Jerma985 Explained

Jerma985
Birth Name:Jeremy
Birth Date:22 September 1985
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Other Names:Jerma, Jerma985
Signature:Jerma985 signature.svg
Channel Direct Url:Jerma985
Location:Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genre:Variety
Silver Button:yes
Module:
Subbox:yes
Years Active:2016–present
Channel Name:Jerma985
Channel Url:https://www.twitch.tv/jerma985
Genre:Gaming
Followers:1.5 million
Stats Update:August 10, 2024

Jeremy (born September 22, 1985), better known as Jerma985 or Jerma, is an American live streamer, YouTuber, and voice actor known for his elaborate Twitch live streams incorporating surreal comedy. He has been described as an online personality across multiple social media platforms.[1] [2]

Early life and education

Jerma was born on September 22, 1985, to Catholic parents of Irish and Polish descent.[3] Upon receiving a Bachelor of Science in communication studies, Jeremy became a substitute teacher and freelance wedding videographer.[4] [5]

Career

Early work and voice acting

Jerma previously owned a now defunct website called jermanet.com, which contained video and audio clips, largely from his college years.[6]

He has voiced characters in multiple indie games, such as "Matt" in Galactic Phantasy Prelude,[7] the Engineer in Cryptark,[8] and the Horse Lord Hipparchos in Apotheon.[9]

YouTube

Jerma created his YouTube channel, Jerma985, on June 11, 2011.[10] His content primarily focused on the video game Team Fortress 2, which he used to help raise money for the non-profit organization Camp One Step.[11]

On October 8, 2011, Jerma announced his partnership with the online entertainment network Machinima.

In March 2014, Jerma released the first "Jerma Rumble", an annual production which used the WWE 2K games to make primarily quirky or strange characters, often based on characters from past videos and live streams, and watch them wrestle in-game.[12] In August 2016, Jerma released a live-action wrestling sketch as that year's Jerma Rumble.[13] In 2015, he played multiple low quality Grand Theft Auto clones through the Apple app store, which is to date his most-viewed video.[14]

Twitch

Jerma did not fully transition into Twitch streaming until 2016.[15] He primarily streams video games (such as The Sims) while interacting with viewers in the chat.[16] After transitioning to Twitch as a main platform, he became well known for his "unconventional streams" and green screen performances, which fans used to edit comedic videos, gaining noteriety for distinctive and atypical live streams and viewer interaction.[17]

On September 21, 2019, Jerma hosted a real-life "robot carnival" stream that used viewer-controlled robots, allowing members of the live stream chat to control the aim in carnival games such as ring toss and dunk tank.[18] [19]

In March 2021, Jerma hosted a real-life archaeology and geology stream with a paleontologist from the Nevada Science Center.[20] In the stream, he "unearthed" Grotto Beasts!, a fictitious trading card game from the 1990s based on Pokémon.[21] The cards were produced in collaboration with multiple artists. Fans played along with the joke, producing fan art in the form of found footage-style art, such as a website for the card game made to resemble a GeoCities webpage from the 1990s.[22] In early 2022, he donated $10,000 to the Nevada Science Center.[23]

In August 2021, Jerma began his real-life The Sims-inspired "Dollhouse" streams, which he described as his "biggest project yet".[24] The first of three streams, entitled "The Jerma985 Dollhouse", was aired on August 18, 2021 and began with a prerecorded video of Jerma choosing his outfit. The streams allowed viewers to control Jerma's actions through voting and suggestions, similar to the way one would control a Sims character: keeping him fed, happy, healthy and energetic.[1] [25] The Dollhouse series is notable for its high production value[26] as well as the level of control that viewers were allowed to have over the events of the stream.[27] These streams used a combination of visual effects and a real set in order to portray a scene similar to that of the Sims series.

On August 19, 2022, Jerma hosted a streamed baseball game[28] at CarShield Field, featuring the fictitious Jerma Baseball Association. He later compared the game to a "live comedy improv show".[29] During the stream, two fictitious and comedic baseball teams, the Maryland Magicians and the California Circus (made up of semi-professional baseball players and circus performers), played a modified game of baseball with various gimmicks, such as "Power Cards" which provided advantages to the team that played them. Jerma played the role of the umpire.[30] The event received financial support from sponsors Fansly and Manscaped.

On December 17, 2022, Jerma hosted the 'Jerma Christmas Special', initially posing as a straightforward end-of-year awards stream. Instead, the main channel was then 'hacked' by a character named "The Extinguisher",[31] in which he played 's campaign mode as retribution for various broken promises Jerma had made to his community. The awards show continued on an alternate Twitch channel. After an hour of both streams being up simultaneously, Santa Claus appeared and helped the two make amends. This stream was produced by OFFBRAND and Beyond The Summit.[32]

At the end of February 2023, Jerma revealed that Grotto Beasts! was officially being released nearly two years after the initial reveal. The 'revamped' trading card game features artwork from 20 different artists, including Jerma himself. There are currently 200 unique cards with four types: Grottos, Beasts, Wishes, and Challengers.[33] [34]

On June 12, 2023, Jerma joined Offbrand, a media production company co-founded by fellow streamer and occasional collaborator[35] Ludwig Ahgren, as chief creative officer.[36] [37]

Over the second half of 2023, Jerma revealed and repeatedly discussed plans for a "soft retirement", consisting of gradually abandoning streaming as a full-time job, and moving into further work with other creators in collaboration with Offbrand.[38]

On May 27, 2024, Jerma admitted to being "completely retired" from streaming as a career and full-time job.[39] Despite this, he still occasionally streams.[40]

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyCategoryNominated workResult
2022The Streamer AwardsBest Streamed EventThe Jerma985 Dollhouse[41]
League of Their OwnHimself
2023Streamer of the Year[42]
Legacy Award
Best Streamed EventJerma Baseball Stream

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Howard . Jessica . August 20, 2021. Twitch Streamer Jerma Is Letting Fans Control Him In 'Sims' Streams. December 13, 2021. . December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112757/https://uproxx.com/edge/twitch-streamer-jerma-sims/. live.
  2. Web site: Guerreiro . Guilherme . September 1, 2021 . Press Play to Start: What the emergence of "IRL" streams on Twitch means for gaming . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112806/https://dailytrojan.com/2021/09/01/press-play-to-start-what-the-emergence-of-irl-streams-on-twitch-means-for-gaming/ . December 13, 2021 . December 13, 2021 . .
  3. Web site: Jerma985 . July 15, 2012 . "@jlincoln88 hell ya, I'm south of Boston. Im at the derby shoppes all the time with Burgah boy hah. Small world". live. December 15, 2021. Twitter. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112834/https://twitter.com/jerma985/status/224616101613539329.
  4. Web site: Jerma985 . What Jerma did after college . August 31, 2019 . Twitch . December 18, 2021. December 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211218051705/https://clips.twitch.tv/TawdryCrazyWasabiGrammarKing. live.
  5. Web site: Spencer . Maxwell . February 25, 2021 . Elbertson takes teaching tricks to Twitch as Jerma985. December 27, 2021. The Rubicon. December 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211227050143/https://www.rubiconline.com/elbertson-takes-teaching-tricks-to-twitch-as-jerma985/. live.
  6. Web site: March 13, 2005 . Jerma's Student Videos, Audio clips, and Animations . https://web.archive.org/web/20050313102126/http://www.jermanet.com/ . March 13, 2005 . December 18, 2021.
  7. Web site: Jerma985 . Voice Acting: I'm in a Game! [Personal Story] ]. YouTube . 7 December 2022.
  8. Alien Engineer Frog Actor . October 14, 2015 . Jerma985 . YouTube.
  9. Web site: Jeremy Harrington's Behind the Voice Actors page . 9 June 2021.
  10. Web site: Jerma985. December 13, 2021. YouTube. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112756/https://www.youtube.com/user/Jerma985/about. live.
  11. Web site: Mary-Justice . Amelia . October 4, 2018. "Tip of the Hats," a TF2-themed charity event, is the most fun Overwatch fans will have all week. December 13, 2021. InvenGlobal. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112808/https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/6384/tip-of-the-hats-a-tf2-themed-charity-event-is-the-most-fun-overwatch-fans-will-have-all-week. live.
  12. Web site: Vas . Gergo . March 13, 2014. Pro Wrestling Is So Much Better With Sonic And Gabe Newell. December 13, 2021. Kotaku Australia-AU. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112809/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/03/pro-wrestling-is-so-much-better-with-sonic-and-gabe-newell/. live.
  13. Web site: Diaz . Ana . A Twitch streamer let people control his life like The Sims, including when he peed. live. December 15, 2021. Polygon. August 23, 2021. December 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211215054238/https://www.polygon.com/22634146/twitch-jerma-sims-dollhouse-stream-livestreaming.
  14. Web site: Henderson . Rik . October 2, 2015. This guy plays all the bad iOS GTA clones so you don't have to. December 13, 2021. www.pocket-lint.com-gb. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112759/https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/youtube/135504-this-guy-plays-all-the-bad-ios-gta-clones-so-you-don-t-have-to. live.
  15. Web site: Williams . Kenneth . August 4, 2021 . Chat will control Jerma in his upcoming "doll house" streams. December 13, 2021. WIN.gg. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112759/https://win.gg/news/chat-will-control-jerma-in-his-upcoming-doll-house-streams/. live.
  16. Web site: Grayson . Nathan . April 19, 2021 . Probably Shouldn't Have Checked On Caramel. December 13, 2021 . . December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112756/https://kotaku.com/probably-shouldnt-have-checked-on-caramel-1846714087. live.
  17. Web site: Switzer . Eric . September 23, 2019. Twitch Streamer Creates Backyard Carnival Using Twitch-Controlled Robots. December 13, 2021. TheGamer. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112756/https://www.thegamer.com/jerma985-carnival-twitch-stream/. live.
  18. Web site: Etra . Alden . August 19, 2021. Twitch Streamer Jerma Lets Chat Control His Life In IRL Sims Game. December 13, 2021. . December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112808/https://screenrant.com/twitch-streamer-jerma-chat-control-sims-game/. live.
  19. Web site: Switzer . Eric . 2019-09-23 . Twitch Streamer Creates Backyard Carnival Using Twitch-Controlled Robots . 2022-10-28 . TheGamer . en-US.
  20. Web site: Grayson . Nathan . March 8, 2021 . A Twitch Streamer Unearthed Cards From A Fake '90s Pokémon Ripoff, And Fans Are Pretending The Series Was Real All Along [UPDATE]]. December 13, 2021. Kotaku. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112758/https://kotaku.com/a-twitch-streamer-unearthed-cards-from-a-fake-90s-pokem-1846431551. live.
  21. Molke. David. March 9, 2021. Streamer nutzt den Pokémon-Hype für geniale Fake-Show und alle machen mit. de-DE. GamePro. December 27, 2021. December 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211227223616/https://www.gamepro.de/artikel/streamer-pokemon-hype-fake-show,3367744.html. live.
  22. Web site: Salaun . Theo . March 7, 2021. What is Grotto Beasts? The 'very real' '90s monster card company owned by Jerma. December 13, 2021. Dexerto. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112757/https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/what-is-grotto-beasts-the-very-real-90s-monster-card-company-owned-by-jerma-1528772/. live.
  23. Web site: Nevada Science Center . January 21, 2022 . Thank you @Jerma985 and his community for a $10K donation! We want to give back! Share, tag, tell us why you like science,and #jermagem 4 lucky winners receive geodes from the show! Winners announced 1/26. #thankyou #science #geode . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121205515/https://twitter.com/ScienceNevada/status/1484629516446093313 . January 21, 2022 . March 12, 2022 . Twitter.
  24. News: Taylor . Mollie . August 19, 2021. IRL Sims stream controlled by viewers goes as well as you'd expect. PC Gamer. December 13, 2021. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112757/https://www.pcgamer.com/irl-sims-stream-controlled-by-viewers-goes-as-well-as-youd-expect/. live.
  25. Web site: 2021-08-19 . Twitch Streamer Jerma985 Recreates The Sims in Real Life in New Twitch Event . 2022-04-07 . .
  26. Web site: Sato . Kazuo Alerik . August 20, 2021. Twitch Streamer Jerma985 is Playing a Weird Version of IRL Sims. December 13, 2021. Game Rant. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112759/https://gamerant.com/jerma985-twitch-irl-sims-stream/. live.
  27. Web site: Gach . Ethan . August 19, 2021 . Twitch Viewers Control Streamer's Life, Sims Style. December 13, 2021. Kotaku. December 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213112804/https://kotaku.com/twitch-viewers-control-streamer-s-life-sims-style-1847517788. live.
  28. Web site: 2022-08-19 . Twitch's Biggest Clown Talks About His Wildest Spectacle Yet . 2022-08-20 . Kotaku . en-us.
  29. News: Cheng . Alex . 2022-10-18 . With outside the box productions, streamer Jerma985 pushes the boundaries of Twitch . en . NPR.org . 2022-10-19.
  30. Web site: The Jerma Baseball Association . Twitch . August 19, 2022 . 19 August 2022.
  31. Web site: Luis Jumenez as 'The Extinguisher' . Twitter . December 17, 2022 . 20 January 2022.
  32. Web site: Jerma's Christmas Special/Stream Awards 2022 . Youtube . December 17, 2022 . 20 January 2022.
  33. Web site: Innes . Ruby . March 2, 2023 . Jerma's Grotto Beasts Is Real, And It's Available For Pre-Sale Now . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230302001138/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2023/03/jermas-grotto-beasts-is-real-and-its-available-for-pre-sale-now/ . March 2, 2023 . March 2, 2023 . Kotaku Australia.
  34. Web site: grottobeasts.net . March 2, 2023.
  35. Web site: Diaz. Ana. August 23, 2021. A Twitch streamer let people control his life like The Sims, including when he peed. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108031226/https://www.polygon.com/22634146/twitch-jerma-sims-dollhouse-stream-livestreaming. January 8, 2022. January 7, 2022. Polygon.
  36. Web site: OFFBRAND . June 12, 2023 . .@Jerma985 joins OFFBRAND as Chief Creative Officer . June 12, 2023 . Twitter.
  37. Web site: Gutelle . Sam . 2023-06-12 . Ludwig's Offbrand expands with Jerma, key hires, and an upcoming investment (Exclusive) . 2023-12-28 . .
  38. [Jerma] Let's Talk Retirement ]. 2023-08-26 . Jerma Clips . 2024-06-30 . YouTube.
  39. Jerma985 - Jerma is still retired . 2024-05-27 . 2024-06-30 . clips.twitch.tv.
  40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezi7Pj6Fa5U Jerma Streams - Elden Ring (Part 22) [DLC Shadow of the Erdtree]. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  41. Web site: Polhamus . Blaine . All 2022 Streamer Award Winners . Dot Esports . . March 13, 2022 . March 12, 2023.
  42. Web site: Snavely . Adam . Streamer Awards 2023: All results and winners for every category . Dot Esports . . March 11, 2023 . March 12, 2023.