Whilst admitting I'm a little late to the party on this one, I recently became aware of the Twitch streamer Amouranth, and her infamous antics. For those not yet in the know, and assuming that you understand the basic principles of who and what a streamer is, Amouranth is the 'handle' of Kaitlyn Siragusa who was born in Texas, in December 1993. Having officially become the most watched female Streamer on Twitch in 2021, the sites own records proudly announced that the Texan has been observed for a whopping 38.34 million hours, regularly broadcasting for up to 12 hours a day with an average viewership of 5 million per stream.
I first became aware of Kaitlyn in November 2021, reading an article on the website Game Rant, which spoke about her syndicate purchase of a 7-11 store for her share of $10 Million. According to the article, this wasn't her first property purchase that month, having already explained to her online followers that she would be expected to pay "$6 million in federal income tax for 2021, and that [by] buying [a previously purchased] $4 million gas station [she] would actually lower how much she [would] pay in taxes as well as [giving] her some passive income" in the process. What struck me most about this story was that by all accounts Siragusa didn't appear to have massive global success with 'A Charmed Affair', and excluding the possibility she came from a wealthy background, it seemed astonishing to think that aged 27 she would have the disposable income to spend $14 million dollars outright on at least two commercial properties, to say nothing of the associated running and various costs thereafter and any other purchases she had made.
Despite Amouranth having a comparatively lower 1.7 million official followers on the platform, it's generally accepted that a majority of those who use Twitch do so anonymously, given that you don't even need to sign up to an official account to watch a particular video. The streaming service has gone from strength to strength itself, especially during the ongoing pandemic, in which more people around the world have been more likely to spend their time indoors. This is great news for owners Amazon, who purchased it in 2014, and are one company who has actually seen an increase in service users as a result of the recent global situation. Of course, as with it's digital brother from another mother YouTube, the vast majority of those who post content on Twitch would not expect to make even a comparatively modest income - and do so for reasons of recreation and enjoyment, rather than commercial gain. So what makes this user so different?
Traditionally, Twitch is a platform for users to stream video games, allowing viewers to see the latest blockbusters being played by someone else - an idea which itself has been lampooned in shows such as 'South Park' as missing the point of a video game entirely - but the concept is generally that you might see how others play the game and get a better idea of your own performance or use it to make a decision on whether to purchase or play this title yourself in the future. Like something out of the Truman Show, it's been observed that many viewers will leave a stream on solely for comfort, often playing it in the background whilst they engage in another activity (such, perhaps, as making dinner or even writing this article). Over time the parameters of Twitch changed, and content became more liberal, with some channels offering episodes of The Simpsons on repeat, whilst others used it for chat shows, podcasts, discussions and debate. The entire time, however, Twitch had a strict policy that explicit content on its platform was removed at the first sign.
Former Twitch user Jenelle “indiefoxx” Dagres is one such example of controversy. A struggling musician, she turned to suggestive and adult content on the platform when her music wasn't being well received, realising that as a young woman she could get more attention for body than her musical abilities. This is a story that we're already familiar with, but where it digresses into absurdity, is how Indiefoxx (and users like her) were able too circumvent public nudity laws. By studying the terms and conditions of their user agreements, it was realised that playing a video game in a bikini or swimsuit (as opposed to underwear) was perfectly acceptable. At the same time, there was nothing to stop users from engaging in appropriate activities when one is wearing such garments - such as using a hot tub. In what might be consigned to the history books as a moment of complete farce, millions were tuning into Twitch to see several users (almost all of them young women) playing video games whilst sat in a hot tub and dressed in a bikini. In such situations, exposure wasn't unusual, and these incidents were normally set down to 'wardrobe malfunctions' with half hearted apologies offered to appease the censors.
Then we turned to AMSR, Autonomous sensory meridian response, traditionally a technique employed by holistic or wellness doctors to help you relax. Now it was being used by Twitch content creators to push the boundaries of adult entertainment, with suggestive noises and even more suggestive microphone interactions, most of which led to repeated bans for Dagres and her eventual disappearance from the site after six separate infractions. Of course, Amouranth was also engaging in a large amount of the same behaviour, and remains on the site to this day - becoming increasingly popular with each passing month. Additionally, there's also the question of how this lurid behaviour translates into considerable, real world, monetary success?
Well, asides from the 'performers' Only Fan accounts, which provided some additional subsidiary to those who wanted to see a little more, one of Indiefoxx's bans was for writing the name of specific subscribers in marker on her chest. Traditionally, as a gamer, I've always enjoyed playing a game more than watching a film; there is an element of control as a gamer, with repeated views creating a different experience - as each playthrough is unique to the players own actions. When I think back fondly to the first time I played 'Final Fantasy VII' or 'Pokemon Blue', it was because I played them, not because they were popular games played by millions at the time of their respective releases. The same translation can be found in this situation, as viewers were happy to pay for their experiences, with an individual acknowledgement given. This, in turn, leads to viewers (our players) forming a specific personal and intimate relationship with the individual content creators, something you wouldn't get from watching a pornographic video. Even if those content creators don't care who you are or what your feelings actually are.
Of course, Amouranth has been banned from Twitch many times herself, and currently has five previous infractions. But the difference here is that (with the exception of her Instagram ban, that remains in force as of time of writing) most sites had host her material recognise her ability too generate revenue on 'their' behalf as well as her own. Reports have indicated that her previous infractions on Twitch have been lifted specifically because of the amount of users who have bombarded Twitch support servers in an assault of 'apparent injustice' on her behalf. With so much support, it's clear that she is "the devil you know" rather than the one you don't, and an outright ban may itself lead too a mass exodus and Amouranth hosting her content on another site entirely. Of course, in a generation of Tik Tok influence (where it's 'stars' become the focal point of hair commercials, for example) and "Hype House" trends on Netflix, it might only be a matter of time before the creator moves on and accepts that nothing can last forever. Whilst Twitch remain in a position of wanting to enforce their rules but not wanting to lose their profit margins. All whilst the viewer becomes more personally involved with the art.
This is not something unique to Twitch. Currently, the music world is going through its own revolution, with the way we listen to music traditionally evolving and changing every few years. At the moment, most musicians make virtually nothing from streams or album sales - and recent reports indicate that little to no money is made from live performances or selling merchandise - so how does a band stay in business? By providing personalised content, such as a fan club or a meet and greet, a VIP experience; the band can stay ahead of the cost, and earn additional revenue that might been previously felt obscene or offensive to expect. In the same way, Twitch content streamers offer services that - whilst not explicitly advertised - come with serious financial rewards. In 2021, it was reported by British Tabloid 'The Sun' that Amouranth had been paid $8,000 to insult a fan personally, a video which she claimed was requested to help motivate and encourage them to achieve dieting goals. Regardless of whether this is a cover story or not, and the video is perhaps used as a masturbation aid, it still gives an interesting indication of where the bulk of Siragusa's earnings come from.
The other night I decided to watch a stream from Amournath, and whilst not for the first time, this was the first occasion on which I decided to stay with broadcast for more than 5/10 minutes. I normally find the content useless, if I'm honest, and as a heterosexual adult male in a committed relationship I don't feel it appropriate on a personal level to be watching such videos. Now, that raises other questions, and so whilst I admit that I do watch porn on an occasional basis I feel less inclined to see this in the same category - a video from Porn Hub on my phone is not live, I won't see facets of the individuals personalities and I won't be distracted into thinking I have a relationship or personal connection with them. As a teenager, I know that I myself may have struggled with this concept, and that if the same opportunity had of existed 15/20 years ago, I might easily have been one of those seeking a false online relationship with a content creator. In a world where so many of us casually accept online relationships as a norm, and build friendships and connections without ever actually meeting in person, it's not a leap to suggest that some viewers may feel Amournath is their friend.
During my viewing of her broadcast, Amournath was playing 'Just Dance 2022', which gave her the opportunity to wear an outfit that I'd last seen in the window of Ann Summers whilst she jumped, twisted and turned along with the games instructions. If you were playing this game yourself, that's a perfectly normal way to do so, but Amournath's cleavage and choice of attire meant any "wardrobe malfunctions" had a much higher chance of happening. It was perfectly choregraphed, with the inclusion of a long length mirror and a bedroom setting backdrop, to suggest this was an intimate look into a young woman's private moments. I highly doubt she'd ever slept once in this room. At a specific point, she took a break in proceedings to announce she was changing into her bikini, and it took almost 20 minutes of a "test card" before we re-joined the stream. In that time, several thousand viewers joined me watching nothing - waiting for her to return.
In a weird turn of events, whilst preparing this article, I learned from the site Win GG that Amournath had been very recently banned by Ubisoft from Just Dance itself, when her account was hacked and the username changed to “Twitch Slut.” This itself might suggest a personal vendetta for the hacker, perhaps feeling that the creators actions are intruding on that individuals own life.
Some might see this article as a personal attack on Amouranth, and nothing could be further from the truth, because at it's heart this individual is as much a product of the system as her donators. Whilst she herself may be the most streamed female content creator on the platform, there are hundreds, if not thousands who have fallen by the wayside. Her success is as much chance as anything else and her decision to invest in commercial property for the future is well founded and established. Nothing lasts forever, and the bubble will burst; but the behaviours of her audience open a wider discussion of how we personalise and choose entertainment and whether we're going too far at the detriment of our own mental health.
Sources/Further References
Twitch Streamer Amouranth Buys 7-Eleven Store for $10 Million (gamerant.com)
Twitch star Amouranth 'paid $8,000 by fan to call them a loser on video' (thesun.co.uk)
Who is indiefoxx, and why isn't she on Twitch anymore? - WIN.gg
Amouranth gets banned from Just Dance, loses her high scores - WIN.gg