American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira has drawn criticism on social media for a video he shared, which shows him participating in a festival in a Karnataka village where cow dung is thrown. Many users accused Oliveira of racism, claiming he negatively portrayed a ritual celebrated at the conclusion of Diwali.
In response to the backlash, Oliveira took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the controversy. He shared a sequence of posts, one of which included a sarcastic apology: “I’m sorry India…”
He also posted a graphic stating, “STUDY FOUND THAT INDIANS ACTUALLY SHOWER WAY MORE THAN PEOPLE IN THE UNTIED STATES.” In another tweet, he criticized an international publication’s coverage of the event, questioning, “It isn’t racist to film a poop-throwing festival. Was this article written by an Indian?” He further mocked the situation with a post: “Indian family tries to use cow poop to revive their son… The cow poop rabbit hole goes deeper.”
Social media users reacted strongly to Oliveira’s actions, with comments like “This is so stupid. Don’t be racist,” and “Stop milking India, man.”