Twitch megastar Kai Cenat has been sharing behind-the-scenes looks as he learns new skills and improves on others. The videos aren’t highly edited, nor are they ham-fisted with all the latest tricks and trends to keep viewers captive. Those criticizing his efforts should see it as a mirror.
It’s rare to see a figure in Cenat’s position take a step back. In the entertainment industry, it’s all about the opposite: being in the spotlight, gravitating to the next big thing, and keeping your name in the minds of viewers. That’s what pays the bills, right?
Yet for the past few months, the record-breaking Twitch streamer has been a ghost, relatively speaking. No new streams since Mafiathon 3 ended. No collaborations with anyone under the AMP banners. No pre-recorded content on his main channels. Barely a peep on social media beyond some mental health talks and relationship woes.
What was he up to all the while? As a hidden YouTube channel has now revealed, he was keeping busy by working on his physical and mental well-being.
Candidly sharing the journey with his viewers – not the outcome, not the glossy end result, but the trials and tribulations, the real work – he’s offered a rare peek behind the curtain. He’s given his predominantly younger viewers an authentic look at what’s required to build themselves up, while reminding them no one is perfect at everything, and he’s done so at a crucial time.
Despite his intentions, however, Cenat has been the subject of ridicule by a certain portion of the internet.
Kai Cenat mocked for being real with his audience
In particular, Cenat’s reading has drawn plenty of attention. Sitting down and focusing on a book for 20-60 minutes at a time, the videos show him reading books like Atomic Habits aloud.
Occasionally, as many of us do, he stops, grabs his phone, and looks up the definition of a word he’s unfamiliar with. He learns how to pronounce it, absorbs its definition, and carries on. No harm done.
This revelatory act, however, has drawn out some critics, labelling it “sad” that he’s on a journey of self-improvement.
“Kai Cenat kept having to look up what certain words meant during his reading journey to become a better speaker,” one clip account shared with a crying emoji.
Of course, the criticism hasn’t been unanimous. Plenty have spoken up in favor of his actions, even Merriam-Webster chiming in to share how they “love” seeing his efforts. But any level of mockery paints the picture of our increasingly online world.
In an era where attention spans are getting shorter by the minute, and basic comprehension skills are at all-time lows – seriously, students are now making it all the way to college without even learning to read – it’s near-impossible to capture a viewer by simply showing them reality.
Content has to be loud, it needs to be in your face, and it needs to be easily digestible. Raw, unfiltered moments aren’t the hotness. Cenat himself knows this all too well with how he frames his own streams, often non-stop battering rams jumping from one clippable moment to the next with little time to breathe. It’s what his audience has grown accustomed to.
So, showing his true self to a fanbase numbering in the millions is a bold step, and it’s drawn out detractors who struggle to comprehend it. Why isn’t their idolized figure as perfect as perhaps they envisioned in their minds? Why isn’t this rich and famous celebrity off partying or splurging? Why is he struggling? What is this?
Instead of mocking or using it as a chance to look superior, it should instead be an opportunity to reflect.
Cenat has shown he’s not perfect, as none of us are. He’s showing what it takes to elevate in various facets of life, be it creative endeavors, fundamental skills, or overall health. Anyone laughing that off should check themselves first.
It’s a frankly powerful decision to share the real effort, the daily grind. And it’s a decision that could just inspire his mostly young viewing audience to follow suit. They’re not only seeing the results and the flashy success story. What they’re getting with this new outlet is the real deal, what it takes to better yourself, and it comes at such a critical juncture, where education is on a decline.
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