and give their two cents on topical events. Moreover, content creators can react to just about anything, which provides them with plenty of options. From reality shows to video game reveals, Twitch streamers and YouTuber creators can react to whatever it is they’re interested in. And, for the most part, everything is fair game when it’s lighthearted and inconsequential
Reactions to Johnny Depp
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case is anything but lighthearted or inconsequential, though. At the core of the trial that's being played out in front of the world is a toxic relationship full of abuse, and that’s precisely what the lawsuit intends to decide a verdict about. When it comes to reacting to the trial, it's not so much about the specifics of Depp vs. Heard so much as it is the subject matter itself: abuse. It’s an upsetting topic for many, one that is intrinsically complicated. To turn that sort of subject matter into monetizable content is questionable.
For some viewers, the drama they're seeing being reacted to on almost every platform may very well be reminiscent of past experiences, or even current circumstances. Watching Twitch can be a form of escapism, a way for viewers to cope with reality. For this topic to be so openly discussed in such a flippant way is inconsiderate. That’s not to say that every viewer’s every need has to be attended to by the streamer. But when a streamer wisecracks about examples of abuse from the trial, it sends a message that says it’s okay to joke about abuse so long as it’s for the sake of entertainment.
Moreover, this raises other questions about what’s okay to use for online entertainment and what’s not. Fans have to wonder if reactions to drama are a genuine form of creative expression or a cash grab. There are no straightforward answers, that’s for sure, but drama and online fights almost always take a toll on their participants. Exploiting these situations was normalized by traditional media, but now it seems as though it’s just as normalized for the internet. Some form of drama has always existed online, but now it’s almost an expectation that content creators weigh in on every update.
No one person is at fault for these attitudes. They’re a culmination of years of media developments, and almost everyone is guilty of consuming online drama in one form or another. When every view and every click is a small form of endorsement, though, questions about whether or not it's right to monetize reactions to domestic abuse are warranted. So as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s messy defamation suit runs its course, perhaps looking away will show Twitch and YouTube that this is not the sort of content that should be celebrated.