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Washington Post
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
An American mega-influencer flew to Lithuania. Then the chaos began.
When the YouTube mega-streamer IShowSpeed walked shirtless last week off a private jet into the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, the nation's economy minister was waiting for him on the tarmac with shots of šaltibarščiai, a cold pink beetroot soup. A mob of chanting fans was waiting, too, so the streamer — a 20-year-old from Cincinnati named Darren Watkins Jr., who has 120 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube — piled with his security detail into a minibus to drive to the city's historic Palace of the Grand Dukes, where the mayor served him cheese and honey and a troupe of young Lithuanian women taught him a traditional folk dance. 'These lyrics are about stabbing someone in the heart,' one woman said, with a smile. Speed, as his fans call him, had become famous during the pandemic for his hyperactive, hours-long broadcasts, where he'd rage about video games, leap over Lamborghinis and perform unprompted backflips. But lately, his real star power has come from his international tours, during which he blitzes into foreign countries to see the sights while surrounded by screaming teenagers, all of it live-streamed. Speed's TikTok-era travelogues often descend into chaos, but government officials have learned to love them nevertheless. His two-week trip through China this spring, where he fawned over the country's state-of-the-art phones and luxury cars, went so viral that the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper hailed it as a 'digital-age Marco Polo journey.' 'The U.S. has spent billions on anti-China propaganda, only to be undone by … IShowSpeed,' one report by the state news agency Xinhua said, citing a YouTube comment. This month, it was Lithuania's turn. When the Baltic nation learned Speed's next adventure would cross through northeastern Europe, local tourism officials scrambled to craft him an extraordinary itinerary, including throwing a discus with an Olympic silver medalist, swinging swords in 14th-century armor and walking along the crown of Lithuania's tallest tower. They also extended Speed an honorarium worth about $23,500 and spent another $8,000 on minibuses, snacks and 10 security guards supported by the Lithuanian police. 'We want teenagers to know, just like London and Barcelona, that Vilnius is really, really cool,' Akvilė Lesauskaitė-Hu, an official for the city's tourism agency, said in an interview. 'How else do we reach them? They don't watch CNN. They watch TikTok.' The stream was watched live by more than 115,000 people at one point, and its clips have been viewed millions of times. Speed's wild trip showcased how the business of social media influencers, known as the creator economy, has helped mint a new kind of celebrity, upending traditional hierarchies of culture, authority and fame. It also revealed how governments are focusing on creators' giant fan bases as a new strategy for soft power, pushing novel methods of attention-getting that could reshape how nation-states portray themselves to the rest of the world. Speed's lighthearted visits to China, Saudi Arabia and other countries have drawn criticism as propaganda exercises that promoted the countries in ways they wanted, rather than reckoning with their more complicated reality. And they have become a model for broader ambitions: China last month invited American influencers with more than 300,000 followers to a 10-day, expenses-paid nationwide tour, where they would work with Chinese influencers on videos and other kinds of 'collaborative storytelling.' Creators' 'emotional capital' with their fans have made them 'a scarce resource that many governments seek to harness,' said Jian Xu, an associate professor at Deakin University in Australia who researches digital celebrity and politics. Speed 'aimed to explore the lucrative Chinese market … [and] the government effectively capitalized on it as a 'laid on a plate' opportunity.' Crystal Abidin, an anthropologist who studies internet culture, said it only made sense that governments would tap influencers, whose fame now rivals movie stars, for their ability to churn out viral moments of spectacle and surprise. Speed's giddy reaction to China, she said, was just how he acted everywhere — and was what his fans wanted to see. 'This idea of glamorizing or popularizing China as a highlight reel, Speed does that with all countries,' she said. The question, she added, is whether that's 'propaganda, or simply good advertising.' Povilas Kondratavicius, a 25-year-old Vilnius native who worked as a sales manager at a military industry company, first saw Speed on TikTok three years ago and has watched him ever since, admiring his high-energy social interactions and feats of athletic talent. While watching Speed's China videos, he remembered thinking that the country he'd been taught was 'underdeveloped and authoritarian' actually seemed pretty advanced and culturally rich. So when Speed announced on stream that he'd be heading to Lithuania, Kondratavicius emailed the national tourism development agency and encouraged them to 'follow China's example' by taking the visit seriously. He said he felt it was his duty 'as a patriot' to ensure Lithuania looked great online. 'We're a really small country, we're in Eastern Europe, so we immediately have a bad reputation,' he said in an interview. 'And for my generation, and Gen Alpha, he's one of the most famous people there is.' After they got Kondratavicius's email, agency officials met with the tourism boards in Vilnius — as well as in Estonia and Latvia, the other Baltic countries on Speed's European tour — to pull together an emergency plan, Lesauskaitė-Hu said. Speed had promoted the tour with an online poster showing him on a throne near the Eiffel Tower, but officials didn't learn his exact visit date until it was only a week away, thanks to a tip from the manager of a popular Latvian TikTok star. Members of Speed's team did not respond to requests for comment. But on stream, Speed has said his security detail works to keep his plans secret until the last minute, in hopes of heading off public mayhem. Speed's plan, the officials learned, was to visit all three Baltic capitals in a single day, spending a few hours in each before racing to the next in a charter jet. So when he began the day in Estonia, Lithuanian officials watched his stream closely, expecting he'd get a meager reception; the fellow Baltic country's culture, Lesauskaitė-Hu said, is 'very Scandinavian … very reserved.' Instead, Speed was mobbed at every turn — so much so that a waterfront dock swarmed by onlookers collapsed. (Speed raced over dramatically on a water scooter, though no one appeared to be hurt.) When Speed landed in Vilnius later that afternoon, crowds had already amassed in the rain outside the airport and in the city center, half an hour's drive away. His videographer — a minor celebrity in his own right, known as Slipz — trailed Speed closely as he exited the jet, wearing only bulky slip-ons and shorts covered in the McDonald's logo. 'Lithuania, we are here,' he shouted, mispronouncing its name. Speed shook hands with Lukas Savickas, the country's sharply dressed minister of economy and innovation, and was given a tie-dye shirt like one the Grateful Dead gave to the country's bronze-medal-winning Olympic basketball squad in 1992, a source of national pride. Then he continued his whirlwind tour, first with the folk dancers, then some basketball, a medieval sword battle with members of the military, a meeting with a Lithuanian illusionist and a flight in a hot-air balloon. 'Yo, look at the whole of Lithuania, though,' he said from the top of the Vilnius TV Tower. 'This looks so beautiful, bro.' Speed's sprint through the Baltics drew frustration from some locals, including in Latvia, where he did a backflip at the Freedom Monument honoring soldiers killed in the country's 1918 war for independence and sung to fans from the balcony of the nation's ailing public radio station. One journalist there wrote that the moment — in which 'an unregulated content creator [was] peacocking at the home of Latvian broadcasting' — offered a foreboding symbol of how modern media had changed. The biggest debates, however, centered on the cost. Lithuania had offered 20,000 euros (about $23,500) to Speed's team, and the other Baltic countries extended similar packages, sparking debates in the local press over whether the streamer and his entourage truly warranted public funds. A columnist for the Lithuanian newspaper, Kauno Diena, wrote that the money could have helped stimulate the economy but was instead spent on an event whose main audience was minors — 'economically inactive people with unformed views and sporadic needs.' Others argued the cost was worth it, compared with the price of a travel-agency billboard or TV ad. Lithuanian journalist Andrius Tapinas wrote on Facebook that it was a bargain for that kind of global name recognition, particularly among a young generation for whom 'there's simply no other way to catch their attention.' 'Now parents have seen what drives their kids crazy,' he wrote, in Lithuanian, 'and maybe even had something to talk about with them over dinner last night.' Beyond branding, some in the Baltics argued the money was an investment in national security, given their borders with Russia and Belarus. Gediminas Užkuraitis, the co-founder of a consulting firm in Vilnius, told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT that raising national awareness was critical given the country's 'image as a front-line state' to the war in Ukraine. 'If, for example, the American public had to decide whether Lithuania is worth defending, it helps if they've actually heard of us,' he said. After about 12 hours of streaming, Speed ended his Lithuania trip at Hotel Pacai, a converted mansion from the 17th century, bidding the country a live-streamed goodbye as young people ran alongside his car. He continued his European tour the next day with a visit to Poland, then Slovakia and France. By then, Vilnius's social media team had already posted their own video recap of the trip to Instagram. 'IShowSpeed caused minor chaos in Vilnius,' the post said. '10/10 worth it.'
IOL News
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
IShowSpeed's KFC shock in South Africa sparks laughs, shedding light on Western misconceptions about Africa
During one of his streams, American internet personality IShowspeed was shocked to discover that South Africa has a KFC. Image: Instagram American YouTuber and streamer, IShowspeed (real name Darren Watkins Jr), was shocked after finding out that there is KFC in South Africa. The internet personality was live during one of his streams while he was playing the GeoGuessr game, a global geography game that challenges your ability to recognise your surroundings. While playing the game, Watkins came across KFC and assumed that it was America; however, he said that, based on the roads, the area had to be in Canada. 'Wait, this is not America. This is Canada; America does not look like this because the roads do not look like this in America. So I'm going with Canada,' he said. However, to his surprise, the game revealed that the area is actually somewhere in South Africa. 'Whaat?! Why does South Africa have KFC?' he exclaimed. While the 20-year-old streamer's reaction sparked a conversation in South Africa, this is not the first time that Americans have been shocked to learn how developed other countries in Africa are. In the past, there have been many cases, whereby a lot of people, more specifically people outside of Africa, have expressed their shock to learn that Africa is not what the Western media usually depicts it to be. Many of them have claimed that the Western media pushes propaganda that Africa is a continent that usually has huts, wild animals roam freely, and overall claims that it is a poor continent. A TikTok @yoitsram shared a video early this year, where he shared how shocked he was to learn how developed and advanced South Africa is. He captioned his post: 'South Africa, I need an explanation!!' In addition, many online users who usually visit or have relocated abroad have shared their experiences whereby they get asked unusual questions about Africa, such as 'Do you guys have tap water/running water?' or "Do you guys in Africa have electricity?", while some think Africa is a country, not a continent. TikTok user @angel_0209 shared a list of questions that she was asked while being abroad as someone from South Africa. 'Listen, when I tell you, like, how they thought I came from the bush? Like, I'm actually gonna do a video about the questions I've gotten, but I'm gonna give you two. They always ask me if I'm related to Trevor Noah or knew Trevor's family,' she said. She also said that she once went to the zoo and one lady said to her, 'Oh, this must feel like home.'
Economist
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Economist
Brand China is having a moment
China recently got a boost in the popularity polls, courtesy of a popular livestreamer who hails from Ohio. IShowSpeed (whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr) made a whirlwind tour of the country, showcasing the best of its technology and history. His visit, which went viral, came at a time when Brand China is on the ascendant. Chinese technology, blockbuster video games and popular consumer brands have boosted the country's image abroad—helping to build soft power. Jiehao Chen, The Economist 's China researcher and Gabriel Crossley, our China correspondent, ask: is China becoming cool? And what does the Communist Party have to do with it?
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beijing turns to influencers in fresh Chinese propaganda push
IShowSpeed When American YouTuber IShowSpeed – real name Darren Watkins Jr – came across a dancing car in China's technology hub of Shenzhen, he reacted in typically breathless fashion. 'You see what I'm talking about?' he shouts at the camera. 'This is where they be making this stuff at – it's Shenzhen!' It was one of many effusive outbursts during a livestream stretching almost six hours, in which the social media star ordered a KFC by drone, rode in a flying car and bought a Huawei triple-folding phone. The video by IShowSpeed, who has more than 40m subscribers on YouTube, was perhaps the clearest example yet of Western influencers promoting China's technological capabilities and culture. It marks a new frontier in Chinese propaganda efforts, as the country seeks to control the narrative overseas and not just at home. Russia and China are already believed to be spending as much as £8bn a year to bolster their media presence globally, primarily in developing countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It is a trend that has raised particular concerns in Britain amid crippling cuts to the BBC World Service. However, China's latest initiative to attract influencers, described as the 'ultimate cultural exchange', demonstrates a more concerted effort to win hearts and minds. The Communist Youth League of China is inviting influencers under the age of 35 with more than 300,000 social media followers to apply to take part in a 10-day trip that will include visits to Suzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Handan and Beijing. Successful applicants can apply to have their travel expenses reimbursed. For government officials, the motive is clear. By harnessing the 'authentic' voices of influencers, Beijing wants to target a more subtle way of spreading soft power. 'It's becoming more sophisticated,' says Neil O'Brien, of the China Research Group of Tory MPs. 'Less crass stuff and more new media. Lord knows how much they are spending.' Helena Ivanov, at the Henry Jackson Society think tank, adds: 'I think many people are, to a certain degree, underestimating the extent to which China is investing in disinformation because China doesn't necessarily do it in an in-your-face style like, for example, Russia does. 'But the fact that it's under the radar doesn't mean that it's not out there and I think China has been very good at capturing the ways through which it can disseminate its disinformation.' What's more, publishing content on online platforms such as YouTube allows China to present its message to younger audiences. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and X were the top five news sources used by 16 to 24-year-olds last year, according to Ofcom. A recent survey by Ipsos found that almost half of young people trust influencers, while 55pc get news from them every day. This is particularly concerning given some of their content. It doesn't take long on social media to find British vloggers posting fluffy videos from the Xinjiang province that play down concerns about alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims. Others post videos vowing to give their subscribers the 'truth' about China and expose Western media 'lies'. Such claims have fuelled concerns that Beijing is using sites such as TikTok, owned by Beijing-headquartered ByteDance, to spread its propaganda. The latest initiative also suggests Beijing is formalising a strategy already deployed by some of its companies. In 2023, Chinese fast fashion brand Shein, which has been accused of using forced labour and other human rights abuses, invited influencers on an all-expenses-paid trip to its manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou. The result was unsurprising. In one now-deleted video, influencer Destene Sudduth, who has 4m followers on TikTok, claimed to have seen clean factories and happy workers. Shein has said it has a zero-tolerance policy on forced labour and is committed to respecting human rights. For Beijing, though, the influencer push hints at a more understated method. Rather than ramming its political points home via state media, the regime is seeking alternative means to burnish China's credentials as a technological and cultural hub. With TikTok dominating the social media sphere and as more Westerners turn to Chinese-made phones and electric cars, authorities are hoping to transform the country into a desirable – even fashionable – brand. In turn, China hopes young people in the West will be willing to overlook the country's questionable track record on democracy and human rights. Meanwhile, China's efforts to open its doors to social media stars are particularly striking given Donald Trump's apparent determination to do the opposite. Khaby Lame, often considered the world's biggest TikTok personality, has left the US after being targeted in Trump's immigration crackdown. Others also point to the fact that the US president is still considering a potential ban or forced sale of TikTok, though this week he gave the company a third reprieve by granting it an extra 90 days to find a buyer. Yet efforts to silence influencers are not only undemocratic; they are also unlikely to work. Enterprising streamers will simply decamp to a different platform, experts say, as many TikTokers have already demonstrated by setting up on rival YouTube Shorts. Ivanov says China's increasing use of influencers is 'extremely concerning'. 'You can't stop it any more. Pandora's box has opened,' she adds. As a result, she suggests that the West cannot ignore China's sophisticated new soft power strategy. No longer is Beijing simply pumping out crude propaganda on state-run channels. It is now looking to weaponise YouTube and social media to help control the global narrative. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
