Hbomberguy


Harris "Harry" Brewis, better known as Harris Bomberguy or Hbomberguy for short, is an English YouTuber and Twitch streamer. Brewis produces video essays on a variety of topics such as film, television, and video games, often combining them with arguments from left-wing political and economic positions. He also creates videos aimed at debunking conspiracy theories and responding to alt-right and antifeminist arguments.

Content

Brewis started the Hbomberguy YouTube channel on 28 May 2006. As of 7 December 2019, the channel has over 500,000 subscribers. Brewis' presentation techniques include hand-drawn animation and humour to make his points. His videos also deal with topics related to politics and social justice, including analyses of alt-right arguments and themes. Brewis has built upon his "measured responses" style to form what has become a series of close readings of cultural figures such as flat Earth conspiracy theorists, pickup artists and content creators who perpetuate allegations about the feminising effect of soybean phytoestrogens.
Along with his political analysis and measured response series, Brewis has been producing long-form media reviews and video essays on a number of topics, such as television, film, internet culture and video games.

Mermaids charity stream

From 18 to 21 January 2019, Brewis continually streamed an attempt to complete Donkey Kong 64 to raise money for British transgender charity organization Mermaids, which he completed in 57 hours and 48 minutes. The charity had been designated funding by the British National Lottery, but the funding was withheld and put under review after criticism by Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan and others. This inspired Brewis to livestream in support of the charity.
The livestream featured many notable guests, including U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; whistleblower Chelsea Manning; actress Mara Wilson; journalists Paris Lees and Owen Jones; Adam Ruins Everything creator Adam Conover; author Chuck Tingle; Matt Christman and Virgil Texas of the Chapo Trap House podcast; Donkey Kong 64 composer Grant Kirkhope; game designers Rebecca Heineman, Josh Sawyer, John Romero and Scott Benson; YouTubers Natalie Wynn, Lindsay Ellis, Oliver Thorn and Jim Sterling; as well as the CEO of Mermaids, Susie Green. Colin Mochrie, Neil Gaiman, Cher, Matthew Mercer, Adam Savage, Hidetaka Suehiro and SonicFox also tweeted in support of the livestream and the charity. The livestream began with a goal of, but it passed that goal and several subsequent funding targets quickly. In the first 24 hours, the livestream raised over $100,000. In total, over $347,000 was raised for the charity through the livestream, with over 659,000 people watching the stream.
The livestream garnered attention and praise. It was described by The Guardian as "an antidote to the worst of gaming culture" and praised in a motion lodged in the Scottish Parliament by Patrick Harvie. In July 2019, the LGBT magazine Attitude recognized the livestream by honoring Brewis with an Attitude Pride Award. The Mermaids charity Twitter account also thanked Brewis for the livestream.

Reception

Brewis has been praised by critics for his YouTube channel's format and commentary. His video analysis of the Ctrl+Alt+Del comic "Loss" has received critical acclaim: it was selected by Polygon as one of the ten best video essays of 2018 and was nominated three times in the Sight & Sound collection of 2018's most outstanding videographic criticism, with British film critic and filmmaker Charlie Lyne stating: "The reliably great H. Bomberguy pushed the YouTube video essay into new territory with this Matryoshka doll of an upload: a layered critique of the gaming webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del, Tommy Wiseau’s bad-taste classic The Room and the YouTube video essay itself. To cap it all off, it’s a horror movie". His video on VHS, which was produced in collaboration with Shannon Strucci, was praised by TenEighty Magazine as an excellent "deep-dive" in the topic.

Personal life

Brewis is bisexual and a member of the Labour Party.