'Cannot defeat 1.5 billion Indians': YouTuber drops Karnataka cow dung festival's documentary amid backlash

The YouTuber claimed the reaction had escalated to the point that both he and his family had been targeted.

American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira has said he will no longer publish his documentary on the Gorehabba festival, held annually in Gumatapura, Karnataka, where participants throw cow dung at each other as part of post-Diwali rituals. The 25-year-old creator had earlier faced widespread criticism online after posting a teaser video from the event, which many Indian users described as disrespectful and racially insensitive.

Oliveira’s initial video, shared last month under the title “I Survived India’s Poop-Throwing Festival”, showed him dressed in a hazmat suit while taking part in the traditional celebration. The teaser quickly went viral, drawing over five million views, but also triggered a wave of anger from Indian viewers who accused him of portraying their culture in a demeaning way. Critics alleged that his portrayal encouraged mockery and reinforced negative stereotypes about India.

At the time, Oliveira rejected the accusations and defended his video, writing on X that it was “not racist to film a poop-throwing festival”. He said his intent was to document an unusual cultural event rather than ridicule it. However, after nearly two weeks of sustained backlash and alleged threats, he announced that he would not be uploading the full documentary as previously planned.

“After much consideration, I have decided I will NOT be releasing my documentary capturing India’s poop-throwing festival… I have been doxxed and threatened by thousands of Indians over the last two weeks,” he wrote in a statement on X.

After much consideration, I have decided I will NOT be releasing my documentary capturing India’s poop-throwing festival…

I have been doxxed, and threatened by thousands of Indians over the last 2 weeks… Tens of thousands of Indians have turned my life into a living hell. My… — Tyler Oliveira (@tyleraloevera) November 6, 2025

The YouTuber claimed the reaction had escalated to the point that both he and his family had been targeted. “Tens of thousands of Indians have turned my life into a living hell. My family has been attacked in ways I never could have imagined. Showing up to this poop-festival was the worst decision of my life, and I severely underestimated the power of India,” he added.

Oliveira described the online hostility as overwhelming, saying he could not continue to deal with the scale of the reaction. “I am only one man… I cannot defeat the combined power of 1.5 billion Indians who yearn for my destruction. I simply cannot continue fighting this war and must choose my battles. This one simply isn’t worth it,” his post read.

He also maintained that he had never intended to offend anyone, writing: “I never meant to offend Indians, their religion, or their culture. I just wanted to participate in this unusual poop-throwing festival and share it for the world to see. I ask that all Indians reading this please leave my family alone. Thank you.”

Oliveira’s YouTube channel, known for on-the-ground travel and exploration videos, has more than 8.36 million subscribers, and his X account has over 1.88 lakh followers. His bio describes him as a “man with a camera asking people questions with a small microphone”.

While Oliveira’s withdrawal from the project marked a concession to the backlash, reactions from Indian users remained largely unsympathetic. On Reddit and X, several users accused him of playing the victim and using the controversy to attract further attention.

“He knows what he was doing. He is still not showing any regrets, just hiding behind his victim card. Obviously, he should call the authorities if anyone is trying to harm him or his family. But he put this upon himself by jumping on the racial trend that is going on around the world for this country (sic),” one Reddit user commented.

Another user said, “Just trying to get more white racists to watch or follow him. Literally, this sounds like: ‘Guys, these Indians are attacking me. I am alone. Please save me.’ Surely, some people would also support him. Keep reporting him. I don’t support harassing his family, but he did f*** around and found out.”

A separate post read, “He went there just to get rage-bait content to make fun of India, which he did. Then he put it on YouTube and missed the entire cultural point. Now he’s acting like the victim. I don’t support his family getting threats, but he did bring this on himself.”

In earlier exchanges with users, Oliveira had said that his video should have sparked “a broader conversation about cultural reform” instead of outrage. “My video should begin a broader conversation of cultural reform if you are going this far to attack anyone who filmed it. Redirect this energy positively rather than trying to censor reality,” he wrote at the time.

After weeks of confrontation online, however, he admitted that continuing the dispute was futile. “This one simply isn’t worth it,” he concluded in his statement, before urging people to stop targeting his family.