‘Binging with Babish’ YouTuber under fire for ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ sponsored content

Associating yourself with Hogwarts Legacy is a dicy proposition. Following boycotts and backlash aimed at Twitch streamers who chose to play (and therefore promote) the game on their channels, beloved food YouTuber Binging with Babish is under fire for posting a Hogwarts Legacy sponsored video.

Babish (aka Andrew Rea) specializes in geek-culture recipes, so he’s done plenty of Harry Potter content before—the most recent being Aunt Petunia’s pudding four months ago. However, Hogwart Legacy is especially controversial right now due to J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans views. Many people argue that it’s unethical to spend money on Potter products, so partnering with Hogwarts Legacy is a heavily politicized choice.

The video in question is a recipe for a Potter-adjacent Full English Breakfast, bookended by Babish voicing sponsored ads for Hogwarts Legacy. The channel’s moderators seem to be removing negative comments, but judging by the responses on Twitter, a lot of people were unhappy to see Babish advertise Hogwarts Legacy, prompting some to unsubscribe.

When I woke up this morning, I didn't know it would be the last time I watched a @BingingWBabish, but here we are.

Utterly disappointing, but I will not be wasting eyeballs on someone who takes money from fascists. pic.twitter.com/rAIqngt3JL

— A.C. Danvers – cohost.org/ann-arcana (@ann_arcana) February 23, 2023

Why did you decide to use that enormous platform to support such vile hate? Do you not have enough money as it is? https://t.co/sA8O5F3Mee pic.twitter.com/jIMFw6ALSs

— Matthew Cortland, they (@mattbc) February 26, 2023

Meanwhile on Instagram, where Babish’s posts are less heavily moderated, the comments section is full of fans expressing their displeasure.

“This is so discouraging to see,” reads a typical response. “Engaging in partnered content with a franchise that promotes such wild antisemitic rhetoric and a creator so aggressively against the Trans community is saddening.” Numerous others just posted some variation of “this is so disappointing.”

The argument here is that by advertising Hogwarts Legacy, content creators either endorse J.K. Rowling or help to launder her reputation, ignoring the concerns raised by trans people. Plus, the game itself has faced accusations of antisemitism and poor handling of the Potter franchise’s first trans character.

Advertising Hogwarts Legacy isn’t the same as posting spon-con for a Witcher game or the next Marvel movie. It’s a political statement that carries particular weight for a YouTuber with this kind of platform—something Babish surely knew before the video was posted.

The Daily Dot has reached out to the Binging with Babish team via email and contact form.

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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/binging-with-babish-hogwarts-legacy-backlash/