Streaming on Twitch can be a tough gig for those trying to navigate the platform's extensive forms of content control. This moderation extends to user-created emotes, as Twitch streamer KaraCorvus' set of dancing bird emotes were banned for a reason many may find questionable.
The primary and most effective way for streamers to interact with their audiences is through their stream's chat, where viewers can talk to one another and to the streamer directly. Streamers can further personalize their chats by creating custom emotes for fans to use. There are obviously rules and guidelines that determine what emotes are considered appropriate, but it is not always cut and dry. Like the recent ASMR controversy, Twitch's decision to ban KaraCorvus' emote set is one ripe for debate.
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KaraCorvus tweeted on July 6 the news that her dancing bird emotes were removed from Twitch. According to her post, the emotes, which portray a gray bird quickly shaking its tail feathers around, were removed because they are considered sexual content. Compellingly, the declaration of it being "sexual content" comes without there being any explicitly sexual imagery or references. Compared to some other more explicit content, like with Amouranth and Indiefoxx, these emotes seem rather tame.
Naturally, fans were quick to speak out in support of KaraCorvus and vocalize their thoughts. Some fans drew their attention to the portion of the message referencing "sexualized torsos" as being a cause for emote banning. One fan pointed out that there is not even any detail pertaining to the bird's rear, with other emotes being much more graphic. Fortunately, KaraCorvus' account itself is not being banned, considering some streamers get banned accidentally, but it seems like the emotes are gone for good.
This situation says a lot about the way emotes, and perhaps animated figures in general, are perceived. To one person, this emote really is nothing more than a bird shaking its tail around, but to another, it can be interpreted as sexual content. Take a children's show like SpongeBob SquarePants that has ironically become known for its gross out humor and litany of "butt" jokes. Incidentally, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom streamer Shift was in the same emote ban fiasco as KaraCorvus a few years ago.
It is reasonable for Twitch to moderate the emotes that can be used across its site, but examples like this show that Twitch can sometimes be overboard with its guidelines.