Jeremy “Jerma985” Elbertson, a 35-year-old former substitute middle school teacher, turned Twitch Streamer, is not your typical internet personality. Professional gamers and vloggers populate most of Twitch, following the established formats created on YouTube and other sites; however, Jerma embraces his platform’s interactive nature. Unlike traditional comedians who challenge social norms, Elbertson uses his Twitch platform to push the boundaries of how audiences consume comedy.

Twitch’s chat function, a free-for-all where you can speak directly to the streamer, allows Elbertson to interact with his audience all at once. For example, Jerma has hosted several streams where he interacts with and/or competes with his Twitch chat in unusual activities. One of his more popular events, an interactive carnival called The Greatest Show on Earth, hosted an activity where his viewers aimed a custom-built ball-throwing robot at a dunk tank by typing arrows in chat. Rather than just entertaining his audience himself, Elbertson provides a way for his audience to entertain themselves by interacting with him and each other. Leveraging Twitch’s chat function, Elbertson amplifies the comedic talents of thousands of audience members simultaneously and highlights his comedic talent. Even if you refrain from participating, the circus is no less entertaining.

A decade older and far more approachable than most popular streamers, Jerma has cultivated a more welcoming and loyal following of like-minded people who are often as entertaining as he is. While the chats of other popular streamers are often full of toxic and angsty adolescents who seek nothing better than to distinguish themselves through aggressive behavior, Jerma’s community won’t feel alienating to Twitch newcomers. For example, Jerma’s Twitch chat utilizes Twitch’s ever-popular emote system nearly as much as other streamers’ chats, only using surface-level, easy-to-understand emotes or just simple text. Consequently older, or less experienced twitch chatters will find it easy to participate for any length of time. You decide — fifteen minutes or three hours.

While Elbertson only puts on a hilarious, high production show, like his infamous wrestling tournament Jermania or the aforementioned The Greatest Show on Earth, on occasion, his weekly streams are often equally funny or funnier than his high production shows. Consequently, his funniest bits or outtakes can happen inexplicably, such as his more recent Noita stream that left him with a 2.5 billion dollar debt to his community. This low-commitment yet high reward investment makes it feel like you can tune in and participate whenever you want for however long you want, knowing that the funniest thing you’ve seen in months could happen at any moment.

Rating: ★★★★★