This article examines the functions of prank performance and troll
performance for the aesthetics of personal live-streaming, i.e. the
practice of live-streaming one’s personal performance via platforms such
as Twitch.tv. The study is based on a close analysis of personal esport
live-streamer Ali Larsen, aka Gross Gore, via a 12-month observation
period. With help of Goffmanian frame theory the notions of interview
frame and play frame are introduced as the basic cognitive tools for
organizing personal esport livestream experiences. The study concludes
by proposing three factors that are vital for the aesthetics of personal
live-streaming in general: (1) the feeling of affecting live-streams,
(2) the suspense that derives from expecting something unexpected to
happen in livestreams, and (3) the sharing of dramatic developments that
occur in live-streams.