PepePains in Twitch chat is a popular FrankerFaceZ emote that is available as part of third-party extensions. If you use Better Twitch TV (BTTV) or other similar apps that support third-party emotes, you must have noticed PepePains in Twitch chat showing up during “cringe” moments in livestreams. The emote falls into the category of Pepe the Frog emotes that are not only extremely popular but also slightly controversial. While it is a great emote, it is not used as often as other emotes like MonkaS or FeelsBadMan. Here is a look at the origins of PepePains in Twitch Chat and its origins on Twitch chat.
The origin of PepePains in Twitch chat
PepePains is part of Pepe the Frog emotes that are used on Twitch via third-party extensions. It was added to third-party site FrankerFaceZ in 2018 following the popularity of the FeelsGoodMan and FeelsBadMan emotes which originated in 2016. There are various iterations of the original Pepe the Frog emotes but PepePains continues to be one of the more popular ones with it being available on over 36,000 Twitch channels via the FrankerFaceZ extension.
What does PepePains mean in Twitch chat?
PepePains shows the face of Pepe the Frog making a face of disgust. It is used to react to moments on Twitch that viewers think are “cringe.” For example, if someone is intentionally trying to seek attention or is stream sniping the broadcaster, chat might react to the person with the PepePains emote. Sometimes the emote is also used by viewers to react to any content that is difficult to watch for any reason.
Why Pepe the Frog emotes are deemed controversial in some places
Twitch chat’s Pepe the Frog emotes are actually based on a character from Matt Furie’s comic Boy’s Life. In the 2005 comic, Pepe is a caricature of college students who play video games, smoke marijuana, and have pizza all day. The comic led to the birth of the FeelsGoodMan emote which is the first of its kind on Twitch and it eventually spawned other popular Pepe emotes like FeelsBadMan, MonkaS, PepeHands, and PepePains.
While the emotes seem harmless, some people and communities have used Pepe emotes as a hate symbol to spread anti-Semitic messages. It has led to the character being added as a hate symbol in the Anti-Defamation League’s Hate Symbol Database. It is recommended to exercise caution if you are using Pepe emotes outside Twitch as it might be seen as sensitive in some forums or communities.
