YouTuber Tyler Oliveira's Indian Festival Video Garners Millions of Views, Triggers Mass Reporting Controversy

American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira is at the center of a fresh controversy following his video documenting India's traditional Gorehabba festival, where participants throw cow dung. The video, titled "Inside India's Poop-Throwing Festival," quickly amassed millions of views but also ignited widespread accusations of racism and cultural insensitivity, prompting Oliveira to defend his content.

Oliveira's initial posts about the festival, held in Gumatapura, Karnataka, included a photo of himself in a hazmat suit covered in cow dung and a tweet stating, "Happy Diwali! Yes, I went to India’s poop throwing festival. It was the s—tiest experience of my life. I will never go back. Please pray that I survive." This framing of the centuries-old ritual as a "poop-throwing festival" drew immediate criticism from Indian audiences and global observers.

The Gorehabba festival is a post-Diwali Hindu tradition celebrated in parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, including Gumatapura. Villagers hurl cow dung at each other as a ritualistic practice, believed to honor God Beereshwara Swamy, who is said to have been born from cow dung, and is thought to bring good health and prosperity. Critics argue Oliveira's portrayal ignored this cultural and religious significance.

Responding to the backlash, Oliveira asserted that filming the event was not racist. In a recent tweet, he stated, "Filming a poop-throwing festival in India is NOT 'racist rhetoric'." He further claimed that his videos were being mass-reported by Indian users and described some reactions, such as an Indian texting him about US median household incomes, as "historic levels of cope."

This is not the first time Oliveira has faced criticism regarding his content about India. Earlier, he sparked controversy by claiming to have contracted four types of Salmonella during a trip to India, despite exclusively eating at five-star hotels, suggesting "serious hygiene issues" in the country. The ongoing debate highlights tensions between content creation, cultural representation, and perceptions of authenticity.