Photo: Instagram
It's a downward spiral.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on May 07, 2019
Thanks to platforms like YouTube, it is easier than ever before for people to reach out and grab the 15 minutes of fame that Andy Warhol decreed we're all entitled to receive. We don't have to be great artists, we don't even necessarily have to really have anything new or interesting to say. All we need is a webcam and access to a decent internet connection. This has its positive sides and its negatives. For one thing, now people can reach out and connect with a like-minded audiences faster than ever before. But unfortunately, with no one really in the driver's seat, this can mean that when someone is suffering or in danger, there's no one to intervene and put a stop to things when they go off the rails. No one knows this better than Desmond Amofah. Who is Etika?
1. Who Is Etika?
Like many folks who make their living on YouTube, 28-year-old Desmond Amofah is better known by his handle: Etika. As Etika, Desmond's popular channel is a place where he plays and discusses different video games. He's also exceptionally well known for the way in which he engages with fans. But that's not the only reason Etika is so famous in the YouTube community and beyond. Demond's channel and his time as a star haven't been without its share of controversy. In the fall of 2018 YouTube removed his account saying that it violated their pornography guidelines and their rules for the community. This shutdown was followed by a social media silence that was eventually explained by his now ex-girlfriend, Alice: he was admitted to a mental hospital for unspecified treatment.
2. Why He's Making News
Whatever his treatment was, the situation for Desmond appears to be ongoing. Though his YouTube channel was pulled down by the site, he claimed (via his Twitch streaming channel) he did it himself. Now, he's making other strange claims on Twitter. Over the span of a day, Desmond tweeted hundreds and hundreds of times in a strange, nearly incoherent way.
What was he tweeting about? Well, that's where the situation gets a little bit more outlandish and upsetting. He tweeted deeply antisemitic comments, he claimed that he was a god and he shared videos of himself screaming out of his own window that people were trying to get to him and hurt him. This led to a fan contacting the police to conduct a wellness check which in turn led to Desmond sharing an Instagram live stream of the police breaking down his door and taking him into custody.
3. The Escalating Situation
That might sound like more than enough to put all eyes on Desmond, but that was only the beginning. By early Monday morning, over 100,000 people on Twitter were talking about him and the recent rush of strange tweets. To add fuel to the fire, Desmond himself stayed totally silent... or at least, he did for a little while. Finally, he made a decision and broke his silence, unfortunately, he did so with another stream of barely coherent Tweets and other messages. This really began to escalate when he even shared a photo of his mental health hospital release paperwork. People weren't just floored that he was willing to share that he was admitted for "psychiatric agitation problem", they were doubly stunned that he didn't seem to care that he had shared his address and phone number in the process.
4. His Personal Information
Sharing access to his private information wasn't just worrying, it was also totally dangerous. The tradition of doxxing was born and bred on the internet: it made sense that within a matter of minutes it was almost impossible for Desmond to even use his phone. He seemed wholly unbothered, tweeting simply: “I know I accidentally leaked my number but come on guys, I haven't been able to use my phone in days,” In fact, it's easy to speculate that Desmond might have even enjoyed the reactions he was getting, even the ones of concern. Why do I say that? Because the dude kept straight up sharing even more private and privileged personal information, including his own driver's license. It's hard to say what's going on with the guy, but it's definitely not good.
5. His DramaAlert Appearance
Desmond himself has continued to act in a manner that is distressing to his fans, and likely to his friends alike. On Tuesday, just under 24 hours after he was released from the hospital where he was receiving treatment, he made a YouTube appearance, this time on the popular show hosted by Daniel Keem (Keemstar), DramaAlert. The video was just 10 minutes long but that felt endless for those watching. In addition to asking for monetary donations to be sent to him, Desmond also repeatedly called himself "the antichrist". He also went on a rant about how to become a god. For those curious, he believes that to do so you've got to ingest 4,000 of milligrams of potassium daily. Having eaten more than my fair share of banana bread, I can say this is categorically untrue.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.