That's exactly what Boogie2988 says in his Jontron defense video. He says that he relies on Youtube money for his mortgage and doesn't want to piss off anyone who could take that away. He mentions that the other people he defends are independent, they can make money off other things, but he can't so he has to tow the line.
"These are the same people who came at me 2.5 years ago. That made me step back. You know what,
I don't want to die on this hill. This is not something I want to end my career over. I have a mortgage to pay. I'm not going to get other job offers like Colin. I'm not always going to be able to be independent like Jon. I won't be a multi-millionaire like Felix. And be ok. And run my own corporation.
I'm just some fat shit in a corner of Arkansaw trying to pay his rent...now paying his mortgage...now trying to pay his medical bills and stay alive. Maybe there is a better way for me. Maybe I will just play with my Pokemon cards. Maybe I'll let those people be outraged at whoever else they want to be outraged with.
And while I do that, I can always try to preach a sense of moderation. A sense of free thinking. A sense of figuring things out for yourself. Of being speculative and being suspicious of the things you hear and the things that you see. And to try to encourage people to stop being so far left, stop being so far right, and find the place in the middle.
People who watch this video up to this point or even cut it off 2 minutes in, are using this video as an excuse to try to do that to me.
'Oh he's defending Jon, he's defending an anti-semite, defending a sexist asshole'. And I am. I AM. Because where I don't agree with their opinions, I believe they have every right to their opinions. I believe they have every right to think for themselves and try to feel out. And the problem with the freedom of thought is, sometimes people are gonna think things you don't like. People are going to have opinions and ideas that you don't enjoy. And you have to treat that with a certain level of tolerance and understanding. Because if you approach it with tolerance and understanding, you might very well be able to convince that person otherwise.
I do plan to have a conversation with Jon if you allow me to and maybe we'll talk about the stuff. Maybe I'll learn from him, and he'll learn from me, and we'll land somewhere in the middle. Wouldn't that be swell? Because the middle is a great place to be! And people say, you won't stand up for what you believe in, you won't stand up for what you care about, but
you know what damnit I stand on this hill! And I'll die on this hill! THIS IS THE ONE I WILL STAND UP FOR! There's no such thing as wrong think. There is no such thing as a wrong opinion. I think it's ok to have whatever shitty opinion you have. And it's the best way to treat someone with
a shitty opinion - one that might be morally and objectively wrong - is to try to talk to them, to treat them like a person, to treat them like you care about them, to treat them moderately and maybe with respect and talk to them and try to convince them. Because I'll tell you something. The studies show when you fight someone's beliefs, it only strengthens their beliefs and convictions. You can't change somebody's mind with hate. You can only change somebody's mind with love."
But this centrism creates opportunities where he comes off as a hypocrite. Examples:
