DrLupo is the kind of multi-faceted guy who'll kick your butt in "Fortnite" while raising tons of money for a children's hospital. And while he's considered by many to be a beacon of positivity in a sometimes cynical internet culture, he's also experienced his share of tragedy.
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00:00Dr. Lupo is the kind of multifaceted guy who'll kick your butt in Fortnite while raising tons
00:05of money for a children's hospital.
00:07And while he's considered by many to be a beacon of positivity in a sometimes cynical
00:12internet culture, he's also experienced a share of tragedy.
00:15Benjamin Dr. Lupo Lupo is one of the more recognizable gamers in the streaming industry,
00:20having entered the field a decade ago.
00:22Though currently signed exclusively to YouTube, Dr. Lupo first experienced a meteoric rise
00:27in popularity as a Twitch streamer, primarily playing high-energy online shooter titles
00:33like Destiny and Fortnite with pals like Ninja and Myth.
00:36He has also been recognized as an undeniable force for good in the industry, raising millions
00:41of dollars for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the past few years alone.
00:45I raised $356,000 in four hours.
00:49Lupo said that's $1,400 a minute.
00:52However, despite his good intentions and fun attitude during streams, Dr. Lupo's path has
00:57not always been an easy one.
00:58The streamer has been knocked down a few times, either through personal tragedy or the unkind
01:03actions of others.
01:04Thankfully, he's always had the love and support of the gaming community and his family to
01:08raise his spirits.
01:09Dr. Lupo is typically a private individual, but he's occasionally shared some of the more
01:14difficult moments from his career and personal life with his viewers.
01:17We all have different stories to tell.
01:19Many streamers and esports pros have expressed their wish that their parents were more understanding
01:23when it came to their chosen profession.
01:25In Dr. Lupo's case, his inquisitive nature and interest in technology — and a great
01:30deal of support — came largely from his father, Dr. James Victor Lupo.
01:34The elder Dr. Lupo taught psychology courses at Creighton University for more than four
01:39decades, passing on his knowledge to countless students.
01:42On March 27, 2018, Dr. Lupo informed his followers on Twitter that his father had suffered a
01:47fatal heart attack.
01:49The streamer thanked his father for the influence it had on his life, tweeting,
01:52He was proud of me, what I had accomplished, how motivated I was, how positive I stayed
01:57even when others tried to deter me.
01:59And I was those things because of him.
02:01The message was met with an outpouring of support from fans and colleagues, with people
02:05offering their condolences and well wishes.
02:08In an interview with Red Bull published later that year, Dr. Lupo said that he was grateful
02:12for the decision to adopt his online handle, which started as a joking reference to his
02:17father.
02:18I think of Dr. Lupo as a memorial to my dad.
02:20He's not here anymore and it breaks my heart, but at least I get to hear him every day and
02:25get reminded of the huge impact he had on my life.
02:27Dr. Lupo typically maintains a pretty positive vibe when streaming, but sometimes the negativity
02:32of others can really get to him.
02:34Some people can't help but be backseat gamers, even when watching a pro at work.
02:38During a particularly frustrated Twitch stream in 2020, Dr. Lupo explained to some uppity
02:44viewers why he sometimes tries to tune out his channel's chat log.
02:48He explained that he got particularly into playing Escape from Tarkov due to the fact
02:52that the game's intensity made it more difficult for him to pause and look at chat.
02:55The problem with his chat, Dr. Lupo explained, is that people were constantly telling him
03:00he was playing incorrectly, no matter if he was playing Escape from Tarkov or Destiny
03:042.
03:05He lamented the feeling that his audience consistently nitpicked, quote, every facet
03:09of everything that he did at this point, in whatever game he was in.
03:14Even when playing games he loves, Dr. Lupo has clearly found his enjoyments diminished
03:24by the behavior of his subscribers.
03:26He is hoping that Dr. Lupo's much-publicized move to YouTube has brought him to a more
03:31relaxed set of viewers.
03:32Despite his frustration with trolls in his chat, Dr. Lupo is usually pretty good about
03:37brushing those comments off and continuing with his broadcast unabated.
03:41It's a much different story, however, when he receives negative feedback from someone
03:44who puts a lot of thought into their criticisms.
03:47In a Twitter thread from 2018, Dr. Lupo explained that he sometimes gets in his own head when
03:52people say negative things about him.
03:54He admitted,
03:55"...I'm pretty sensitive, and I oftentimes take things to heart when well-spoken people
03:59state negative opinions about me or my channel."
04:01He added, quote,
04:02"...maybe I wasn't meant for popularity, I don't know, I understand fully why people
04:07get burnt out."
04:08Of course, Dr. Lupo has continued streaming for five years since this thread without burning
04:12out, but it's clear that this was something he needed to get off his chest.
04:15Even the most confident and talented streamers can sometimes feel burdened by criticism.