Donkey Kong 64 Charity Stream Draws Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jack Black, Chelsea Manning, And More

No, you’re not dreaming.

Notice: Feel free to take political jabs at Ms. Ocasio-Cortrez, but any and all hate speech involving transphobia will be moderated accordingly.

Is a 24/7 charity stream dedicated to 101% completion of Donkey Kong 64 — a Nintendo 64 game notorious for insanely convoluted collect-a-thons — absolutely crazy? Perhaps, but for UK streamer Harry Brewis — better known to the online gaming world as Hbomberguy — it was for a noble cause. As it happens, transgender awareness/charity group Mermaids UK was subject to suspended funding following an opposition campaign by comedy writer Graham Linehan, and so Hbomberguy stepped up to the plate with a Donkey Kong 64 charity stream. Even if a humble goal of $3000 couldn’t entirely make up for Mermaids UK’s woes, nabbing all 201 Golden Bananas was but the least he could do.

Here’s what he — and by association the gaming world — wasn’t expecting: not only would he raise $280,000 (and counting!), but that US Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would call into the Twitch stream and share her love for Nintendo 64. Don’t believe us? See for yourself:

Here’s @aoc talking about how Nintendo 64 was the best system. She’s on @twitch helping to raise money for trans kids. pic.twitter.com/cJIfUif1mv

— New Super Blood Wolf Moon Bros. U Deluxe (@GenePark) January 20, 2019

The rising liberal superstar wasn’t the only celebrity popping in: actor Jack Black, American activist Chelsea Manning, Matilda child star Mara Wilson, The Guardian columnist Owen Jones, and even Mermaids UK CEO Susie Green appeared to grant their Donkey Kong 64 tips and/or advocate for transgender rights. Naturally, figures from the gaming world also joined in, including freelance journalist Jim Sterling, designers Josh Sawyer (Fallout: New Vegas) and John Romero (Doom, Quake), and Donkey Kong 64‘s own composer in Grant Kirkhope. Did we mention Twitter endorsements from writer Neil Gaiman to singer Cher?

As of this writing (January 20th), Hbomberguy’s still at it, having cataloged 53 hours into his 101% completion quest. Personally, we don’t know what’s more astonishing: that Donkey Kong 64 is now forever immortalized as a transgender icon, or what began as modest — if not slightly over-ambitious — goodwill gradually transformed into an international outpouring of support for the disenfranchised. Regardless, we salute Hbomberguy for pulling off this once-in-a-lifetime miracle.

Oh, and as for Graham Linehan? The aptly-named hashtag”#thanksgraham” is currently trending on Twitter, so make of that what you will.

How much will Hbomberguy ultimately raise? Will he collect every last Donkey Kong 64 knick-knack? What other improbable guests will join the stream? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!

Anthony Pelone

Eating, breathing and living video games on a daily basis, Anthony is particularly fond of the Nintendo variety, but is by no means a console warrior. Somewhere in the midst of his obsession with cat pictures, he finds the time to pen about his favorite hobby. Having previously written for over three sites, Anthony remains dedicated to spreading the gospel of EarthBound.

True FF Fan

Ocasio-Cortrez approves of Donkey Kong… now Donkey Kong is ruined forever. If I was a trans kid, I wouldn’t want that quarter-wit on my side.
Shieftain

Maybe you should actually listen to what Graham Linehan has to say about the charity. It’s a very messed up organization that’s trying to recruit young children and helping them become something they’re not. A charity that advocates for what’s tantamount to child abuse is why Graham is so against them. Science deniers these days… “Gender is a social construct! But we’ll pump kids full of hormones if we think they’re suffering from gender dysphoria!”
- AnthonyP
  
  tell us how you really feel mr. science expert
  - Shieftain
    
    lol ah yes, the typical NPC “tell us how you really feel” response. Just because you nutjobs don’t ever stfu about your feelings doesn’t mean I have to tell you how I feel. And it doesn’t also matter how I feel, because feelings do not change facts.
    
    Next up, “you’re on the wrong side of history.” Or will it be “is this hill you choose to die on?”
    - AnthonyP
      
      Shh, your projection is showing.
      - Shieftain
        
        What, pray tell, am I projecting exactly?
      - AnthonyP
        
        >”Science deniers these days…”
        >”feelings do not change facts.”
        
        > any input from biologists/physiologists/anthropologists and APA/WHO/AMA is mysteriously ignored and the guy who compared transgender rights to Nazis and harassed a trans women is totally on the money.
        
        seems legit
      - Shieftain
        
        lol the APA identifies masculinity as a mental illness. WHO removed gender gysphoria as a mental illness meanwhile categorizing excessive video game playing as a mental illness. You’d do better to dig deeper and see who runs these organizations and what their goals are before blindly trusting them. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole, so you might need to have some spare time to go through with it.
        
        Meanwhile, Paul McHugh, a psychiatrist who along with others at John Hopkins University pioneered sex change procedures a long while back won’t do them anymore because of how it doesn’t really help much. You can read more about it on his op-ed here: http://archive.is/4kgBG
        
        As for hormone treatment, have a look at this study which states that heart related issues are significantly higher for those who undergo the treatment: http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2687653/cross-sex-hormones-acute-cardiovascular-events-transgender-persons-cohort-study
        
        And just think about pushing transgenderism onto children critically for a moment instead of gobbling up whatever the heck the mainstream media and your liberal peers just shove down your throat. You have a big boy brain, put it to use every now and then.
      - AnthonyP
        
        there’s a ton to unpack here, but you unironically citing a debunked psychiatrist condemned by his own colleagues at said university is something else
        
        you just keep on projecting there buddy. if alt-right lingo and faux-research are the best you can produce, then there’s no worthwhile discussion to be had.
YOUDIEMOFO

Trans kids?!?!? WTF is that?!?!? These terms and relaxed approach to things these days is becoming unsettling…

How the hell can a child know WTF they’re about sexually unless they’re “MESSED WITH” and have an influence making them “wonder” what is truly going on. What they should be feeling and why.

How about the parents become involved and make themselves along with the children put down the cell phones and get involved with each other!!!!

MESSAGE!!!.!.!..!!
- Shieftain
  
  Don’t bother writing here. The admin of this site is a dimwitted coward that can only spit out standard regressive talking points and will take screenshots of the discussion to post on his twitter.
  - YOUDIEMOFO
    
    Thank you for the heads up.