Streamer Spotlight: CupAhNoodle
We are kicking off our Streamer Spotlights series with CupAhNoodle—a zombie stan from SoCal, a host and commentator, or, put quite simply in her own words: “I do things on the internet.” As a variety streamer, she predominantly plays horror and indie games, but she also does franchise play-throughs from Rockstar to THQ. Last year, she played (and beat) over 160 games along with her community. Who better to start us off in our series?
What was the first video game that you fell in love with?
That’s a tough one! I’m going to say it’s between Mega Man 3 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Game. Mega Man is the first game I learned codes for, so I thought I was cool, and TMNT was and is still a gem to this day!
How did you find your start in streaming? What has the journey been like from then to now?
I was late and completely missed Justin.tv. When I finally discovered Twitch, I remember thinking, “This looks like fun. I’m a gamer. How hard could it be”. Boy, was I wrong! I learned the difference between playing games and streaming—from chat interaction to building a community from the ground up, it was way more immersive than I had ever anticipated. I spent the first two years being inconsistent, showing up, and then disappearing like a ninja. Then I finally told myself, I’m either going to do this or hang it up. So I did it. I did my best to look for opportunities to put myself out there and meet new people. I wasn’t partnered when Twitch introduced the affiliate program but decided not to join because I wanted a partner, and I was willing to do my time until I earned that. I didn’t get partnered until almost two years later.
My main focus has always been my community (shout out to Cupton!). People invest so much in content creators. It’s more than just the fiscal, they are giving you their time—to me that’s more valuable than any other resource, so I always do my best to look out and give back to them. Fast forward, and we’re still growing and hanging out. It really is a pleasure to get to know them, and while I know we all lead separate lives, it’s nice to have somewhere you can relax and have fun together.
How has your experience been as a Black woman in a gaming industry dominated by white men?
When I first started, I was treated like a unicorn. I’m not naive, I knew there weren’t many of us, but even then, it felt foolish; I could always name other Black women on the platform. There was a sort of stigma as if people weren’t sure how to perceive or approach me. I never said anything or drew any attention to it. I’m a proud Black woman. But more than that, I’m me, and I just want it to be about more than my race.
I try not to let others dictate my future. I wanted to stream and cultivate a community, and I refused to let metrics stop me from doing so. I wanted to get into hosting, so I went to conventions and conducted interviews with attendees. I made a little bootleg demo reel and submitted it to Twitch, who then invited me to their hosting summit in 2017. From there, I kept working and hosting, and became the first Black woman to host Twitchcon in 2018.
If you had any advice to give to fellow Black gamers, what would it be?
My advice would be to always be unashamedly, unabashedly YOU! I feel like when it comes to race, gender, and ethnicity, it is always leaned upon, but that does not define who you are as a person. Be honest with your community and with yourself. It isn’t easy putting yourself out there, and at times people suck, but if you’re true to yourself, those people won’t matter. Be consistent, start small, and always remember the big picture. Oh, and have fun. All the fun. If you’re having fun, everyone is having fun with you!
If you could create your own video game character, what would they be like?
If I could create a character, she’d be a Sistah, because I mean…it can’t just be Clem. I would want her to have the triforce of all superpowers: telekinesis, telepathy, and teleportation. I would want her to be smart but flawed, and a little bit crazy (think Catalina in GTA San Andreas). But above all, I’d want her to be strong. No matter what came her way, she’d be with it. Like Marcus Phoenix or Claire Redfield.
Thanks, CupAhNoodle! Like what you’ve read? Join the Cupton community now and tune in for updates here.
This interview has been condensed for clarity.
