Are JonTron's Politics Important?

Hey! You Got Your Politics In My Gaming Culture

Recently Jon Jafari also known as JonTron has shared more about his beliefs than most are comfortable with. But I'm not here to dissect what he said, there are plenty of articles doing that. No, instead I want to ask, does it matter?

For those who may be unaware, Jon Jafari got tangled up in a political debate with Steven Bonnell II, also known as Destiny. This was sparked by Jafari's tweet that referred to America being "...invaded..." by immigrants. This tweet sums up his views pretty well, but if you'd like to go deeper down the white rabbit's hole I'll post the video of this discussion below.

Now, once again, I want to ask, does Jafari's views matter? Some will argue that during such polarizing times his views matter more than ever. The fact is that over the past decade Jon Jafari has gathered a large following thanks to his Normal Boots Youtube Channels, as well as his past partnership with Game Grumps. And, by becoming a Youtube celebrity, some may say that he has influence over those who watch him, especially his younger viewers. But does this mean that Jon Jafari should be hushed and keep the views he truly believes a secret?

We actually experienced something similar to this in VR news. The founder of Oculus, Palmer Luckey was discovered to have funded an internet smear campaign against Hillary Clinton in favor of Donald Trump. Almost immediately Palmer Luckey and his flip flops were limited in terms of public appearances and the only response we were given by Luckey was an apology. Now, I understand, there are differences here in terms of scope and possible contracts Luckey may be held to, but is this reaction preferred?

Would it be better if Jafari simply went on Bonnell's podcast to apologize and sum up his views as a joke? In my honest opinion, I'd say no. Wait! Before you all run to your nearest garden supply shop for the best pitch forks and torches, I'd like to say that it's not because I agree with him. No, my controversial view stems from the belief that personal politics shouldn't be mixed with gaming and the general interest in having fun.

I think a line should be drawn between the need to have fun, and the beliefs we have, political, religious, and otherwise. More-so now than ever our personal politics has integrated themselves into many facets of our daily lives. And we seem to have all jumped on to our personal soap boxes to shout out our views so all can hear through the spider web of social media. The point I want to get across is that if you want to share and discuss the views of others there are many venues to do so, but that shouldn't effect what you find fun and entertaining. 

The fact is, JonTron is an entertaining character to watch, and the views Jon Jafari have shouldn't change that. But, I want to ask you if you agree. I want to know if those who unsubscribed from JonTron were right to do so, or simply let their emotions guide their actions. So what do you think? Should a line be drawn between politics and fun, or are these views too wild to ignore?