The gaming community thrives on discussion and debate, it's why we're all here, and why I keep coming back to it... but what happened recently with Kinda Funny’s Andy Cortez went well beyond any kind of 'reasonable' exchange.
Before I even get into what happened, let me make one thing very clear: the accusation that Andy tossed out there towards me so flippantly wasn't only false but also maliciously crafted....
Warning, extremely graphic content that he shared in the below image:
I've seen that above fake screenshot making the rounds over the past couple months with troll accounts tagging me constantly and trying to get some kind of response out of me - but I just ignored it. This kinda stuff unfortunately comes up from trolls all the time and all you can really do is ignore it.
...But you can't ignore when a well known, somewhat (at least at some point) respected account uses it against you, and sends armies of their followers your way to harass you, threaten you, and form negative opinions on you... when at the end of the day - I literally didn't DO anything.
From my perspective - This was completely out of the blue...
...Was it really out of the blue though?
Pretty much - here's how it started:
This whole situation unfolded after I called out Greg Miller, another co-host of the failing Kinda Funny channel, for publicly urging his audience to vote for Kamala Harris (above). In response, I tweeted 'Hey Greggy, get cucked!" - Something Cortez clearly didn’t appreciate, leading to Cortez’s low-blow attempt to smear my reputation. From the perspective of Andy, he was trying to 'protect' and stand up for his friend Greg... But boy oh boy, did this backfire.
In his (now deleted after severe backlash) post, Cortez didn’t just disagree with me; he shared a vile, defamatory accusation against me, with screenshots based on a now-deleted post by a very small X well known troll account called WashYourCrack:
This account initially tried to smear my reputation by alleging that I used some kind of degrading hookup site under the name "JeffTSmash," including specifics like my hometown, interests, and, disgustingly, even references to my wife. Why do these people always try to bring family in as a gotcha?
Without hesitation or verification, Cortez shared this screenshot and commented on the supposed "setup and punchline." He was so excited to get a 'W' on the "chuds", that he exposed himself as, big shocker, a truly, deep down, awful human being.
As soon as I found out it was Andy Cortez that pushing out this fake rumor on a mass scale, I immediately provided evidence showing that an individual, using the handle artslade1972, changed their username to impersonate me as "JeffTSmash" (below). Despite the clear evidence that this was a fake account with extremely harmful intentions, Andy Cortez chose to post it out there to everyone, without a second thought or any kind of fact-check.
Cortez did eventually delete the post after my response, but not without throwing in a backhanded, hollow apology, saying, "I'll delete it because I'm not a complete piece of s**t, only about 90% when it comes to dealing with you all."
Clearly, the damage had been done, and this half-hearted attempt at an "apology" missed the mark entirely... As I replied to him, a sincere “sorry, that was completely out of line would have sufficed". Instead, he tried to play off his actions as a joke, showing zero regard for the real-world impact of his careless post.
This dude has lost the plot, and he's spiraling, IMHO.
This incident is part of a troubling trend following the election of Donald Trump. Recently, Cortez went on an unhinged rant defending DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, accusing any critics of benefiting from DEI while simultaneously slamming it. It was misguided and baffling to take the stance he did. Almost like this is the direct result of living in an echo chamber for as long as he had...
Andy's attitude through this really highlights the growing divide between people who want to discuss gaming without ideological overtones and those who can’t separate the two. In that recent stream (above), he claimed, “You f***ing need DEI because you wouldn’t have jobs if DEI didn’t exist to complain about. You wouldn’t be making money on YouTube if DEI didn’t exist.” Ironically, unable to look inward at the very thing that he is doing, he is complaining that others are doing to make money off. Curious.
After his weak apology—if you can even call it that—Andy reached out to me in DMs, seemingly to ensure I wouldn’t consider moving forward with any kind of legal action over his defamatory post. We ended up chatting for about half an hour, covering our viewpoints on the game industry, its current direction, and the role of gamers themselves. Part of my message to him is below. I will not disclose his DM's to me, as a general rule for social media, but I'm more than happy to be an open book for what I say to others:
By the end of the chat, it was clear we were still miles apart. I invited him on to my stream to chat, which he ignored and disregarded.
Andy struck me as just another activist infiltrating the gaming world, far more interested in pushing his ideology than actually engaging with the medium itself. To me, he’s no different from the countless “journalists” out there today who treat gaming as a platform for their own agendas rather than a creative space for genuine community and passion. It's too bad, too. Because deep down, I do actually see a good person in there. Someone that has allowed themselves to be taken by manipulation and indoctrination. Someone who seems truly lost in the sea of socio-political culture... Maybe he can come back to reality, but that would take all the effort on his end... and him alone.
I'm here for gaming—not to be told what to think or who to support. This kind of inflammatory rhetoric that came from Greg Miller initially, paired with reckless accusations from Andy Cortez here, makes it harder for any genuine gamers to have real discussions about the industry without fear of being misrepresented, defamed, or labeled.
To those who follow my work and have supported me through this, I appreciate you. To those spreading harmful misinformation for cheap laughs or personal gain, know that these actions don’t go unnoticed and that we will always stand for truth over agenda.
I mean, heck.. Colin Moriarty went his separate way from 'Kinda Funny' because of a funny joke he made about international woman's day stating that finally "Ah. Peace and quiet."
Makes you wonder what happens to Andy's career after this... and more importantly - if anyone really cares...
~Smash
