JonTron#NormalBoots

Jonathan Jafari was born in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on March 24, 1990, to Afshin and Irene Jafari.{{Cite tweet |number=977644807681167361 |user=JonTronShow |title=Thanks for all the birthday wishes, turns out I don't get to join the 27 club after all. :( |author=JonTron |author-link=JonTron |date=March 24, 2018 |access-date=December 21, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024081805/https://twitter.com/jontronshow/status/977644807681167361 |archive-date=October 24, 2022 |url-status=live}} He is of Hungarian descent on his mother's side, and Iranian descent on his father's side.{{Cite web |last=Matulef |first=Jeffrey |date=March 23, 2017 |title=Playtonic to Ditch JonTron from Yooka-Laylee Following Anti-immigrant Comments |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-03-23-playtonic-to-ditch-jontron-from-yooka-laylee-following-anti-immigrant-comments |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220232037/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-03-23-playtonic-to-ditch-jontron-from-yooka-laylee-following-anti-immigrant-comments |archive-date=December 20, 2018 |access-date=December 20, 2018 |website=Eurogamer |quote=Jafari, who is half Iranian, half Hungarian himself, later backtracked on some of these views, saying "I wasn't prepared for a debate of this sort with these sort of sensitive topics at hand."}} He attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School from 2004 to 2008.{{Cite web |title=PVPHS (PVPHS) Class of 2008 Alumni List |url=http://palosverdespeninsulahighschool.com/class-of-2008.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218202009/http://palosverdespeninsulahighschool.com/class-of-2008.html |archive-date=February 18, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2019}}

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Jafari created a Newgrounds account under the name "BirdmanXZ6" in 2003, and uploaded five animations depicting anthropomorphic onions. In 2006, he made a YouTube account under the same name. Jafari uploaded videos on ScrewAttack.com in 2010, reviewing games such as GoldenEye 007 and at ScrewAttack, he met creator Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave.

On August 31, 2010, Jafari created a YouTube channel called JonTronShow. He stated that he chose the name JonTron because it was "reminiscent of technology" and that the show was originally going to be called JonTron 2.0.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MdE1MVK5OA |title=JonTron Interview 2015 |date=February 26, 2015 |publisher=J1Studios |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021025259/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MdE1MVK5OA |archive-date=October 21, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} He uploaded a two-part review of the Nintendo 64 version of the game Daikatana, the first installment in his JonTron series. In each episode of JonTron, Jafari reviews singular games, as well as games of a particular theme, franchise, or genre. He is usually accompanied by his green-cheeked parakeet, Jacques, who speaks with a robotic voice. Jafari usually incorporates elements of sketch comedy into these episodes, to display his reactions to the video game that he is reviewing. According to Jafari, in an episode of the Internet gaming webseries Game Grumps, Jacques was originally to speak in a stereotypical jive voice, with Jafari's mouth being super-imposed onto the character's face, rather than his eyes glowing red whenever he talked.{{Cite episode |title=Kirby's Return to Dream Land: JonTron Trivia Time |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uJTv3HDOsw |series=Game Grumps |last=Jafari |first=Jon |last2=Hanson |first2=Arin |network=YouTube |station=Game Grumps |date=November 2, 2012 |language=en |access-date=December 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104190905/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uJTv3HDOsw |url-status=live |archive-date=November 4, 2015}} In his early days, he reviewed video games, showing fondness for Nintendo games and those developed by British game developer Rare mainly the games they made during the 90s, while being very critical of the games made since then like Star Fox Adventures and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Jafari has reviewed numerous video game adaptations of popular franchises, such as Hercules, Barbie, Home Alone, Star Wars and Conan the Barbarian, as well as relatively unknown games for the NES like Monster Party and Takeshi's Challenge.{{Cite web |last=Ponce |first=Tony |date=September 25, 2013 |title=JonTron Died and on the Third Day Rose Again |url=http://www.destructoid.com/jontron-died-and-on-the-third-day-rose-again-262420.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804185022/https://www.destructoid.com/jontron-died-and-on-the-third-day-rose-again-262420.phtml |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |website=Destructoid}} He has also reviewed various unlicensed games, particularly based on the Pokémon franchise, as well as the 1997 film Titanic and Disney films.{{Cite web |last=Amini |first=Tina |date=February 18, 2014 |title=A Journey Through Bootleg Pokémon Games |url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/02/a-journey-through-bootleg-pokmon-games/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531144718/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/02/a-journey-through-bootleg-pokmon-games/ |archive-date=May 31, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |website=Kotaku Australia}}{{Cite news |last=Blevins |first=Joe |date=June 14, 2016 |title=There's a Whole New World of Crazy Bootleg Disney Video Games |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/theres-whole-new-world-crazy-bootleg-disney-video--238194 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616163834/http://www.avclub.com/article/theres-whole-new-world-crazy-bootleg-disney-video--238194 |archive-date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=June 15, 2016 |publisher=A.V. Club}} In the latter, he observed China as being "farther away from U.S. jurisdiction, and much better at Disney bootlegging" and also remarked on unofficial online games based on the company's films.{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Kerry |date=June 23, 2016 |title=Disney Sues Over Chinese Cartoon 'Strikingly Similar' to Cars Hit |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36607589 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626080306/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36607589 |archive-date=June 26, 2016 |access-date=June 23, 2016 |website=BBC |publisher=BBC Monitoring}} Jafari occasionally uploads skits, as well as film reviews. For his Halloween Specials, he reviewed the anthology horror television series Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?.

According to Jafari, in an episode of Game Grumps, JonTron began achieving notability after a post on Reddit featuring Jafari's review of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game DinoCity reached #1 on the website.{{Cite episode |title=How Jon and Ego Met |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3gI2S-IaeE |series=Super Mario Land 2 |last=Jafari |first=Jon |last2=Hanson |first2=Arin |network=YouTube |station=Game Grumps |date=November 3, 2012 |number=2 |time=10:14 |language=en |access-date=April 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104190858/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3gI2S-IaeE |url-status=live |archive-date=November 4, 2015}} In 2011, Jafari created two now-defunct spin-off Let's Play channels. The first, "JonTronStarcraft", has two videos of Jafari playing Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game StarCraft. The second channel, "JonTronLoL", has four videos of Jafari playing the MOBA game League of Legends.{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Joshua |date=May 15, 2014 |title=YouTube Millionaires: JonTron Makes Terrible Video Games Great |url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/05/15/jontron-youtube-millionaires/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410104854/http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/05/15/jontron-youtube-millionaires/ |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |publisher=Youtube Millionares}} Both channels have fewer than 25,000 subscribers. JonTronShow reached 1 million subscribers in May 2014.

In 2013 Paul Tamburro of CraveOnline said "Mixing a large dollop of offbeat humour with a light sprinkle of insightful commentary, JonTron{{'}}s reviews of games of old have inspired many imitators, but none have proven to be more hilarious."{{Cite web |date=August 30, 2013 |title=7 Awesome YouTube Gamers You Should Watch - CraveOnline |url=http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/561673-7-awesome-youtube-gamers-you-should-watch |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313102144/http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/561673-7-awesome-youtube-gamers-you-should-watch |archive-date=March 13, 2018 |access-date=May 2, 2016 |website=CraveOnline |language=en-US}} Time magazine listed JonTron as 2015's seventh most searched Internet meme on Google.{{Cite magazine |last=Waxman |first=Olivia B. |title=These Are the Most 'Googled' Memes of 2015 |url=https://time.com/4150294/memes-googled-2015/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419030015/http://time.com/4150294/memes-googled-2015/ |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |access-date=April 11, 2016 |magazine=Time}}

In May 2015, Jafari released a spin-off web series on his YouTube channel titled JonTron's StarCade, in which he reviews games based on the Star Wars franchise.{{Cite web |last=Chambers |first=Evan |date=May 10, 2015 |title=JonTron's StarCade: Episode 1 - Atari Games |url=http://tay.kinja.com/jontrons-starcade-episode-1-atari-games-1703439703 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217180124/https://tay.kinja.com/jontrons-starcade-episode-1-atari-games-1703439703 |archive-date=December 17, 2019 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |publisher=Talk Amongst Yourselves}} The webseries included cameos from numerous other Internet personalities and actors, such as Egoraptor, Markiplier, Nathan Barnatt, Ross O'Donovan, and Kyle Hebert. The series was produced by Maker Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, and concluded in December 2015, after nine episodes.

Jafari occasionally uploads videos in which he comments on matters that he finds important, which are usually related to gaming. This occurred most recently in 2016, with a video made in response to Blizzard Entertainment shutting down private servers of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. Jafari mostly criticized the shutdown of one of the most popular private servers, Nostalrius, which was a copy of the 1.12 version of the game.{{Cite news |last=Foxx |first=Chris |date=April 14, 2016 |title=Warcraft Fans' Fury at Blizzard Over Server Closure |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36044000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414231952/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36044000 |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |access-date=April 15, 2016 |publisher=BBC}} Jafari's video helped to raise awareness on this subject, and lead to thousands of signatures on a Change.org petition.{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2016 |title=Ex-WoW Team Lead to Take Vanilla WoW Petition to Blizzard |url=http://wccftech.com/ex-wow-team-lead-mark-kern-vanilla-wow-petition-blizzard-mike-morhaim/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007001100/http://wccftech.com/ex-wow-team-lead-mark-kern-vanilla-wow-petition-blizzard-mike-morhaim/ |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=October 20, 2016 |work=WCCFtech |language=en-US}}

Throughout 2019 and 2020, Jafari has continued to broaden the range of media covered on his show, instead of solely traditional video games. Notable examples of topics are Flex Tape, rapper Soulja Boy's SouljaGame console,{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2019 |title=Konsolen von US-Rapper Soulja Boy mit massenhaft kopierten Games sind Geschichte |trans-title=US rapper Soulja Boy's consoles with massively copied games are history |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000095285037/konsolen-von-us-rapper-soulja-boy-mit-massenhaft-kopierten-games |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=Der Standard |language=German |archive-date=April 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429210810/https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000095285037/konsolen-von-us-rapper-soulja-boy-mit-massenhaft-kopierten-games |url-status=live }} actress Gwyneth Paltrow's company Goop and its web series The Goop Lab, actor Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head Vodka brand, and the 2007 TV series Kid Nation.

JonTron is largely credited with public awareness of Flex Tape and Phil Swift,{{Citation needed|reason=credited by whom?|date=August 2024}} and its transformation into an Internet meme. The original video{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ci2hj7CSHI |title=Waterproofing My Life With FLEX TAPE - JonTron |date=September 30, 2017 |publisher=JonTronShow |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220170410/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ci2hj7CSHI |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} on the subject has received over 72 million views as of June 2024, and the sequel{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs2WRpu5syw |title=Flex Tape II: The Flexening - JonTron |date=December 2, 2018 |publisher=JonTronShow |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105002244/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs2WRpu5syw |archive-date=November 5, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} has over 29 million, and features a cameo from Swift himself.

NormalBoots was created in late 2010 by Jafari and Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave to act as a hub where Jafari and Hargrave could post content and receive advertisement revenue.{{Cite web |last=Menegus |first=Bryan |date=March 13, 2017 |title=Popular YouTuber JonTron Has Some Batshit Crazy Thoughts on Immigration He'd Like to Share |url=https://gizmodo.com/popular-youtuber-jontron-has-some-batshit-crazy-thought-1793231221 |access-date=February 23, 2022 |website=Gizmodo |archive-date=March 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313222238/https://gizmodo.com/popular-youtuber-jontron-has-some-batshit-crazy-thought-1793231221 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Brow |first=Jason |date=May 9, 2019 |title=ProJared: 5 Things About YouTube Gamer Whose Wife Has Accused Him Of Cheating |url=https://hollywoodlife.com/2019/05/09/who-is-projared-youtube-gamer/ |access-date=December 18, 2021 |website=Hollywood Life |archive-date=December 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219002630/https://hollywoodlife.com/2019/05/09/who-is-projared-youtube-gamer/ |url-status=live }} Soon after its creation, Indie Games Searchlight and Cold Morning joined the group. In June 2011, the YouTube channel Continue? joined, while in August of the same year, Underbelly joined. In October 2011, Cold Morning left, and in June 2012, Underbelly left. However shortly after each departure new YouTubers joined, with The Completionist joining in November 2011, and Did You Know Gaming?, joining in July 2012. The site was closed down in November 2012, as Google AdSense offered better revenue options for the content creators.{{Cite web |last=LARROS_TWPS |title=JonTron Finally Starts New Season. Finally. (@JonTronShow) |url=https://mishkanyc.com/bloglin/2015/03/06/jontron-finally-starts-new-season-finally-jontronshow |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508011529/https://mishkanyc.com/bloglin/2015/03/06/jontron-finally-starts-new-season-finally-jontronshow |archive-date=May 8, 2016 |access-date=May 2, 2016 |website=Mishka NYC}}

NormalBoots was relaunched on January 24, 2014, so that the members could upload videos that weren't "YouTube-friendly". Jafari alongside the remaining members of NormalBoots, apart from Indie Games Searchlight, came back, with two new YouTubers joining, ProJared and Satchell Drakes.{{Cite web |title=A Legendary Pair of Boots Resurrect! |url=http://tay.kinja.com/a-legendary-pair-of-boots-resurrect-1509015653 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106104753/https://tay.kinja.com/a-legendary-pair-of-boots-resurrect-1509015653 |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=May 3, 2016 |website=Talk Amongst Yourselves |language=en-US}} On May 17, 2017, the group announced that they were going to reconnect due to the creators drifting apart. A new YouTube channel was created to unite the creators. During this time Jafari decided to leave to focus on his own channel but would still remain as a founding member.{{Cite tweet |number=864999365605076992 |user=NormalBoots |title=Hey everyone - Here's an announcement regarding the future of NormalBoots https://t.co/4gkNWaJ1ey |author=NormalBoots |author-link=NormalBoots |date=May 18, 2017 |access-date=December 21, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206105412/https://twitter.com/NormalBoots/status/864999365605076992 |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |url-status=live}}

{{main|Game Grumps}}

Jafari met animator Arin "Egoraptor" Hanson, of whom he had been a fan since the early 2000s, when the latter messaged him on YouTube shortly after his review of DinoCity grew popular. The two eventually became close friends, and in July 2012, Jafari and Hanson announced they would be starting a Let's Play series titled Game Grumps through videos on both their channels. On July 18 of the same year, Jafari and Hanson uploaded their first serials of Game Grumps: Kirby Super Star, Mega Man 7 and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.{{Cite web |last=Ponce |first=Tony |date=July 18, 2012 |title=Egoraptor & JonTron Twiddle Their Sticks, Play Some Games |url=http://www.destructoid.com/egoraptor-jontron-twiddle-their-sticks-play-some-games-231626.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080942/http://www.destructoid.com/egoraptor-jontron-twiddle-their-sticks-play-some-games-231626.phtml |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |publisher=Destructoid}} On the Game Grumps channel, Jafari and Hanson played games together, typically ones that were retro or nostalgic in style, along with comedic commentary.

On June 25, 2013, Jafari left Game Grumps in order to focus on JonTron, and was replaced by Ninja Sex Party singer Dan Avidan on the same day.{{Cite web |title=Is JonTron and Egoraptor's Breakup The End of 'Game Grumps'? Fans Sound Off on Social Media - New Media Rockstars |url=http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/06/is-jontron-and-egoraptors-breakup-the-end-of-game-grumps-fans-sound-off-on-social-media/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007001333/http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/06/is-jontron-and-egoraptors-breakup-the-end-of-game-grumps-fans-sound-off-on-social-media/ |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=April 11, 2016 |website=New Media Rockstars |language=en-US}} Some fans criticized the sudden and unexpected announcement, as well as the channel announcing the debut of the spin-off series Steam Train on the same day that Jafari's departure was disclosed.{{Cite web |last=Amini |first=Tina |date=June 26, 2013 |title=Fans Are Upset over YouTube Duo 'Game Grumps' Break-Up |url=http://kotaku.com/fans-are-upset-over-youtube-duo-game-grumps-break-up-585225892 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220061900/http://kotaku.com/fans-are-upset-over-youtube-duo-game-grumps-break-up-585225892 |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |publisher=Kotaku}}

Jafari has collaborated with multiple YouTube channels, including Ethan and Hila Klein's channel h3h3Productions. From October 2015 to August 2016, Hila Klein was a producer for JonTron. He has made an appearance on James Rolfe's Let's Play series James & Mike Mondays.{{Cite web |title=Wondering Where JonTron Was All These Months? |url=http://tay.kinja.com/wondering-where-jontron-was-all-these-months-1704836912 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105191206/https://tay.kinja.com/wondering-where-jontron-was-all-these-months-1704836912 |archive-date=November 5, 2019 |access-date=May 3, 2016 |website=Talk Amongst Yourselves |language=en-US}} He made a cameo appearance in Angry Video Game Adventures. Jafari was a featured vocalist in an episode of The Gregory Brothers' viral webseries Songify the News. At the same time, The Gregory Brothers remixed Jafari's review of the bootlegged game, Titenic, and it was released on iTunes.{{Cite web |last=Nichols |first=C |title=Titenic: the Song |url=http://tay.kinja.com/titenic-the-song-1710169379 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106114037/https://tay.kinja.com/titenic-the-song-1710169379 |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=May 3, 2016 |website=Talk Amongst Yourselves |language=en-US}}

Jafari has done voice-over work for Did You Know Gaming?, covering episodes on The Legend of Zelda, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong, Pokémon, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, and games of Disney franchises. He has covered the development of Star Wars for their spin-off series Did You Know Movies? on fellow YouTube channel, The Film Theorists.{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Patricia |date=February 17, 2014 |title=A Few Surprising Ways That Pokémon and Science Influenced Each Other |url=http://kotaku.com/a-few-surprising-ways-that-pokemon-and-science-influenc-1524762434 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527132206/http://kotaku.com/a-few-surprising-ways-that-pokemon-and-science-influenc-1524762434 |archive-date=May 27, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2016 |website=Kotaku |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Ponce |first=Tony |date=August 4, 2013 |title=Nintendo Bred a New Flower to Market Pikmin on GameCube!? |url=http://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-bred-a-new-flower-to-market-pikmin-on-gamecube--259357.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530094031/https://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-bred-a-new-flower-to-market-pikmin-on-gamecube--259357.phtml |archive-date=May 30, 2021 |access-date=December 19, 2013 |publisher=Destructoid}}

In 2013, before his departure from Game Grumps, Jafari and Hanson appeared in a promotional video produced by Polaris for the Warner Bros. movie Pacific Rim. Around the same time, Jafari appeared in Ninja Sex Party's music video for "Let's Get This Terrible Party Started", which was directed by Hanson. To promote the 2013 World Series, Jafari appeared in an a cappella cover of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", produced by PepsiCo and musician Mike Tompkins, and uploaded to Maker Studios' Maker Music channel.{{Cite web |last=Gutelle, Sam |date=October 24, 2013 |title=Mike Tompkins, Pepsi Step Up to the Plate for the World Series |url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/10/24/mike-tompkins-pepsi-take-me-out-to-the-ballgame/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810155013/http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/10/24/mike-tompkins-pepsi-take-me-out-to-the-ballgame/ |archive-date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=June 13, 2016 |website=Tubefilter}}

In November 2016, Jafari released an album called Love Is Like Drugs with The Gregory Brothers, which reached number two on the Billboard chart of comedy albums of the week of November 26.{{Citation |title=Chart history of JonTron |magazine=Billboard |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/7576945/jontron/chart |access-date=April 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201023707/https://www.billboard.com/artist/7576945/jontron/chart |archive-date=December 1, 2018 |url-status=dead}} Later, on December 2, 2018, he collaborated with pitchman Phil Swift in the video "Flex Tape II: The Flexening".{{Cite news |last=Donnellan |first=Jimmy |date=December 3, 2018 |title=JonTron Returns to YouTube with Flex Tape Sequel After a Year Away |url=https://culturedvultures.com/jontron-returns-to-youtube-with-flex-tape-sequel-after-a-year-away/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410163401/https://culturedvultures.com/jontron-returns-to-youtube-with-flex-tape-sequel-after-a-year-away/ |archive-date=April 10, 2021 |access-date=April 10, 2021 |work=Cultured Vultures}}

Jafari played Banjo-Kazooie in June 2014 on a Twitch stream, to collect donations for Teach For America's GoFundMe campaign. Jafari stated that if the $25,000 proposed goal was hit, he would reprise a cover of Katy Perry's song "Firework" originally recorded for his 2011 review of DinoCity. The full version of the cover was uploaded to Jafari's YouTube channel on February 14, 2016.{{Cite web |title=Brilliant Web Animators Team on Katy Perry Charity Cover Vid |url=http://trend.monstersandcritics.com/brilliant-web-animators-team-on-katy-perry-charity-cover-vid/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729042811/http://trend.monstersandcritics.com/brilliant-web-animators-team-on-katy-perry-charity-cover-vid/ |archive-date=July 29, 2016 |access-date=April 11, 2016 |website=Monsters and Critics |language=en-US}}

In 2016, Jafari was featured as a character alongside other NormalBoots collaborators in the dating sim and visual novel Asagao Academy.{{Cite web |date=April 23, 2016 |title=Date and Dump YouTube Personalities in This New Romantic Visual Novel |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/date-and-dump-youtube-personalities-in-this-new-romantic-visual-novel/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425104622/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/date-and-dump-youtube-personalities-in-this-new-romantic-visual-novel |archive-date=April 25, 2016 |access-date=May 3, 2016 |website=Motherboard |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Alex Carlson |date=November 2, 2014 |title=Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club Lets You Date Youtubers {{!}} Hardcore Gamer |work=Hardcore Gamer |url=http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/11/02/asagao-academy-normal-boots-club-lets-you-date-youtubers/115277/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503060254/http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/11/02/asagao-academy-normal-boots-club-lets-you-date-youtubers/115277/ |archive-date=May 3, 2016 |access-date=May 3, 2016}}

Jafari has provided voice-over work for A Hat in Time, a video game by Gears for Breakfast.{{Cite web |last=Zarnyx |title=Interview with Art Director of 3D Collect-a-Thon Platformer, A Hat in Time |url=http://tay.kinja.com/interview-with-art-director-of-3d-collect-a-thon-platfo-1533057783 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630013106/http://tay.kinja.com/interview-with-art-director-of-3d-collect-a-thon-platfo-1533057783 |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2016 |website=Talk Amongst Yourselves |language=en-US}}

In an interview with Breitbart News, Jafari stated that he voted for Barack Obama both times, and that he supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primaries, but has said that he does not identify as conservative or liberal, preferring instead to decide on a case-by-case basis.{{Cite news |last=Gach |first=Ethan |date=April 26, 2017 |title=YouTuber JonTron Tries to Clarify His Controversial Views on Race |url=http://kotaku.com/youtuber-jontron-tries-to-clarify-his-controversial-vie-1793419660 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319194133/http://kotaku.com/youtuber-jontron-tries-to-clarify-his-controversial-vie-1793419660 |archive-date=March 19, 2017 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=Kotaku}}

{{too detailed|section|date=December 2023}}

Jafari discussed politics on a livestream hosted by Carl Benjamin on January 27, 2017. On March 12 of the same year, Jafari posted a tweet defending a quote from Iowa representative Steve King, who had tweeted in regards to the United States' policy on immigration: "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies."{{Cite news |last=McCormick |first=Rich |date=March 16, 2017 |title=When Your Child's Favorite YouTube Celebrity Is a Secret Racist |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/16/14942624/jontron-youtube-child-celebrity-racism |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318215625/http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/16/14942624/jontron-youtube-child-celebrity-racism |archive-date=March 18, 2017 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=The Verge}} Jafari later appeared on Twitch streamer Destiny's channel to explain his views; he said that, "Nobody wants to become a minority in their own country", and stressed that he took issue with white people being labeled as racist for wanting to remain a majority. He saw this reaction as hypocritical with how the majorities of other countries are regarded. Jafari also made racial assertions about people of Mexican descent who live in the United States, claiming that there are "large swathes of them who want to break parts of America off back into Mexico."{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RQA9GZprqM&t=27m13s |title=Debating JonTron - Destiny (March 13, 2017) |website=YouTube |date=March 13, 2017 |access-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810114923/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RQA9GZprqM&t=27m13s |url-status=live }} The Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League have described it as a racist myth and conspiracy theory.{{Cite web |title=Arizona Debate Unleashes New 'Reconquista' Accusations |work=Southern Poverty Law Center |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/05/05/arizona-debate-unleashes-new-%E2%80%98reconquista%E2%80%99-accusations |access-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810114921/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/05/05/arizona-debate-unleashes-new-%E2%80%98reconquista%E2%80%99-accusations |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Former Navy SEAL Matthew Bracken Publishes Book Touting Aztlan Conspiracy Theory |date=July 2007 |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2007/former-navy-seal-matthew-bracken-publishes-book-touting-aztlan-conspiracy-theory |access-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-date=April 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419061512/https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2007/former-navy-seal-matthew-bracken-publishes-book-touting-aztlan-conspiracy-theory |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2008 |title=Immigrants Targeted: Extremist Rhetoric Moves into the Mainstream |url=https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/civil-rights/immigration/Immigrants-Targeted-UPDATE_2008.pdf |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=ADL.org |publisher=Anti-Defamation League |archive-date=August 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811142806/https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/civil-rights/immigration/Immigrants-Targeted-UPDATE_2008.pdf |url-status=live }}

In response to this, Jafari stated that the Southern Poverty Law Center is "the worst" and sarcastically described them as "the most unbiased institution of all time".{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyFXpXVZ8ho&t=4h38s |title=Punished Shitposting with #JonTron - Sargon of Akkad Livestreams (27 January, 2017) |website=YouTube |access-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810114924/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyFXpXVZ8ho&t=4h38s |url-status=live }} He also commented that he had seen statistics that wealthy black people commit more crimes than poor white people, as well as asking rhetorically whether the colonization of Africa by European countries was a good thing.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RQA9GZprqM |title=Debating JonTron |date=March 13, 2017 |publisher=Destiny |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220204840/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RQA9GZprqM |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} Shortly afterwards, many outlets criticized his statements, and specifically questioned his claim about crimes committed by wealthy black people.{{Cite news |last=Good |first=Owen |date=March 14, 2017 |title=YouTuber JonTron reveals anti-immigrant views, loses subscribers |url=http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/14/14928506/jontron-youtube-immigration-controversy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319030744/http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/14/14928506/jontron-youtube-immigration-controversy |archive-date=March 19, 2017 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=Polygon}}{{Cite news |last=Tamburro |first=Paul |date=March 14, 2017 |title=The JonTron Controversy and Why Parents Should Be Wary of YouTube - CraveOnline |url=http://www.craveonline.com/design/1230343-jontron-controversy-parents-wary-youtube |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221120958/http://www.craveonline.com/design/1230343-jontron-controversy-parents-wary-youtube |archive-date=February 21, 2018 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=CraveOnline}}{{Cite news |last=Khosravi |first=Ryan |date=March 15, 2017 |title=JonTron's Racist Tweets: Everything you need to know about the YouTube gaming scandal |url=https://mic.com/articles/171309/jon-tron-s-racist-tweets-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-you-tube-gaming-scandal#.JJ6rOyG1i |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320052208/https://mic.com/articles/171309/jon-tron-s-racist-tweets-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-you-tube-gaming-scandal#.JJ6rOyG1i |archive-date=March 20, 2017 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=Mic}}

His comments were followed by a backlash within his fanbase, with partners noting a loss of subscribers.{{Cite magazine |last=Gajanan |first=Mahita |date=March 14, 2017 |title=YouTube Star JonTron Under Fire for Controversial Comments on Race and Immigration |url=https://time.com/4701304/jontron-jon-jafari-steve-bonnell-immigration-race-youtube/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314232439/http://time.com/4701304/jontron-jon-jafari-steve-bonnell-immigration-race-youtube/ |archive-date=March 14, 2017 |access-date=March 15, 2017 |magazine=TIME}}{{Cite news |date=March 13, 2017 |title=JonTron's Losing YouTube Subscribers After Destiny Debate |url=https://culturedvultures.com/jontrons-losing-youtube-subscribers-destiny-debate/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320053903/https://culturedvultures.com/jontrons-losing-youtube-subscribers-destiny-debate/ |archive-date=March 20, 2017 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=Cultured Vultures}} Kotaku reported that many of Jafari's longtime fans felt uncomfortable with these views, and could no longer support his content.{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Gita |date=March 17, 2017 |title=Longtime Fans Of YouTuber JonTron Say They Can't Watch Him Anymore |url=http://kotaku.com/longtime-fans-of-youtuber-jontron-say-they-cant-watch-h-1793382911 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318230336/http://kotaku.com/longtime-fans-of-youtuber-jontron-say-they-cant-watch-h-1793382911 |archive-date=March 18, 2017 |access-date=March 19, 2017 |work=Kotaku}} Jafari posted a statement on YouTube on March 19, addressing some of his controversial arguments from the stream.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIFf7qwlnSc |title=My Statement |date=March 19, 2017 |publisher=JonTronShow |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415223432/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIFf7qwlnSc |archive-date=April 15, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} On May 18, 2017, NormalBoots announced that Jafari would not play as an active member anymore, though he would still play as an honored founder of the group. They stated that this was a "mutual understanding" and that he had not been kicked out. In the wake of controversies surrounding NormalBoots member Jared "ProJared" Knabenbauer in May 2019, fellow member Jirard "The Completionist" Khalil claimed in a YouTube comment that Jafari's departure had nothing to do with the controversy surrounding his statements. He stated that Jafari felt that he could no longer contribute to the group due to the amount time it took for him to make videos, and that he had been planning to leave for several months. Khalil also stated that the group made the announcement a few weeks after the controversy, and that they nonetheless chose to make a statement regarding Jafari since certain members, including Khalil and Jafari themselves, were born to immigrant parents.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tway6uQUQ74 |title=ProJared: The Story You Never Knew [OUTDATED] |date=May 16, 2019 |publisher=Treesicle |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608150817/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tway6uQUQ74 |archive-date=June 8, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}

In response to the controversy, an update to the game Yooka-Laylee was issued the same day as the game's April 2017 release, replacing Jafari's voice parts for a minor character.{{Cite news |last=Sarkar |first=Samit |date=March 23, 2017 |title=JonTron being cut from Yooka-Laylee after spouting racist views |url=http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/23/15039978/yooka-laylee-jontron-removed-playtonic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324022137/http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/23/15039978/yooka-laylee-jontron-removed-playtonic |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |access-date=March 24, 2017 |work=Polygon}}{{Cite news |last=Tucker |first=Jake |date=March 24, 2017 |title=Playtonic remove controversial YouTuber JonTron from Yooka-Laylee |url=http://www.develop-online.net/news/playtonic-remove-controversial-youtuber-jontron-from-yooka-laylee/0230987 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327021243/http://www.develop-online.net/news/playtonic-remove-controversial-youtuber-jontron-from-yooka-laylee/0230987 |archive-date=March 27, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2017 |work=Develop}}{{Cite news |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=March 23, 2017 |title=Yooka-Laylee Developer Removes Voice of YouTube Personality JonTron After Racist Statements |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/03/23/yooka-laylee-developer-removes-voice-of-youtube-personality-jontron-after-racist-statements/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328105705/https://venturebeat.com/2017/03/23/yooka-laylee-developer-removes-voice-of-youtube-personality-jontron-after-racist-statements/ |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2017 |work=Venture Beat}}{{Cite news |last=Amato |first=Peter |date=March 23, 2017 |title=Yooka-Laylee Dev Removes JonTron's Voice Acting After Racism Controversy |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/03/yooka-laylee-dev-removes-jontrons-voice-acting-aft.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328195551/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/03/yooka-laylee-dev-removes-jontrons-voice-acting-aft.html |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2017 |work=Paste Magazine}}{{Cite news |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=March 27, 2017 |title=This Week In The Business: Lengthy Switch Shortages |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/03/this-week-in-the-business-lengthy-switch-shortages/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327155332/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/03/this-week-in-the-business-lengthy-switch-shortages/ |archive-date=March 27, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2017 |work=Kotaku}} The game was flooded with requests for refunds following his removal.{{Cite news |last=Tamburro |first=Paul |date=March 24, 2017 |title=Playtonic Flooded with Yooka-Laylee Refund Requests Over JonTron's Removal |url=https://www.mandatory.com/culture/1236595-playtonic-flooded-yooka-laylee-refund-requests-jontrons-removal |access-date=September 1, 2021 |work=Mandatory |archive-date=September 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901160339/https://www.mandatory.com/culture/1236595-playtonic-flooded-yooka-laylee-refund-requests-jontrons-removal |url-status=live }} Jafari was kept as a voice talent in A Hat in Time despite the controversy, which resulted in mixed reaction, with some people claiming to refuse purchasing the game if he was included in the game.{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Allegra |date=October 5, 2017 |title=JonTron is still in A Hat in Time, but not without controversy |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/5/16413768/a-hat-in-time-jontron-voice-acting |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111173308/https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/5/16413768/a-hat-in-time-jontron-voice-acting |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |access-date=February 12, 2018 |publisher=Polygon}} In November 2017, Jafari appeared on a podcast with h3h3Productions where he spoke further about his statements, stating that he should not have gone into the subjects he went into without any prior preparation, and that while he did not hold any racist views, he wishes people could "[talk] about these things without witch hunting each other".{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Julia |date=December 5, 2017 |title=JonTron addresses anti-immigration remarks and fallout in new interview |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/5/16734852/jontron-interview-immigration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415124753/https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/5/16734852/jontron-interview-immigration |archive-date=April 15, 2018 |access-date=April 14, 2018 |publisher=Polygon}}

In July 2013, coinciding with Jafari's departure from Game Grumps, he announced that he had moved from Los Angeles to New York City.{{Cite web |last=ZeroManAlpha |date=July 7, 2013 |title=JonTron confirms that he has moved to New York for 'business reasons' |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/gamegrumps/comments/1hsi1n/jontron_confirms_that_he_has_moved_to_new_york/ |access-date=October 24, 2022 |website=r/gamegrumps |archive-date=October 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024080608/https://www.reddit.com/r/gamegrumps/comments/1hsi1n/jontron_confirms_that_he_has_moved_to_new_york/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite tweet |number=421476998310268928 |user=JonTronShow |title=As a New York City resident, 'Bridgegate' is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Thank you politics. Never stop. |author=JonTron |author-link=JonTron |date=January 10, 2014 |access-date=December 21, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025133232/https://twitter.com/JonTronShow/status/421476998310268928 |archive-date=October 25, 2022 |url-status=live}}

Jafari is married to Charlotte "Bear" Claw; the ceremony took place on October 23, 2019.{{Cite tweet |number=1187054471668387841 |user=JonTronShow |title=I got to marry the love of my life this weekend. Thanks @Chazoo92 for making me an eternally lucky man!! 💍💖✨ https://t.co/MNOorNpI4h |author=JonTron |author-link=JonTron |date=October 23, 2019 |access-date=December 21, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106201228/https://twitter.com/JonTronShow/status/1187054471668387841 |archive-date=November 6, 2022 |url-status=live}} On Christmas Day 2024, the two revealed that they are having a child together.{{Cite Instagram |user=jontronshow |postid=DEAkCyZJmwW |title=My gift to myself this year is decades upon decades of pre-meditated debt 🥰 Special thanks: my wife @mrs_tron69 A Very Merry Christmas to one and all! 🎄🎄🎄 |date=December 25, 2024}}On April 16, 2025, their son William Albert Jafari was born.

• List of YouTube personalities

{{reflist}}

{{wikiquote|Jon Jafari}}

• {{YouTube|u=JonTronShow}}
• {{IMDb name|4976353}}

{{Game Grumps}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Internet|United States|Video Games}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:American film critics

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Category:YouTube channels launched in 2010

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Category:Internet memes introduced in 2010

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