From RationalWiki

Jonathan "JonTron" Jafari (1990–) is a popular YouTuber who reviews awful, old and/or obscure video games (and sometimes movies) in a comedic manner. Jafari's channel has 5.53 million subscribers and 801 million views (as of 08 July 2019).[2]

This is not why we are talking about him.

Here's the thing... [ edit ]

After the 2016 US election, Jafari became more vocal about his political views. Jafari has since expressed support of views consistent with those of white nationalists and the alt-right in a debate with Twitch.tv streamer Destiny. For obvious reasons, those living in the reality-based community kinda didn't take too well to all that. This includes Playtonic Games, the developers known for being part of Rare's team that developed the Banjo-Kazooie games.[note 1] Due to the controversy, Playtonic Games pulled JonTron's voice effects from Yooka-Laylee .[3]

Despite his vocal opinions outside the show, Jafari in the show surprisingly handles sensitive topics maturely while still being funny.[note 2] In one notable video, "Disney Bootlegs", Jafari negatively reacts to a swastika[4] and a blackface depiction[5] while still executing a humorous and entertaining comedy routine. He has used "Nazi" as an insult[6] and said that Adolf Hitler's death is the exception to the statement "the death of anyone is a sad occasion".[7]

In stark contrast to how the issues are handled on the JonTron show, there is a problem with Jafari's real-life views — as expressed by himself outside the sketch comedy-type setting of the JonTron show.[note 3]

Straight from the horse's mouth [ edit ]

In general, Jafari's responses to Destiny (the streamer, not the video game ) largely consisted of laughter, moving the goalposts, and denial or willful ignorance in the face of well-established facts.

Destiny: A hundred and fifty years ago, Italians, Polish people, Irishmen, wouldn't have been considered even white people, let alone Americans. Jafari: I don't know that that's true. That is just a myth. That's not true. They were considered white. I don't know where this thing that Italians and Irish weren't considered white. That's ridiculous. [Have] you seen the Irish? They're like the whitest people around, the hell, that's just a fucking myth. So [laughs] I'm gonna take that from you. Destiny: I can't read the word, it's "white n-word", this is what Irishmen were called in the United States. [Destiny appears to send the Wikipedia article to JonTron.] Jafari: [laughs] I need more proof than a short Wikipedia article. Destiny: What do you want? We're talking about an undisputed fact. Jafari: They were called that, but they were still white. That's all I'm saying. Destiny: Dude, they literally had signs in the United States that said, "Irish need not apply ." These were less than humans. These people were treated horribly. They were not seen as Americans or even white people. They were called "reverse negroes". Jafari: Maybe they were a buncha dicks, huh? [laughs for 5s][8][9]

Fact check: They're both right. Irishfolk were indeed historically persecuted in America due to being perceived as barbaric drunkards (and as Catholics, which was considered an "Un-American" belief system at the time), but they were still considered "whites" by law and custom[10] (a very dirty group of whites, but still whites nonetheless). For instance, they were allowed to go to "whites-only" schools in the South and were allowed to marry a white Anglo-Saxon when interracial marriage was against the law.[10] It is also true that the Irish faced massive, systemic discrimination of another kind.

Jafari repeatedly followed (almost word-for-word) the logic of the "white genocide" conspiracy theory.

I don't think a pure society's possible, but in terms of a demographic majority, I don't know that a nation can exist without one. This truly, "multicultural, every single person is a different [laughs] thing or race or religion", I don't know if that's really sustainable long term.[11][12]

You can't make the argument that whites should be okay with them becoming a minority in the country their ancestors built if it doesn't apply to other countries.[13]

Fact check: False. Jafari's claim is flawed on multiple levels. First, a white person today cannot claim to be the descendant of any white person in history. A significant number of white people who currently live in the US do not have ancestors who contributed to the formation of the US, and many of their ancestors still lived in Europe when the US was formed. Second, Jafari incorrectly assumes that those who "built" the United States were exclusively white people, which falsely suggests that people of other races cannot claim to have ancestors who helped build the country. For example, his statement ignores the many important American structures built by enslaved black people.[14] Third, people of mixed ancestry can have white ancestors, not just white people. Finally, Jafari contradicts his own point by being implicitly okay with the minority status of Native Americans in their native land.

What do you call a large number of people from one specific place, coming in, setting up their own ethnic enclaves and then waving their own flag inside of our nation? ... There are also large swathes of them who want to break parts of America off back into Mexico.[15]

Note: Jafari's comment about Mexicans wanting to break parts of America off back into Mexico is referring to the reconquista . The Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League have described the reconquista as a myth and a conspiracy theory.[16][17][18][19] Jafari has also said that the Southern Poverty Law Center are "the worst" and sarcastically described them as "the most unbiased institution of all time."[20]

Nobody would ask Japan if it was okay that Japan became a minority Japanese nation.[21] ... I think it is a model society.[22]

Destiny: Do you think that it's okay for a country to stifle its growth a little bit in order to maintain a homogenous cultural identity?

Jafari: Yeah, I think it's fine. Japan does it.[23]

Fact check: This is false, chiefly for two reasons. First, Japanese liberals are evolving Japan's restrictive immigration and acculturation policies,[24] albeit quietly.[25] For one, in 2016 prime minister Shinzo Abe vowed to provide foreign workers with "the world’s fastest path to permanent residency in Japan".[26] Second, claims to Japanese 'cultural homogenity' are actually quite misleading.[27] Massively simplifed; both the current nature, and international success, of Japanese pop culture stand on two historical legs — forcible import of foreign culture (via US influence post-WW2)[28][29] followed by far-reaching export of remixed culture (ultimately via the Internet).[30][31] The result of this globalized 'two-way cultural communication' is that even xenophobic Japan falls short of any disciplined standard of 'homogeneity', cultural or otherwise.[32][33] A supposed rhetorical shift from 'cultural' to 'ethnic' homogeneity won't work either — and not simply because the very notion of 'ethnical purity' is inherently nonsensical — considering Japan has already accepted about 2,32 million immigrants, representing roughly 2% of Japanese citizens.[34] And immigration aside — just consider the 'heterogenity' already inherent to Japan.[35] Perhaps most crucial of all; Japan isn't exactly a brilliant example to hold up in support of any thesis that "keeping immigrants out saves nations ".[36] In fact, as a consequence of its historically über-strict immigration policies,[37] an unprecedented demographic crisis (read: acute lack of youths with elbow grease[38]) now looms over Japan, leaving a massively increased influx of immigrants their best (and maybe only) option[39] for safeguarding the very future of their country.[40]

They [whites] are not being killed, but they're being displaced. You are the same guy who says that Europeans displaced the native Americans but apparently, when other people do it to white Americans, it's okay because fuck white people.[41]

So why when the Chinese were trying to colonize Tibet, why was that a "Save Tibet" situation but when it's white people… I'm using an analogy to try to give a parallel situation so you can see the hypocrisy.[42]

Jafari also defended "scientifically racist" views of society:

Destiny: The problem is young black men in the United States are disproportionately born to single mother households which is a leading indicator of crime. They're also disproportionately born into ghettos and low-income housing areas. They have access to worse education, okay? They're born into horrible socio-economic conditions. All of these things are massive contributors to being a criminal as you grow up. When you control for socio-- Jafari: But you are making the argument that it's white people that put them in those situations. Destiny: Because they kind of, sort of, did over the past two hundred years. They kind of brought them over as slaves. They kind of bred them a certain way. They kind of red-lined them and gentrified them out of certain neighbourhoods and certain communities. They kind of legally discriminated on them and put them all in certain areas for a long time. They kind of disproportionately policed them and sentenced them to higher crimes in the courts and whatnot. White people have contributed a lot to this. Jafari: So I suppose that's why the crime rates are pretty consistent across Africa, too?[43]

Fact check: False. The crime rates are not consistent across Africa and vary significantly. For instance, Numbeo's 2017 Crime Index has South Africa rated at 75.72 (the 4th highest globally) whereas Ghana is rated at 46.99 (56th globally).[44] South Africa has the most white people with 8.9% of the population of any African country,[45] and white people are so rare in Ghana that many locals have never seen them in person before.[46] For comparison, Norway, a developed nation with a non-white population of 2%,[47] is rated 45.69 (61st globally). Tunisia scores even better at 40.94 (73rd globally). Any implication of racial predisposition to crime is not backed up by the data.

Destiny: So what if whites became the minority but most brown people assimilated to the culture. Would that be okay then?

Jafari: Yeah, but if they assimilated, they would enter the gene pool eventually and would just... you know...[48][49][50]

Wealthy blacks also commit more crime than poor whites, that's a fact. Yeah, look it up.[51][52][53]

There is an absolute disproportionate amount of crime committed to whites by nonwhites. There's no arguing that, that's just FBI statistics. So in that sense you could say, 'well why shouldn't the white people be able to address this?' But they're not allowed to because they're called racist by people like you.[54][55]

Dude, you're just virtue signalling. Not all Mexicans are going to go on welfare but a lot of them are going to commit crimes. The El Salvadoreans are going to create the MS-13 gangs.[56]

Jafari further echoed the logic of the Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white white supremacist mantra.

These are just slurs; white supremacist, racist.[57][58]

What is it that's so offensive about white people saying they would like to preserve their demographic majority?[59][60]

Look, I'm actually not making the argument that whites should remain the majority in the United States. I'm simply arguing that it's clear that whites are not allowed to speak up against their demographic um… oblivion.[61][62]

In historically white countries, it is seen as a moral imperative that whites don't resist their own displacement. If they resist it, they're racist. You can see this in every white country on planet Earth.[63] ... The status quo thinks that the only logical conclusion to the country, to atone for the sins of the white past, is to keep letting in people from the third world until white people are a minority.[64]

Jafari goes on saying that all forms of discrimination are dead and gone in the Western world:

Discrimination is wrong. We've gotten rid of discrimination in our Western countries. If you don't think we've gotten rid of discrimination, you're living in a fantasy land.[65][66] […] Get outta here with that. People like me are supposed to listen to people like you chatter on about this oppression in America. It doesn't exist, dude, it doesn't exist. What do you want to do, police people's thoughts?[67][68]

Fact check: False. Jafari seems to be referring to legal discrimination, but his statement is still inaccurate. While the United States does have several anti-discrimination acts, that does not mean that the country has "gotten rid of discrimination." This logic would be the same as saying that a country has gotten rid of murder because it is against the law. Additionally, there are still many ways a person can be legally discriminated against in the US.[69][70]

Jafari later admitted that "discrimination certainly exists."[71]

Response video [ edit ]

Jafari made a video responding to this ordeal titled "My Statement" — now unlisted[72] — in which he makes two fundamental assertions: [1] he's a bad debater and was unprepared so he misstated some of his beliefs, and [2] "the increasing tribalization of our culture" prevents "honest conversation about race".[73] While it is possible that Jafari was consistently, accidentally racist for over an hour, it's also possible that he's just playing damage control. Despite this, Jafari never apologised for any of his remarks and only retracted his comment that "we've gotten rid of discrimination."

Additional quotes [ edit ]

27 January 2017 (stream with Sargon of Akkad)

"I didn't really understand what Gamergate was about. I think that was me still in my phase of like 'eh, this will go away.' Like, this isn't something that's gonna be, like, have staying power. Like I'll just stay out of this. I don't really care. I don't know what it is."[74]

(Note: In October 2014, JonTron made several tweets about Gamergate, including: "I don't even know what GamerGate was ever about and it needs to go away", "If you're trying to convince me this movement is about ethical games journalism at this point...you're doing a bad job" and "I just don't understand the movement and it seems largely poisonous.")[75][76]

(Note: This is not a fact. To be fair to Jafari, he is likely misremembering, misinterpreting or misstating the truth rather than lying. There were more murders in Chicago (between 2001 and September 2016) than Americans killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.[87] That being said, this is not a fair comparison. In 2012, the number of US troops in Afghanistan was approximately 90 thousand compared to Chicago's population of almost 3 million.[88] In other words, US troops in Afghanistan amount to about 3% of Chicago's population. The overall homicide rates in 2015 were: Afghanistan: 33.3 per 100,000 people (not including deaths inside Taliban-controlled territory), Chicago: 18.1 per 100,000 people.[89])

"Bring it bitches, let's go. Debate me. I dare you to fucking debate me."[90]

16 February 2017 (stream with Sargon of Akkad)

"I've stopped watching a lot of mainstream outlets because I'm like I just know they're gonna lie so why bother go here?" [91]

" He was interviewing Marine Le Pen for the first time on the BBC and he's like 'I'm sorry, we know what you're about to hear is shocking and the BBC wants to apologise for anything you might hear that will disturb you. Marine Le Pen, what will you have to say?' 'Uh, France should be for French people.' 'Shocking' [laughs] Like what the fuck? They act like this is the real Nazis!" [92]

was interviewing Marine Le Pen for the first time on the BBC and he's like 'I'm sorry, we know what you're about to hear is shocking and the BBC wants to apologise for anything you might hear that will disturb you. Marine Le Pen, what will you have to say?' 'Uh, France should be for French people.' 'Shocking' [laughs] Like what the fuck? They act like "My parents are both immigrants. One from a communist regime, the other one from a muslim occupation. I think I understand the benefits of the Anglo-Saxon tradition, I'll tell you that." [93]

"When it comes to the Cultural Marxism thing, I don't know that it arose out of nothing." [94]

"Look, it's as simple as this. If you're white, don't you dare oppose your own dispossession." [95]

"Virtue signalling is when you basically say something to make yourself look good. It comes at a very cheap cost to you to say like 'I care about all muslims' but you don't actually mean it. You're not actually gonna go do anything." [96]

"I do not believe women are oppressed in America by any degree."[97] ... "I would argue that progress has been made to the maximum degree of human biology."[98]

24 February 2017 (Q&A video)

13 March 2017 (debate with Destiny)

"I think human beings are at the core tribal and they tend to want to stick to their own. I think that's completely natural, completely normal." [103]

"Trump is a reaction to the retarded identity politics of the last, at least the last, four years." [104]

"We don't need to take immigrants from incompatible places." [105]

"Nobody wants to become a minority in their own country." [106]

"I think that there's something to be said for preserving a culture, giving a nation a continuity..." [107]

"I do think race influences culture. I do, I think it does." [108]

"The Black Lives Matter movement doesn't disavow violence."[109]

(Note: this is false.)[110]

Examples of doublethink

"There's nothing wrong with diversity." [112] / "Like you were saying about diversity, I mean like, what does it just mean less white people?" [113]

/ "Like you were saying about diversity, I mean like, what does it just mean less white people?" "To be honest with you, if people started going around saying like the 'white community', that'd be fucking weird too." [114] / "What is so offensive about white people saying they'd like to preserve their demographic majority?" [60]

/ "What is so offensive about white people saying they'd like to preserve their demographic majority?" "What I care about is facts, reason and evidence. So if you come at me and you say something that's baseless, that's what pisses me off."[115] / "Wealthy blacks also commit more crime than poor whites, that's a fact. Yeah, look it up."[51]

Twitter [ edit ]

“ ” I just think it’s funny that I just think it’s funny that a couple of logical tweets have made me a “conservative,” such a strong label. I don’t even know what it means to be conservative, or what a conservative is anymore. —Jon Jafari, in a 2016 Breitbart-exclusive interview[116]

“ ” Have I ever tweeted anything of neo-Nazi ideology? —Jon Jafari[117]

In response to Steve King's tweet that "[c]ulture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies",[118] Jafari wrote:

This whole stupid system relies on rational people being shamed into shutting up. Glad to see that slowly falling apart.[119] Wow, how scandalous, Steve King doesn't want his country invaded by people who have contempt for his culture and people! NAZI!!![120][121]

In response to Chris Maldonado's tweet that "Steve King's "baby" premise is dumb, but I do find it odd that multiculturalism is really only being championed in white majority nations",[122] Jafari wrote:

[T]hat's exactly it, it's only white nations that aren't allowed to protect their culture[.][123] [T]his rationalization makes absolutely no sense, it's like saying 2 murders makes up for 1 murder[.][124] [A]nd that's even going so far as to say colonization wasn't a net benefit for the third world (it was)[125][126]

Other tweets

In closing and in irony [ edit ]

See the main article on this topic: Friend argument

Jafari is himself half-Iranian[130] and has a Muslim grandmother.[131] It's a true testament to the progress of multiculturalism that someone categorized as nonwhite by white nationalists[132] and Jafari himself[133] can now freely defend white nationalism.

Jafari has provided a cautionary tale in how alarmingly effective alt-right propaganda has become in recent years, especially considering Jafari is someone who has done the following:

Voted for Barack Obama twice [134]

Used to support Bernie Sanders [135]

Happily uses a person's preferred pronouns [136]

Voted in favour of same-sex marriage [137]

Is the child of two immigrants [138]

Finds Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop ridiculous and a scam, thinks Dan Ackroyd’s crystal skull vodka is complete nonsense and called him out on ‘dragging the Navajo into this’, and called Silva Brown a fraud. In other words, normal stuff you wouldn’t expect an alt-right supporter to endorse.

See also [ edit ]

Notes [ edit ]