Latest news with #HasanPiker
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Blockbuster 'Superman' Sparks Another ‘Woke' Debate—Between Ben Shapiro, Hasan Piker, Others
Whether 'Superman,' DC's new blockbuster that made a splash at the box office this weekend, serves as a metaphor for Middle East unrest has animated political figures on the right and left—from Ben Shapiro to Hasan Piker—despite the director denying any direct reference. Director James Gunn denied the movie is a metaphor for conflicts in the Middle East. (Photo by Samir ... More Hussein/WireImage) Samir Hussein/WireImage Left- and right-wing 'Superman' viewers have debated whether the conflict between fictional nations Boravia and Jarhanpur, in which Superman stops the more powerful Boravia from invading the poorer and largely defenseless Jarhanpur, is a metaphor for Israel and Gaza. Hasan Piker, a left-wing Twitch streamer and YouTuber some tout as the left's answer to Joe Rogan, suggested Sunday night that Boravia could be an analogue for Israel, noting the fictional country is depicted as a military power and ally of the United States, while comparing its attempted takeover of Jarhanpur to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Piker objected to an earlier video by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who said the conflict portrayed in the movie does not compare to Israel and Gaza because it 'does not match up to the facts' and can only be seen that way by those with 'left-wing brain.' Shapiro said he does not think the movie has a political agenda, denying other theories the movie is pro-immigration, or offers commentary on Russia and Ukraine, saying these interpretations are caused by 'politics on the brain.' Conservative YouTuber Tim Pool also disagreed that the movie was a metaphor for the conflict in Gaza, pointing out the two countries are portrayed in the movie as a wealthier Eastern European nation and a poorer South Asian nation. Writer-director James Gunn has denied the movie is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though he has admitted it has political undertones. 'When I wrote this the Middle Eastern conflict wasn't happening. So I tried to do little things to move it away from that, but it doesn't have anything to do with the Middle East,' Gunn told Gunn said the movie depicts an 'invasion by a much more powerful country run by a despot into a country that's problematic in terms of its political history, but has totally no defense against the other country,' which he said 'really is fictional.' Gunn admitted the movie is 'about politics,' but said the movie is largely about morality and kindness. Gunn told previously sparked controversy after telling The Sunday Times Superman is an 'immigrant that came from other places,' stating 'Superman is the story of America.' What Have Critics Said About The Politics Of 'superman?' Film critic G. Allen Johnson wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle it is 'chilling how many scenes reflect current reality,' calling the Boravia-Jarhanpur conflict 'very reminiscent of the Israel-Hamas conflict.' William Bibbiani, a critic for The Wrap, said Gunn may have written a fictional conflict between made-up nations for the film, but 'but we know he's talking about' the war in Gaza. Mashable critic Siddhant Adlakha said the movie has 'unavoidable parallels' to Israel-Hamas. 'Superman' has been branded as 'woke' by some conservative critics over Gunn's immigration comments. A Fox News chyron that aired last week called the movie 'Superwoke,' as guest Kellyanne Conway said people 'don't go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.' Superman, however, has long been described by fans and critics as an immigrant. Central to his story is his birth on the dying planet Krypton and his arrival as an outsider to Kansas, and the creators of the comic, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, are children of European Jewish immigrants. Frank Miller, a comic book artist who has written Superman comics, said in 2019 he aimed to 'portray Superman as the ultimate immigrant' in his comic series, 'Superman: Year One.' How Is 'superman' Faring At The Box Office? 'Superman' had a big opening weekend, grossing $122 million at the domestic box office and $217 million worldwide. The movie's success is a win for DC Studios, which has not had a box office hit in years. The studio faced back-to-back flops with 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' 'The Flash' and 'Blue Beetle,' as well as the critically panned 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,' which had a moderate box office performance. 'Superman' received positive reviews, scoring an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of DC's better-reviewed films in recent years. 'Superman' continues a hot streak for the summer box office, which has seen consecutive hits including 'Jurassic World: Rebirth,' 'F1' and 'How To Train Your Dragon.' Further Reading Superman's An Immigrant? Director James Gunn Faces Right-Wing Backlash For Claim (Forbes) 'Superman' Makes Huge $22.5 Million Debut—Can It Revive The DC Film Franchise? (Forbes)
New York Post
19-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker is pushing Gen Z boys to the extreme left with twisted views on Israel, 9/11
The moral panic about Andrew Tate and his influence on young men has been massive — but what about the leftist, socialist and arguably antisemitic mega-streamer influencing millions of predominantly young male followers? Hasan Piker, known to his 2.9 million Twitch followers as HasanAbi, appeals to the same 'bro' demographic as stereotypical right-leaning manosphere influencers — popping nicotine pouches, gaming on livestream and hitting up the gym as well as gun ranges — but he sells a very different ideology. The 33-year-old New Jersey born streamer, who recently showed up at anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles in a bulletproof vest, has self-described as leftist, socialist and anti-capitalist. He holds enormous cultural sway with the Zoomers who flock to Twitch, a platform with more users in the 16- to 24-year-old demo than any other. Advertisement 8 Hasan Piker has more than 7 million followers across Twitch, X, Instagram, and YouTube. AP Parents should have their eye on Piker, who has told his 7.3 million followers across platforms — multiple times — that America 'deserved 9/11' and that Jews are 'inbred.' He is truly indefatigable and on Twitch for seven, eight, nine hours day, at least six days a week. As of June 18, Piker's only taken two days off since the month started, and streamed more than 10 hours on June 8. Advertisement Set up at his home monitor, the streamer flips through news clips and articles, from Al Jazeera to Fox News, and occasionally films himself gaming or giving dating advice. He will usually rack up more than a million views over the course of a stream. 8 Piker has said that America 'deserved 9/11' and that Jews are 'inbred.' Instagram/@hasandpiker Piker's stamina is matched only by that of his fans, who flood the comments at breakneck speed. 'May Allah awaken President Xi and allow him to see the evil doing of Israel and the United States,' one commenter said on a recent stream. Another chimed in when Piker showed a clip from Fox News: 'In a just world Fox News in its entirety would be lined up in the Hague for these lies and propaganda.' Advertisement Even after Piker logs off his hours-long video feed, the messages keep pouring in. In a recent livestream discussing Israel's conflict with Iran, he called Israel 'the giant baby nation with nuclear arms' and said its 'existence is a great shame and a serious stain.' 8 Hasan Piker suggested that the May Israeli Embassy shooting could have been a false flag operation. YouTube/HasanAbi Piker also suggested the May 21 Capital Jewish Museum shooting in DC, which left two young Israeli embassy staffers dead, was a 'false flag operation.' 'Every single thing that [accused shooter Elias Rodriguez] did in the aftermath of the shooting is so f–king crazy that it's like, you could not have designed a f–king incident like this,' he said on his livestream. Advertisement Major political figures on the left are clamoring to sit down with him. 8 Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on Piker's livestream in March. HasanAbi/YouTube Pike got both AOC and Bernie Sanders on camera for an interview together in March, during which he gifted Rep. Ocasio-Cortez a booklet on the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement in Japan. In a recent interview with NYC democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the pair discussed government-run housing and supermarkets, free public transport and criminal justice reform. 'I want Austrian style, Red Vienna, 65% of the entire city is just peppered with government housing, that's what I want,' Piker said as they bonded over donuts. 8 Piker interviewed Zohran Mamdani, NYC's democratic socialist mayoral candidate. HasanAbi/YouTube 'Let's talk about the unheard minority, the marginalized, people of wealth — POW — I feel like they're getting a hard bargain here with you,' Piker joked. 'Meritocracy, obviously real, Elon Musk worked the smartest and the hardest. Why do you hate the successful, wealthy people?' Meanwhile, Piker drives a $200,000 Porsche Taycan and lives in a nearly $3 million, 3,800 square foot West Hollywood home. Advertisement He was launched into popular consciousness via a strange and somewhat eroticized New York Times profile in April, with the headline 'A Progressive Mind in a MAGA Body.' 8 Piker owns an airsoft gun and occasionally posts photos from gun ranges. Instagram/@hasandpiker 'Mr. Piker's success on camera, in some part, has been aided by the fact that he is, by conventional standards, a very handsome man,' the profile fawned. 'He is 6 feet 4 inches tall and built like a professional athlete, with a square jaw, a beard and a head of thick dark hair.' While parents should laugh off the drooling, they'd be remiss to dismiss Piker's influence on young men who see him as aspirational. Advertisement He's a different kind of male role model than popular-right wing influencers — the sort who tells reporters at pro-Palestine rallies that 'a strong man protects those who can't protect themselves' and whose fans search desperately for a workout routine to achieve his physique. 8 Young male followers praise Piker (right) for his physique, which has inspired some to seek out his workout routine. @hasandpiker/Instagram There's a simplistic narrative that young men are moving to the right politically while young women are going to the left. While this might be more true of Gen Z than with prior generations, the fact of the matter is, kids are liable to go down any number of online rabbit holes. I know this as a Zoomer who grew up with YouTube and, as a tween and young teen, was led to the right and to the left at various times by algorithmic feedback loops. Piker's socialism isn't exactly fringe in Gen Z. A 2022 Pew poll found more 18- to 29-year-olds had a positive view of socialism (44%) than capitalism (40%), and a 2024 YouGov survey found 25% of that same age group had a positive view of communism. Advertisement 8 Piker streams up to 10 hours a day, at least six days a week, on Twitch. Instagram/@hasandpiker It's easier today than ever for a kid who's learning about the world to attach to a couple online voices — whether Andrew Tate or Hasan Piker — as portals to the outside world they're desperate to make sense of. While the mainstream media has its panties in a bunch over influencers turning young men conservative, they're writing fawning puff pieces about the radical left-wing streamers pushing youth to the opposite extreme. We should be equally concerned about kids getting radicalized in any direction — and all play our part in modeling skepticism, critical thinking and media literacy for a generation growing up in the internet age.
Gizmodo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
As Trump Comes for Your Social Media, It's Time You Consider What's Worth Sharing
Agents of the Trump administration are increasingly using social media posts to crack down on immigrants, tourists, and even some U.S. citizens. Last month, a leaked document showed the State Department had crafted a new standard for reviewing the social media accounts of any foreign students planning to attend or even visit Harvard University. Legal immigrants may have benefits denied based on social media activity, and people expressing opinions or acting contrary to Trump are being detained at airports. Whether you're a U.S. citizen or not, it's time you reexamine how much of yourself you're willing to show publicly online. Amid the ongoing travel turmoil that's made several countries institute warnings to foreign citizens planning trips to the U.S., I was looking for ways to make it more difficult for governments to use my social posts against me. That's when I was invited to use Block Party. It's not, by its nature, a politically charged app. With a $25 annual subscription, Block Party uses a browser plugin to help rein in your privacy settings on your various social media accounts with a simple checklist and easy-to-follow, step-by-step guides. Privatizing your social media accounts helps keep big tech from building data profiles based on your activity, which it then uses for targeted advertising, but it may not be enough to completely deter a visit from Customs and Border Protection as you muscle through airport security after coming to the States. [Editor's note: Getting thrown into another bin for targeted advertising isn't great either, but it's better than getting thrown into Guantanamo.] At the very least, it may make the jobs of federal agencies—or anybody looking for dirt on you based on your online activity—a little harder. For the time being, that might be enough to help you avoid being held up by U.S. officials for hours in an airport. Trump Widens the Targets of Social Media Scrutiny You can simply delete your profiles, but as somebody who still needs to remain active on social media, Block Party is one of the better options I've personally used to get into the weeds of my accounts' esoteric privacy settings. It even helps you find settings in some apps to keep AI from scraping your posts. Still, changing all your settings may not be enough to avoid all scrutiny. According to a Politico report on the leaked State Department document, the U.S. government imagines foreign students' lack of a social presence or privatized social media 'may be reflective of evasiveness and call into question the applicant's credibility.' The Trump administration may ascribe this same standard to U.S. citizens. Already, there are concerning examples of agents targeting supposed Trump opponents. Left-wing influencer Hasan Piker said in May that he was detained and questioned for hours by Homeland Security after he came back to Chicago from France. In April, immigration agents detained Michigan-based attorney Amir Makled at an airport for more than an hour as he returned home from the Dominican Republic. The attorney was representing Columbia University students who had protested against the war in Palestine. Makled said feds requested he hand over his phone, and after 90 minutes of questioning, he eventually complied. The situation is growing more constrained for non-citizens traveling to the U.S. Every individual has to decide for themselves what precautions they need to take when traveling as a citizen or non-citizen alike. Sophia Cope, the senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Gizmodo it's not an easy decision, and some people planning to visit the U.S. may be better off choosing a different destination. However, despite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's proclamation that privatizing social media was somehow an indication of 'evasiveness,' it's still a good idea to privatize your socials before crossing the border to the U.S. And it's not just protesters who need to think long and hard about what thoughts of theirs are shared online. Nonprofit and government staff now have to consider whether their public presence necessitates drastic culling of their online profiles. 'We've definitely been seeing an uptick in interest given the activities of the government recently,' Tracy Chou, the founder and CEO of Block Party, told Gizmodo in a video interview. After Trump's inauguration, she said she's received interest from both current and former government workers from multiple federal agencies, afraid their previously innocuous social media posts could be used as ammunition for right-wing groups. Government workers weren't just trying to avoid the eyes of Trump and DOGE. Chou gave an example of people who worked in the Department of Justice's civil rights division who were trying to avoid attacks from right-wing groups online. Some Apps Make It Easier to Avoid Social Media Scrutiny You can find a loose gaggle of tutorials online for turning on social media privacy settings, but even an experienced user will be surprised by just how many settings there are to limit. You may also want to look into subscriptions such as DeleteMe or Kanary, which work to eliminate information data brokers have on you and remove data from some websites. Block Party is more concerned with restricting the data big tech companies can garner from your social accounts. Privacy settings for most apps are arcane—often deliberately so—and even if you're trying to privatize an account, you can still miss something. Block Party currently works with X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Venmo, Instagram, Reddit, Strava, YouTube, Bluesky, and Google. Additionally, Block Party will only impact the mobile versions of TikTok and Snapchat. Chou said her team is planning to support more apps in the future. The app operates as a browser plugin that offers a checklist for your social accounts. Some settings can be done for you with the tap of a button, but various settings will take some attention on your part. On LinkedIn, Block Party can automatically turn off settings to 'represent company,' a sneaky setting used for sponsored ads about your employer. If I want to change the number of apps connected to my YouTube account, I have to click a link through the app and disable them manually, then mark the task as 'done.' Even using Block Party, the process of tuning all your socials is time-consuming. After you're done, you may realize how many features of these apps depend on your private data. Block Party recommends you change YouTube settings to limit viewing history. Suddenly, I can't see which videos I've watched, making it harder to return to a YouTube essay I paused before going to sleep. This is the trade-off for privacy. You simply won't be able to use your apps in the same ways you used to. There Is No Panacea for Privacy Nina Jankowicz, the cofounder of The American Sunlight Project, which advocates against online disinformation, said she has started to advise people to lock down their social media not just for the sake of avoiding targeted ads, but to keep from being targeted by the government. She said she offers Block Party free to staff, but even that may not be enough in this age, where her activities as an advocate are receiving more and more scrutiny. Jankowicz said she started bringing a burner cell phone when she travels through and to the U.S. Beyond massaging your social accounts, travelers need to start considering device security. Turning off biometric log-in when you travel is a good start, as experts say law enforcement has less legal liability to unlock your device if they flash your Face ID at your mug. You should avoid saving WhatsApp or Messenger chats to the cloud in case government agents manage to bypass phone security. VPNs, which help hide your IP address and keep you anonymous when online, are also good to have on hand. The fact of the matter is, U.S. officials have the legal ability to detain people at the airport, but as Cope stressed, the U.S. is not legally allowed to keep citizens from entering the U.S. without probable cause. Non-violent political opinions posted to social media still don't meet grounds for an arrest just because Trump is in office. At the same time, Trump's administration has continued to ignore court decrees, and his flaunting of the law may turn on American citizens as well. For now, it's best you know your rights. Refusing to hand over a phone to officers could delay you, but you're only legally required to establish your identity, not to share your phone with anybody. Again, knowing your rights can still lead to delays. 'If there's anything remotely controversial, I would delete that post, privatize the account, or even shut down the account,' Cope said. 'I want to emphasize again it's each individual person's choice, but I think for me, I'd rather not have the government have this particular data point or set of data points about me.' The U.S. already knows what kind of chilling effect this abuse of social media has had on protest efforts. When I asked Jankowicz whether privatizing your social media can make it harder to organize, she responded bluntly: 'Yes.' 'Researchers are a lot more reticent to be on things like Signal group chats or on email chains and message boards,' she said. 'The toll it takes on attempting to muster a collaborative response on anything that's happening to the community is really difficult.' Privatizing your social media can't be a panacea for your travel anxieties, especially if you still want to use these apps to communicate with friends or organize for causes you care about. The best it can do is make a government operator's job harder, and since there are so many accounts to monitor, you may slip through the dragnet. As time goes on, Trump will rely more on technology from firms like Palantir to compile a wider database on every citizen based on government data, according to a recent report from The New York Times. Whether you use apps like DeleteMe and Block Party in tandem or you go out and prune your posts and public persona, get ready for a far more constrained online existence.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘That f***ed my hair up': Twitch streamer Hasan Piker stunned by flashbang in LA riots
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker was caught up in the Los Angeles riots, with footage capturing the moment he was disoriented by loud flashbangs. Piker, who lives in LA and is known for posting YouTube videos under the moniker 'HasanAbi', was interrogated by border agents last month upon returning from overseas over his anti-Trump political views. On Monday, photos and footage of him attending the protests were shared on social media. 'They're firing into the crowd now. I don't think that's fireworks, buddy,' Piker is heard saying as he streamed from the scene. 'They're already deploying flashbangs. Not great. Look, what they're going to try and do is close down the other side of the road,' he said while standing in a throng of protestors on a highway underneath a bridge. 'I think they're going to push in from this side of the road. Oh ****, oh *****. That *f***ed my hair up,' he adds as loud bangs are heard. Piker continues to walk through the crowd, as the loud bangs continue and fans are seen approaching him to shake his hand and take selfies. The riots erupted on Friday after federal immigration officers arrested large groups of undocumented immigrants in areas of the city with large Latino populations. What began as a peaceful protest has since escalated with dozens of arrests and reports of looting. President Donald Trump responded to the riots by deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, followed by 700 marines on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed his decision, calling it 'reckless' and 'pointless,' claiming that only a few hundred of the original Guard troops have been deployed, despite the president's insistence that thousands are there. Newsom has said that California will sue the government for its deployment of the National Guard to quell the protests. 'Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. 'He's putting fuel on this fire, ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard — an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,' Newsom said on MSNBC Sunday evening.
The Verge
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Verge
The National Guard arrived in Los Angeles earlier today in a move that
Adi Robertson A few places to follow the LA protests. hasn't been seen since 1965, and protests are stretching into the evening. There's a Bluesky starter pack of LA-based independent journalists providing text and photo updates, plus news outlets and streamer Hasan Piker live on the ground. And demonstrations in several cities are planned for tomorrow, pushing for the release of union leader David Huerta, arrested during the recent aggressive ICE raids.
