In August, Quebec influencer Julien Duguay, known online as Medusa, sparked widespread outrage after a video surfaced from a five-day yacht event in Miami, where he stated that female servers working the charter should perform sex acts for clients given the boat rental cost.
The controversy unfolded from an event held between August 7 and August 11. Broadcasted live nearly 24 hours a day on Twitch, the yacht gathering featured various content creators. During one captured sequence, Duguay—who boasts over 80,000 followers on Instagram and owns the jewelry brand Medusa Custom Jewelry—argued that the onboard waitstaff ought to “cower with” and perform fellations on the attendees.
The remarks drove immediate fragmentation within the creator group. Louis-Charles Lavoie, a content creator known as Lewis le Fou who was also present, abandoned the boat and published an Instagram statement on August 10, distancing himself from the comments and labeling them unacceptable.
Public Outcry and Parental Concerns Over Online Misogyny
The backlash quickly expanded into broader discussions surrounding the influence of social media personalities on impressionable audiences. Judith Bachand, a mother of a 12-year-old boy who followed Lewis le Fou, voiced deep concern regarding the normalization of misogynistic discourse online.
According to Bachand, such commentary carries severe real-world consequences, stating that “misogynistic remarks are not trivial, they are serious; women die because of this line of thought.” Bachand praised Lewis le Fou for taking a public stand, emphasizing that denunciation remains critical across all industries, especially for influencers whose primary occupation centers on shaping subscriber attitudes.
When Bachand addressed the incident with her son, the 12-year-old initially dismissed the remarks as a harmless joke. This reaction reinforced her fears regarding the pervasive nature of online masculinism. For Bachand, phrases involving kidnapping threats or degradation under the guise of humor cross the line from comedy into violence. She noted that she finds herself constantly intervening to steer her son away from toxic online subcultures.
Academic Perspectives on Platform Dynamics and Monetized Provocation
Experts point to platform architecture and the economics of live-streaming as key drivers behind escalating rhetoric among content creators. Samuel Tanner, a full professor at the School of Criminology at the University of Montreal, condemned Duguay’s comments as morally and ethically condemnable, noting that the influencer exerts a worrisome reach over a broad audience.
Tanner observed that platforms like Twitch inherently reward content that provokes high engagement and strong reactions, effectively cultivating an environment hospitable to misogyny. He added that offensive remarks are frequently shielded behind a thin veil of humor, leaving dissenters vulnerable to peer pressure for failing to align with current internet trends.
Laurence Grondin-Robillard, an associated professor at the School of Media and a communication PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), analyzed the dynamic as an unedited version of reality television played out on a yacht. She suggested that fellow creators on board tolerated inappropriate commentary initially and only departed when they feared backlash against their sponsorships.
Grondin-Robillard argued that had the statements occurred in private settings, the language would likely have differed, pointing to the performative nature of constant live-streaming. To curb these escalating incidents, she proposed implementing mandatory professional training and support hotlines for content creators. Such measures, she suggested, could help influencers navigate the pressures of digital fame and foster positive, non-toxic environments for their followers, while also providing listening resources for online communities rattled by creator controversies.
Prior Controversies Surrounding the Brand
This incident is not the first time Julien Duguay has generated public controversy. The jewelry business owner previously faced intense scrutiny for producing the websérie titled Homeless à Rolex. That production pitted unhoused individuals against one another in various competitive challenges for cash prizes and a luxury watch.
As discussions continue across digital platforms regarding accountability in the influencer economy, academics and parents alike stress that passive consumption of unfiltered live-streamed media requires active counter-narratives to prevent the mainstreaming of extreme misogyny among young users.
