Wikipedia

Destiny (streamer)

Steven Kenneth Bonnell II(born December 12, 1988), known online asDestiny,is an Americanlive streamerandpolitical commentator.He was among the first people to stream video games online full-time.[5]Since 2016, he has streamed political debates with other online personalities, in which he advocates forliberalandsocial democraticpolitics.[6][7]

Destiny
Bonnell in 2022
Personal information
Born
Steven Kenneth Bonnell II

(1988-12-12)December 12, 1988(age 35)[1]
Omaha, Nebraska,U.S.
Occupations
  • Political and social commentator
  • streamer
Spouse
Melina Göransson
​
​
(m.2021;div.2023)​
[2]
Children1
Websitedestiny.ggEdit this at Wikidata
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2013–present
Genres
Subscribers
  • 852 thousand (Destiny)
  • 182 thousand (Last Night on Destiny)
  • 86.9 thousand (Destiny Clips)
Total views
  • 569,700,756 (Destiny)
  • 104,816,274 (Last Night on Destiny)
  • 55,647,651 (Destiny Clips)
Associated acts
100,000 subscribers2018
Twitch information
Channel
Years active2011–2022
GenrePolitics/Gaming
Followers699,700 (before his indefinite suspension)
TikTok information
Followers196.2 thousand
(August 4, 2024)
Likes7.8 million
(August 4, 2024)
Instagram information
Page
Followers100 thousand
(August 4, 2024)
Last updated:August 4, 2024

The New York Timeshas described Bonnell as a liberal,[3]while in 2020 Bonnell described himself as "a very bigsocial democrat".[7]

Early life

Steven Kenneth Bonnell II was born inOmaha, Nebraska,to aCuban-Americanmother and aWhite Americanfather.[6]He was raised in a conservativeCatholichome,[6]and he attendedCreighton Preparatory School,a privateJesuithigh school for boys.[7]When he was apre-teen,his mother's home day care business collapsed, and his family's home was foreclosed.[7]A few years later his parents moved to take care of an aging relative, after which he lived with his grandmother until he was 18. During his childhood, Bonnell playedJapanese role-playing games,which he says made him an adept reader.[6]

In 2007, Bonnell enrolled at theUniversity of Nebraska Omaha,where he studied music while working as a restaurant manager at a casino, mostly at night. Struggling to juggle both his education and full-time work, Bonnell dropped out of college in 2010. Within a year, he was fired from his job, which he attributes to his difficulty navigating workplace politics and understanding others' emotional experiences.[6]

Bonnell later found work as acarpet cleaner,working 12-hour days forcommission.His average pay was $3–4 an hour (equivalent to $4.2–5.6 an hour in 2023).[6][7]

Career

Bonnell (center) at the HomeStory Cup, a tournament for the video game franchiseStarcraft,in November 2014.

In 2011, Bonnell quit his job as a carpet cleaner to stream video games full-time. Streaming hisStarcraft IImatches onlivestream.comandustream.tv,[8]thenJustin.tv(nowTwitch), he was immediately financially successful.[5][7][9]In October of that year, Bonnell joined professional team Quantic Gaming and placed 4th in the 2011MLGGlobal North American invitational.[10] During his years as aStarcraft IIstreamer, Bonnell was known for his abrasive and confrontational style, including use of "acerbic and often offensive" comments against other players for shock humor.[5]

Bonnell's logo wordmark

Starting in 2016, Bonnell live-streamed political debates with other internet personalities. Bonnell debated YouTuber Jon Jafari, better known asJonTron,onimmigrationandassimilationin March 2017, after Jafari tweeted in support of anti-immigration statements byRepublicancongressmanSteve King.In his debate with Bonnell, Jafari's statements concerning race, crime, and immigration were seen as controversial by viewers, and the subsequent backlash garnered media attention.[11][12][13][14]

In summer 2018, Bonnell was suspended for 30 days fromTwitchfor using the wordfaggot.[15]In November 2018, Bonnell and fellow streamerTrihex(Mychal Ramon Jefferson) premiered a political commentary collaboration,TheDT Podcast.Thepodcaststreamed its final episode in October 2019, during which Jefferson confronted Bonnell regarding statements the latter had made defending his use of offensive humor—including racial slurs—in private.[7][16]

In March 2022, Bonnell was indefinitely banned from Twitch due to "hateful conduct".[17][18]Dot Esportsspeculates that this may have been due to Bonnell streaming with white nationalistNick Fuentes,who had previously been banned from the platform, while Bonnell speculated it was due to him expressing the view that "trans womenshouldn't compete withcis women in women's athletics".[17][19][20]In October 2024, Bonnell alleged that the reason behind his ban on the platform was for his characterization of onlinetransgender activistsas being "inbred".[21]

In September 2023, Bonnell, alongside other political streamers such asVaush,Emma Vigeland (co-host ofThe Majority Report with Sam Seder), andKeffals,interviewed U.S. RepresentativeRo Khannaabout various topics, including the importance of youth political participation and ways to pushprogressivepolitical sentiment, as well as asking questions about Khanna.[22][23][24]In March 2024, he appeared on theLex Fridman Podcastin a debate with activistNorman Finkelstein,historianBenny Morris,and political analystMouin Rabbaniregarding the history of theIsraeli–Palestinian conflictand the ongoingIsrael–Hamas war.[25]

Political positions

Bonnell identified as alibertarian,anti-SJW"withright-of-center social beliefs"until 2012, when his political outlook began shifting towardsocial liberalismafter an incident in which he heard another streamer call agayperson a "fuckingfaggot".[6][7]Bonnell has argued against certain aspects of bothfar-right politicsandfar-left politics.[6][7]Furthermore, he has promoted the idea that college campuses should have students who have diverse opinions in order to reduce polarization.[26]

In 2019, Bonnell began publicly debating in favor ofcapitalismagainstsocialistsandcommunists.[6]Bonnell has stated that his intention is not to persuade their opponents but to persuade the audience; although he has expressed that airing his opinions often feels "like screaming into the void", he estimates he has received hundreds of emails from former members of thealt-rightcrediting him for their conversion toleft-wing politics.[6][7]Subsequent journalistic and academic coverage of right-wingYouTubecommentary has credited Bonnell as an early and effective opposition to it, particularly owing to his provocative, combative debate style which appeals to right-wing gaming audiences.[3][6]

Political violence

Bonnell was notified in September 2020 that his Twitch partnership agreement would be terminated the following month for "encouragement of violence". The termination came as a result of comments made on-stream after theKenosha unrest shooting,in which Bonnell expressed opposition to riots at theGeorge Floyd protests.[27]Bonnell said:[28][29]

"Theriotingneeds to fucking stop, and if that means like whiteredneckfucking militia dudes out there mowing down dipshit protesters that think that they can torch buildings at ten p.m., then at this point they have my fucking blessing, because holy shit, this fucking shit needs to stop, it needed to stop a long time ago. "[29]

Bonnell later said thatKyle Rittenhousewas clearly misguided but that his frustration was with rioters who Bonnell believed would scare people into voting forDonald Trumpagain.[30]

After thefirst 2024 assassination attempt of Donald Trump,which killed one Trump rally attendee and injured two others,[31]Bonnell stated that Trump and his supporters "reap what they sow, and I'm here to watch the harvest".The Economistcited Bonnell as an example of an "angry progressive" who "lamented" that the attempt had failed.[32]

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Following the2023 Hamas attack on Israel,Bonnell expressed sympathy for Israel, stating, "The Palestinians are oppressed by all the Arab countries, and no country from them, which is supposed to be on 'their' side, has bothered to offer them a real solution—and yet, their anger is directed fully at Israel, and unjustifiably in my opinion."[33]In a debate withNathan J. Robinson,Bonnell argued against thePalestinian right of return,believing it would make peace and atwo-state solutionimpossible. Robinson responded by arguing that Arab leaders (Yasser Arafatand theArab Peace Initiative) had shown a willingness to compromise on the right of return.[34]

In March 2024, he appeared on theLex Fridman Podcastin a debate withNorman Finkelstein,historianBenny Morris,and political analystMouin Rabbaniregarding theIsraeli–Hamas conflict.[25]

Economics

In a conversation about immigration with the YouTuberCarl Benjamin,popularly known by the pseudonym Sargon of Akkad, Bonnell expressed his general view that, because immigration lowers the cost of labor for companies hiring low-wage earners, it is good to have high levels of immigration. Furthermore, in order to fix the wealth disparity caused by both the lowered wages of low-wage earners and the heightened wages of high-wage earners, Bonnell proposed raising taxes on the wealthy and distributing their earnings to the poor.[35]

In 2021, Bonnell debated Marxian economistRichard D. Wolff,with Bonnell defending capitalism. In that debate, Bonnell described the label of "socialism"as poorly defined, and noted a history offamineand abuses in countries like theSoviet UnionandChina,while Wolff responded by attempting to correct perceived misrepresentations from Bonnell of his views on socialism throughout the debate.[36]Bonnell has cited his poverty during his teenage and college-aged years as an influence on his views, and says that he prefers to argue based onempirical datarather thanmoral suasion.[7]

Canvassing

In 2020, Bonnell supported the general election campaign ofJoe Biden.[37]Following Biden's victory, Bonnell led acanvassingcampaign in support of Democratic candidatesJon OssoffandRaphael Warnockin the2020–21 Georgia Senate runoffs.[38]With the help of approximately 140 volunteers mobilized from Bonnell's online audience, the campaign knocked on an estimated 17,500–20,000 doors inColumbus, Georgia,making it one of the larger campaigns of the election.[39]Bonnell led another canvassing operation in support of Mark Gudgel for the2021 Omaha mayoral election.[40]On March 3, 2021, Gudgel officially cut ties with Bonnell over the latter's statements regarding riots at the George Floyd protests.[29][41]

In February 2024, Bonnell spearheaded canvassing efforts by political activist group Progressive Victory inCincinnati,Ohio, to supportSherrod Brownin theOhio US senate race.[42][43]

Personal life

Bonnell lived in Nebraska before relocating to theLos Angeles areain December 2018.[7][6]In late 2021, he moved toMiami, Florida.[44]

Bonnell has been married twice and has a son.[45]He is openlybisexual,[46]and his second marriage was anopen marriagewith Swedish streamer Melina Göransson.[7][47][48]Bonnell and Göransson married in December 2021.[49]They separated and filed for divorce in December 2023.[50]

References

  1. ^"The Omni Liberal".RetrievedDecember 8,2023.
  2. ^Bonnell, Steven (January 22, 2024)."Yemen History | Kick or Keep tonight @ 6 EST".YouTube.1:44:50.RetrievedJuly 25,2024.
  3. ^abcRoose, Kevin (June 8, 2019)."The Making of a YouTube Radical".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2020.
  4. ^Gonzalez, Oscar (June 29, 2022)."Meet the Twitch, YouTube Streamers Who Deradicalize While They Debate".CNET.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2022.RetrievedAugust 11,2022.
  5. ^abcMcCormick, Rich (August 26, 2014)."This is why people want to watch other people play video games".The Verge.Archivedfrom the original on June 28, 2020.RetrievedMarch 13,2019.
  6. ^abcdefghijklQuirk, Trevor (January 15, 2020)."Can This Notorious Troll Turn People Away From Extremism?".Wired.ISSN1059-1028.Archivedfrom the original on June 28, 2020.RetrievedApril 16,2020.
  7. ^abcdefghijklmBreland, Ali (April 1, 2020)."Steve Bonnell Made Big Bucks Following a Simple Plan: Play Video Games. Troll Your Fans. Fight the Online Right".Mother Jones.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2020.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
  8. ^No Jumper(September 2, 2022).The Destiny Interview: Relationships, Trans Rights, Trump, Keffals & More(Video). Event occurs at 13:40.Archivedfrom the original on September 4, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 4,2022.
  9. ^"Inside the new world of 24/7 on-demand videogame TV".Edge.July 1, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on July 7, 2013.RetrievedJune 24,2019.
  10. ^"Steven" Destiny "Bonnell joins Quantic Gaming".www.gamasutra.com.Archivedfrom the original on June 28, 2020.RetrievedApril 16,2020.
  11. ^"Popular YouTuber JonTron Has Some Batshit Crazy Thoughts on Immigration He'd Like to Share [Update]".Gizmodo.March 13, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on March 13, 2017.RetrievedDecember 26,2020.
  12. ^Gajanan, Mahita (March 14, 2017)."YouTube Star JonTron Under Fire for Comments on Race and Immigration".Time.Archivedfrom the original on September 3, 2019.RetrievedApril 19,2020.
  13. ^Jackson, Gita (March 17, 2017)."Longtime Fans Of YouTuber JonTron Say They Can't Watch Him Anymore".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 11,2022.
  14. ^"A Brief Breakdown of the JonTron Racism Controversy".Game Rant.March 21, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2017.RetrievedDecember 26,2020.
  15. ^Musil, Steven (July 3, 2018)."Twitch suspends popular streamers after use of homophobic language".CNET.RetrievedOctober 19,2024.
  16. ^Viana, Bhernardo (October 24, 2019)."Trihex and Destiny end their podcast over use of the n-word".Dot Esports.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 7,2021.
  17. ^abPolhamus, Blaine (March 23, 2022)."Political streamer Destiny banned from Twitch".Dot Esports.Archivedfrom the original on March 24, 2022.RetrievedMarch 27,2022.
  18. ^Litchfield, Ted (March 27, 2022)."Politics streamer Destiny receives indefinite ban from Twitch".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2022.RetrievedMarch 28,2022.
  19. ^Litchfield, Ted; published, Andy Chalk (March 27, 2022)."Politics streamer Destiny receives indefinite ban from Twitch".PC Gamer.RetrievedSeptember 9,2024.
  20. ^Gach, Ethan (July 21, 2022)."Trans Streamer Keffals Says Twitch Banned Her For 'Openly Talking' About Abuse She Receives".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 11,2022.
  21. ^"Streamer Destiny reveals clip that caused his permanent Twitch ban".Dexerto.October 28, 2024.RetrievedNovember 13,2024.
  22. ^Gutelle, Sam (September 29, 2023)."U.S. rep Ro Khanna streamed with creators like Vaush and Emma Vigeland outside the White House".Congressman Ro Khanna.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2023.RetrievedOctober 3,2023.
  23. ^Lorenz, Taylor (September 28, 2023)."Democrats plan four-hour live stream with Twitch and YouTube stars".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2023.RetrievedOctober 3,2023.
  24. ^"Interviewing Congressman Ro Khanna w/ Emma Vigeland".Youtube.October 2, 2023.RetrievedOctober 3,2023.
  25. ^ab"Israel-Palestine Debate: Finkelstein, Destiny, M. Rabbani & Benny Morris".Lex Fridman Podcast(Podcast). March 14, 2024.Archivedfrom the original on March 15, 2024.RetrievedMarch 17,2024.
  26. ^"Ben Shapiro vs Destiny Debate: Politics, Jan 6, Israel, Ukraine & Wokeism Lex Fridman Podcast #410".YouTube.January 23, 2024.RetrievedAugust 1,2024.
  27. ^"Twitch Legal Department Unpartners Destiny After 'Encouragement of Violence'".Game Rant.September 12, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on September 13, 2020.RetrievedDecember 26,2020.
  28. ^Richman, Olivia (September 12, 2020)."Destiny loses Twitch partnership for 'encouraging violence'".WIN.gg.Archivedfrom the original on September 20, 2020.RetrievedDecember 26,2020.
  29. ^abcBowling, Chris (March 5, 2021)."After Cutting Ties with Controversial Streamer, Gudgel Staying in Mayoral Race".The Reader.RetrievedJuly 25,2024.
  30. ^Bonell, Steven."Kyle Rittenhouse (" mowing down protestors ")".My Position.Archivedfrom the original on March 8, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 15,2021.
  31. ^Anderson, Meg (July 14, 2024)."The man killed in the assassination attempt on Trump died shielding his family".NPR.RetrievedOctober 31,2024.
  32. ^"The attack on Donald Trump unleashes a flood of misinformation".The Economist.July 15, 2024.Some angry progressives are lamenting that the bullet grazed Mr Trump's ear, missing his skull by millimetres. Destiny, a leftist social-media commentator, told his 250,000 X followers that Mr Trump and his supporters will "reap what they sow, and I'm here to watch the harvest".
  33. ^Lieberman-Fleshaks, Noa (November 22, 2023).'רוב האנשים לא טורחים לקרוא או לחשוב לעומק': ישראל מגלה תומכים מפתיעים ברשת['Most people don't bother to read or think deeply': Israel discovers surprising supporters online].TheMarker(in Hebrew). Archived fromthe originalon February 2, 2024.RetrievedNovember 23,2023.
  34. ^Burgis, Ben(March 31, 2024)."Palestinians' Right of Return Is a Basic Question of Justice".Jacobin.RetrievedAugust 22,2024.
  35. ^Talking Immigration and Economics with Destiny.Sargon of Akkad Live.RetrievedJuly 31,2024– via YouTube.
  36. ^Gault, Matthew (April 23, 2021)."Twitch Streamer Destiny and an Economist Debate Capitalism, Achieve Nothing".Vice.Archivedfrom the original on August 14, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 13,2022.
  37. ^"Voting For / Against Biden – Debate w/ Kim Iversen".YouTube.August 9, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on August 10, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 18,2021.
  38. ^Gray, Sakura (December 21, 2020)."MATH MVMT hosts canvassing event ahead of Georgia Senate runoffs".WRBL.Archivedfrom the original on December 21, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 10,2021.
  39. ^Citarella, Joshua (April 24, 2021)."Are we ready for social media influencers shaping politics?".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 20,2022.
  40. ^Johnson, Anton (February 17, 2021)."How one creator is using streaming service Twitch to shape an Omaha mayoral candidate's 'Destiny'".The Gateway.Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 18,2021.
  41. ^Ristau, Reece (March 13, 2021)."Omaha mayoral candidate cuts ties with internet personality over protest comments".Omaha World-Herald.Archivedfrom the original on March 16, 2021.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
  42. ^Testa, Jessica; Bensinger, Ken; Tan, Eli (October 1, 2024)."Not Just Fun and Games: Politics Edges Deeper Into Livestreams".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 1, 2024.RetrievedOctober 2,2024.
  43. ^Burd, Aaron (February 9, 2024)."Why a high-profile YouTuber and stream team is coming to Ohio".Archived fromthe originalon February 10, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 12,2024.
  44. ^"BLM Organizer Confronts Destiny On Jacob Blake And Defund The Police... – YouTube".December 20, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on December 20, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 19,2022– via YouTube.
  45. ^Kochinski, Ian;Vigeland, Emma; Bonnell, Steven;Grim, Ryan;Khanna, Ro(September 29, 2023).DC INTERVIEW W/ EMMA VIGELAND, RYAN GRIM & DESTINY(Video). Roughly 55 minutes in.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 29,2023.
  46. ^No Jumper (June 27, 2023).Crip Mac & Destiny on Destiny Being Bi, Andrew Tate, The Color Blue & More.RetrievedNovember 19,2024– via YouTube.
  47. ^"Open Relationships, Intense Officer Confrontation & Dealing w/ the Police – LNOD".www.youtube.com.July 29, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on January 2, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 25,2021.
  48. ^"Personal".destiny.gg.Archivedfrom the original on March 2, 2021.RetrievedMay 31,2021.Melina and I are currently in an open/poly relationship. We treat each other as primary partners, though we may pursue other sexual/romantic relationships as well.
  49. ^Göransson, Melina."I am married!".Twitter.Archivedfrom the original on December 27, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 1,2022.
  50. ^Bonnell, Steven (December 12, 2023),"Destiny Reveals The Flaws That Ended His Marriage",Last Night On Destiny,retrievedJanuary 4,2024
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