Videogamedunkey

Gastrow has been publishing videos online since 2003. Initially, he created Flash animations that he uploaded on the website Newgrounds under the username "MeatwadSprite". Examples include "Great Yoshi Migration", his first video, and a parody of the Village People song "Y.M.C.A." called "F.U.C.K."{{cite AV media|people=Gastrow, Jason|title=Old Dunkey and Cuphead|date=October 21, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCkPhYiKbJU|format=YouTube|publisher=videogamedunkey|access-date=July 5, 2019|archive-date=September 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190919174534/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCkPhYiKbJU|url-status=live}} On the H3 Podcast, Gastrow said he wanted to be an animator when he was young.

Gastrow started his current YouTube channel, videogamedunkey, in 2010, with a video of him performing a speedrun of the 1991 game Battletoads. Gastrow recalled that the name "videogamedunkey" came about when he was playing Left 4 Dead with a friend. He "told him to pet a donkey or something", and after trapping his friend in the game, told him he would release him if he said "go go magic dunk". In a 2015 Reddit thread, Gastrow mentioned that his channel's profile picture was designed by Newgrounds animator and YouTuber Chris O'Neill.{{Cite web |title=r/videogamedunkey - Comment by u/bunkley on "I am Dunkey AMA" |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/videogamedunkey/comments/325mh7/comment/cq8av2s/?context=3 |access-date=August 14, 2022 |website=reddit |date=April 10, 2015 |language=en-US}} By September 2015, the videogamedunkey channel had 1.8 million subscribers.{{cite web|last1=Hernandez|first1=Patricia|date=September 14, 2015|title=Banned League of Legends YouTuber Defends His Trash Talking|url=https://kotaku.com/banned-league-of-legends-youtuber-defends-his-trash-tal-1730635674|access-date=July 5, 2019|website=Kotaku|archive-date=July 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705172931/https://kotaku.com/banned-league-of-legends-youtuber-defends-his-trash-tal-1730635674|url-status=live}} Gastrow's videos have collectively generated over three billion views. Outside of YouTube, Gastrow is active on Twitter{{Cite Twitter profile|vgdunkey|dunkey}} and has pages on Facebook and Reddit. He and his wife Leah also run Dunkey's Castle, an online merchandise shop.

Gastrow primarily covers video games on his channel. This includes posting reviews, playthroughs, video essays, and montages. He has also reviewed films, such as The Shining. During his channel's initial years, Gastrow was primarily known for his coverage of the 2009 multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends. According to Yannick LeJacq of Kotaku, Gastrow "had a special place in the League of Legends universe for consistently producing some of the best, and definitely the funniest, material in the game's massive community".{{cite web |last1=LeJacq |first1=Yannick |title=League Of Legends YouTube Jokester Gets Banned |url=https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-youtube-jokester-gets-banned-1729589265 |website=Kotaku |access-date=July 5, 2019 |date=September 9, 2015 |archive-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703220602/https://kotaku.com/league-of-legends-youtube-jokester-gets-banned-1729589265 |url-status=live }} However, he quit making League videos in September 2015, after he was banned for "toxic" behavior, such as repeatedly insulting other players on his team in the in-game chat. Gastrow is also known for popularizing jokes about Knack (2013) and its sequel Knack II (2017), titles for the PlayStation 4, to the point that the games "became the internet's favorite punchline".{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Gita |title=How Knack Became The Internet's Favorite Punchline |url=https://kotaku.com/how-knack-became-the-internets-favorite-punchline-1800943169 |website=Kotaku |access-date=July 5, 2019 |date=September 6, 2017 |archive-date=January 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127155046/https://kotaku.com/how-knack-became-the-internets-favorite-punchline-1800943169 |url-status=live }}

Gastrow initially signed a contract with internet entertainment platform Machinima, Inc., which according to him took a large cut of his earnings from advertising. In 2013, Gastrow switched from Machinima to Maker Studios, which reportedly took more revenue than Machinima. Microsoft offered to pay if he made four videos for Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade. Shortly after Gastrow uploaded his first video, in which he lambasted the game he was playing, Microsoft took down the video, canceled the deal, and according to Gastrow did not pay the money owed, despite previously telling him he could "do whatever he wanted" in the video. Gastrow has since worked with Curse LLC, which he has praised.{{cite AV media|people=Gastrow, Jason|title=Microsoft Sucks|date=October 6, 2015|format=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeHjN4oWVfk|access-date=September 28, 2019|publisher=videogamedunkey}} Gastrow reportedly earns up to {{US$}}1.7 million a year, and he is "likely the highest-earning cultural commentator with connections to Madison".{{cite web |last1=Kurkerewicz |first1=Reid |date=September 19, 2017 |title=The revealing jackassery of Videogamedunkey |url=https://www.tonemadison.com/articles/the-revealing-jackassery-of-videogamedunkey |access-date=July 5, 2019 |website=Tone Madison |archive-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123135603/https://www.tonemadison.com/articles/the-revealing-jackassery-of-videogamedunkey |url-status=live }}

In December 2020, Gastrow released a video in which he stated he would stop making "good videos" and instead switch to a daily schedule. He subsequently released shorter videos on a daily basis that satirized his stated plans and featured clickbait titles. For example, a purported Minecraft video involved Gastrow playing as the default Steve avatar from Minecraft in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. According to his wife, the switch in content format was because he was "feeling frustrations about the current YouTube landscape and worried about the future", where his and other channels' past curated content has been "overshadowed by the latest trends and low effort stuff" from larger channels. Polygon noted that the videos performed better than Gastrow's previous content, anticipating that he was exemplifying the current problems with YouTube to bring the situation to light and would eventually return to his normal curated content.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/7/22160005/dunkey-youtube-among-us-minecraft-trending | title = YouTuber becomes more powerful by pivoting to terrible gaming content | first = Patricia | last = Hernandez | date = December 7, 2020 | access-date = December 7, 2020 | work = Polygon | archive-date = December 7, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201207224725/https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/7/22160005/dunkey-youtube-among-us-minecraft-trending | url-status = live }}

In August 2021, Gastrow joked in a live stream that Kanye West's then-upcoming album Donda would sample a song from the animated short film Strawinsky and the Mysterious House (2012); upon the album's release, the track "Remote Control" sampled the exact clip, leading fans to theorize that West's team watched Gastrow's stream.{{cite web |url=https://www.distractify.com/p/globglogabgalab-kanye |title=Kanye West's "Donda" Album Has a Surprising Animated Character Featured on It: Globglogabgalab |last=Barilla |first=Chris |work=Distractify |date=August 27, 2021 |accessdate=August 31, 2021 |archive-date=August 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828080228/https://www.distractify.com/p/globglogabgalab-kanye |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Nicolaus |date=September 3, 2021 |title=What is the "Globglogabgalab" Sample on Kanye's 'DONDA' Track "Remote Control"? |url=https://hypebeast.com/2021/9/kanye-west-donda-remote-control-globglogabgalab-sample-explained-info |access-date=December 31, 2021 |website=Hypebeast |archive-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904173651/https://hypebeast.com/2021/9/kanye-west-donda-remote-control-globglogabgalab-sample-explained-info |url-status=live }}

In November 2022, Gastrow uploaded a video criticizing Sonic Frontiers, which resulted in the game being review bombed on Metacritic. Gastrow stated he did not intend for the video to spark review bombing and accused Sonic fans of leaving negative reviews to make his fans look bad.{{cite web |last1=Mercante |first1=Alyssa |title=Latest Videogamedunkey YouTube Sparks Sonic Frontiers Review Bombing |url=https://kotaku.com/sonic-frontiers-ps5-dunkey-review-bomb-metacritic-1849782422 |website=Kotaku |access-date=November 14, 2022 |date=November 14, 2022 |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115002216/https://kotaku.com/sonic-frontiers-ps5-dunkey-review-bomb-metacritic-1849782422 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Cyer |first1=Hirun |title=YouTuber Dunkey responds to "fans" review-bombing Sonic Frontiers |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/dunkey-sonic-frontiers-review/ |website=GamesRadar+ |access-date=November 15, 2022 |date=November 14, 2022 |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115015459/https://www.gamesradar.com/dunkey-sonic-frontiers-review/ |url-status=live }}

In September 2022, Gastrow and his wife Leah launched Bigmode, a video game publishing company specializing in publishing indie games.{{cite web |last=Dealessandri |first=Marie |date=September 22, 2022 |title=YouTuber Dunkey forms indie games publisher Bigmode |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/youtuber-dunkey-forms-indie-games-publisher-bigmode |accessdate=September 22, 2022 |work=GamesIndustry.biz |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922085543/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/youtuber-dunkey-forms-indie-games-publisher-bigmode |url-status=live }} Gastrow stated in a video announcing the new company, "I think we're going to bring insane value to the table and the bottom line is: help good games succeed and help them continue to succeed into the future".{{Cite web |last=Leston |first=Ryan |date=September 22, 2022 |title=Gaming YouTuber Dunkey Sets Up an Indie Game Publishing Company |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/gaming-youtuber-dunkey-sets-up-an-indie-game-publishing-company |access-date=September 23, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923060345/https://www.ign.com/articles/gaming-youtuber-dunkey-sets-up-an-indie-game-publishing-company |url-status=live }} Leah said their ultimate goal was to "put together a catalogue of unique, high-quality games that can be enjoyed for many years".{{Cite web |last=Dealessandri |first=Marie |date=2023-02-28 |title=Bigmode's journey, from YouTubers to publishers |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bigmodes-journey-from-youtubers-to-publishers |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302212359/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bigmodes-journey-from-youtubers-to-publishers |url-status=live }} The announcement received some mixed reactions from journalists and indie developers.{{Cite news |last=Ngan |first=Liv |date=September 22, 2022 |title=YouTuber videogamedunkey launches own indie publishing company Bigmode |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/youtuber-videogamedunkey-launches-own-indie-publishing-company-bigmode |access-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927145455/https://www.eurogamer.net/youtuber-videogamedunkey-launches-own-indie-publishing-company-bigmode |url-status=live }} In January 2023, Bigmode announced its first title, Animal Well,{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/animal-well-is-first-game-from-videogamedunkeys-publishing-company-bigmode |title=Animal Well is first game from videogamedunkey's publishing company Bigmode |last=Nightingale |first=Ed |work=Eurogamer |date=January 9, 2023 |accessdate=May 14, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109121400/https://www.eurogamer.net/animal-well-is-first-game-from-videogamedunkeys-publishing-company-bigmode |archivedate=January 9, 2023 |url-status=live }} which was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows in May 2024 and for Xbox Series X/S in October 2024, receiving critical acclaim.{{cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2024/03/animal-well-launches-may-9 |title=Animal Well launches May 9 |last=Romano |first=Sal |work=Gematsu |date=March 17, 2024 |accessdate=May 14, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240317194135/https://www.gematsu.com/2024/03/animal-well-launches-may-9 |archivedate=March 17, 2024 |url-status=live }}

In February 2025, Bigmode released its second title, the bullet hell roguelike Star of Providence.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.ign.com/videos/star-of-providence-official-release-date-reveal-trailer |title=Star of Providence - Official Release Date Reveal Trailer - IGN |date=2025-02-02 |language=en |access-date=2025-02-03 |via=www.ign.com}} Originally released as Monolith in 2017 on Steam, the game was expanded for a release on the Nintendo Switch. The game was rebranded to avoid confusion with the video game studio Monolith.{{Cite web |last=Gach |first=Ethan |date=2025-02-21 |title=Don't Sleep On This Indie Roguelike Cult Hit And Its First Major Update In Five Years |url=https://kotaku.com/star-providence-roguelike-bullet-hell-videogamedunkey-1851765837 |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}

According to himself, Gastrow sometimes writes a script for a video and records voice-overs during post-production, while other times recording along as he plays. Gastrow's videos depicting League of Legends and Overwatch (2016) are examples of the latter; he stated in an interview that he "would try to cut out the funniest parts." Gastrow's most viewed video, "Ultimate Skyrim", depicts him playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) using a variety of user-created modifications to the point of breaking the game. Gastrow has cited people he knows, Adult Swim television series such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and the Tim & Eric shows as inspiration, and has said he enjoys watching videos by YouTubers ProJared and Gaming Historian.

According to Tone Madison{{'s}} Reid Kurkerewicz, Gastrow is an example of "new games criticism", a reviewing approach inspired by New Journalism. Gastrow has been noted as a "fierce consumer advocate, deeply skeptical of corporate marketing machines." For instance, he has criticized Nintendo for demonetizing his review of Super Mario Odyssey (2017) on copyright grounds,{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTubers are calling out Nintendo for its policy on streaming, uploads |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/6/16612080/youtube-nintendo-super-mario-odyssey-demonetization |website=Polygon |access-date=September 28, 2019 |date=November 6, 2017 |archive-date=October 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004175036/https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/6/16612080/youtube-nintendo-super-mario-odyssey-demonetization |url-status=live }} and Microsoft for its business practices, including the cancellation of their Summer of Arcade deal. In his 2017 video "Game Critics", Gastrow denounced websites such as IGN for their decentralized opinions, poor writing, "the fuzzy ethics of building relationships with the companies [they're] meant to cover," and the divide between critics and audiences.{{cite web |last1=Klepek |first1=Patrick |title=Game Criticism Had Problems Long Before Dunkey Made a Video About It |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvpzk3/game-criticism-had-problems-long-before-dunkey-made-a-video-about-it |website=Vice |access-date=September 28, 2019 |date=July 11, 2017 |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023080247/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvpzk3/game-criticism-had-problems-long-before-dunkey-made-a-video-about-it |url-status=live }}

Gene Park of The Washington Post described Gastrow as one of the most influential critics on YouTube, noting he has inspired a number of imitators, and called him the Lester Bangs of video games. Like Bangs, Park wrote, Gastrow is an industry outsider, has created modern vernacular, and is an advocate for consumers. Patrick Klepek, writing for Vice, said Gastrow is one of the few YouTubers to whom he subscribes, calling him "a video editing maestro whose ability to make you laugh and understand why a game's interesting at the same time is unmatched. Even my wife, who barely plays games, loves Dunkey." Gastrow's ban from League of Legends for verbal abuse divided his followers; some defended him while others expressed surprise he considered insulting other players acceptable.

Gastrow was born on January 30, 1991.{{cite tweet |last=Gastrow |first=Jason |user=vgdunkey |number=693652769463336961 |date=January 30, 2016 |title=thanks everybody for an awesome birthday ! |access-date=July 4, 2019 }}{{cite news |last1=Park |first1=Gene |title=If video games are today's rock-and-roll music, Videogamedunkey might be its Lester Bangs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/03/14/if-video-games-are-todays-rock-and-roll-music-videogamedunkey-might-be-its-lester-bangs/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 4, 2019 |date=March 14, 2019 |archive-date=July 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704163117/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/03/14/if-video-games-are-todays-rock-and-roll-music-videogamedunkey-might-be-its-lester-bangs/ |url-status=live }} He has lived in Milwaukee{{cite web |last1=Rowlatt |first1=Henrietta |title=9 of the best YouTubers playing PC games today |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/10-of-the-best-youtubers-playing-pc-games-today-1320452 |website=TechRadar |access-date=July 4, 2019 |date=May 10, 2016 |archive-date=May 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518063721/https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/10-of-the-best-youtubers-playing-pc-games-today-1320452 |url-status=live }} and Madison, Wisconsin. Gastrow's mother is a second grade teacher. In September 2019, Gastrow married fellow YouTuber Leah Bee.{{cite AV media|people=Gastrow, Jason|date=September 27, 2019|title=Dunkey and Leah's Wedding|format=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waXb8QGdEYQ&t=77s|publisher=videogamedunkey|access-date=September 28, 2019}} In July 2023, Gastrow and Leah announced they were expecting their first child, a girl,{{cite tweet |number=1676692716548128768 |title=happiest news 💗 our baby girl due in october! |last=Gastrow |first=Leah |user=vgLeahbee |date=July 5, 2023 |accessdate=July 6, 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705211100/https://twitter.com/vgLeahbee/status/1676692716548128768 |archivedate=July 5, 2023 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Revisiting Uncharted 4 | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhoQ96DVL4M |access-date=26 May 2024 |date=5 July 2023}} who was born in October.{{cite tweet |number=1713208439223013793 |title=[Gastrow with newborn baby] |last=Gastrow |first=Jason |user=vgdunkey |date=October 14, 2023 |accessdate=December 1, 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024235331/https://twitter.com/vgdunkey/status/1713208439223013793 |archivedate=October 24, 2023 |url-status=live }}

It is a common misconception and a running gag on the channel that Gastrow is black, which Leah attributes to his voice and the fact that he rarely shows his face in videos.{{cite AV media |last1=Klein |first1=Ethan |authorlink1=Ethan Klein |last2=Klein |first2=Hila |authorlink2=Hila Klein |last3=Gastrow |first3=Jason |last4=Bee |first4=Leah |date=October 11, 2017 |title=H3 Podcast #34 - VideoGameDunkey & Leah |format=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph5FR-RFhbg |publisher=h3h3Productions |access-date=July 5, 2019 |archive-date=June 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615014306/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph5FR-RFhbg |url-status=live }}

• List of YouTube personalities

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/videogamedunkey/comments/325mh7/comment/cq861pv/ |title=He made me the dunkey picture for my youtube |last=Gastrow |first=Jason |publisher=Reddit |date=April 10, 2015 |accessdate=May 16, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515232308/https://www.reddit.com/r/videogamedunkey/comments/325mh7/comment/cq861pv/?rdt=37222 |archivedate=May 15, 2024 |url-status=live }}

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• {{IMDb name|8826540}}

Category:1991 births

Category:American comedy YouTubers

Category:American critics

Category:American gaming YouTubers

Category:American male comedians

Category:American Twitch (service) streamers

Category:Comedians from Madison, Wisconsin

Category:Comedians from Milwaukee

Category:Living people

Category:Newgrounds people

Category:Surreal comedy

Category:Video game critics

Category:YouTube channels launched in 2010

Category:YouTube critics and reviewers

Category:YouTubers from Madison, Wisconsin

Category:YouTubers from Milwaukee