Earlier this year, YouTube's biggest star sparked controversy after Disney severed ties with him over jokes about Jewish people and Nazis. At the time, Felix ‘Pewdiepie' Kjellberg apologized but continued to make many Nazi references in defiance to the outrage. Months later, Kjellberg says he has a different perspective about those jokes and says he's no longer going to make them.
”At this point, I'd really just want to distance myself from all of this," Kjellberg said. ”I remember back when everything happened in February, I was sort of like, ‘I mean, they're just jokes. There's not actual Nazis out there, what are you talking about?' And then I look at this, and I'm like oh, I see. OK!"
The ”this" he is referring to are the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, when torch-wielding white supremacists held a rally that got violent and resulted in a counter-protester being killed. Like many of us, Kjellberg watched in horror, and in a recent vlog update, he says that the events at the rally made him reconsider his approach to humor.
”It sort of gave me a little bit of perspective, because technically I got grouped in with these people somehow," Kjellberg said.
”Believe it or not, I want nothing to do with these people," Kjellberg continued. ”I have no hate in my heart. I only have hate for hateful people."
”So I thought now would be a good time as any to say, I want nothing to do with these people," Kjellberg said. ”I don't think anyone that watches me think I'm an actual Nazi, but I know that some people might have some doubts, mainly because of all the jokes that I've been making."
More here
How does PewDiePie condemn this better/more than our current president? Not that I don't think he has more responsibility that he admits to here. He's definitely stoked the flames and has a super large impressionable audience.
Hope he keeps to this promise.
Also, comments from his fans:
”You are letting liars dictate what you say," one commenter wrote. ”You're apologizing for something you're​ not... I liked you because you didn't let lies change you and didn't treat your fans like idiots (who couldn't tell what's a joke)."
”PewdieCuck!!," another wrote. ”Get your own voice PewdieCuck!! Now you have got to be careful with every word you say just to not upset the others. Boooo."