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US YouTuber MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, has stirred controversy after publishing a video where he visited some of Mexico’s most important archaeological sites.
The controversy is centred around the fact that the star was allowed entry to areas considered sacred to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic culture which are often restricted to the general public.
In one part of the video, MrBeast said: “I can’t believe the government is letting us do this. It’s truly crazy. Not even archaeologists are allowed in here.”
Other points of controversy include what appears to be a drone shot from inside the temple of El Castillo, one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Another scene appears to show MrBeast descending to the archaeological sites by helicopter and holding a historic mask in his hands.
In response to the backlash, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (NIAH) - an agency attached to the government’s Ministry of Culture - declared on Monday (12 May) that both the visit and the recording were carried out through “formal requests”.
The video, which he published on Saturday 10 May, has amassed over 60 million views.
According to CNN, the requests to the INAH were not directly made by MrBeast but by the Federal Ministry of Tourism. In the video’s description, MrBeast claims that the recording was in “collaboration with the Mexican Ministry of Tourism”.
On Wednesday (14 May), Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that there were permits for the “broadcast,” but asked the INAH to report “under what conditions this permit was granted”. She added: “If the permit was violated, then [it must be determined] what sanctions apply.”
In response to the alleged drone shot, the INAH said that this did not occur and that the shot was in fact recorded outside of the structure. Responding to the other controversies, the INAH claimed that they were either false or edited in post.
The organisation said: “Clearly, the video involves extensive audiovisual post-production work and alludes to events that did not occur, such as the fact that the producers never descended from a helicopter, spent the night inside the archaeological site, or possessed a pre-Hispanic mask, as the one presented is clearly a contemporary reproduction.”
They also hope that the video will “motivate interest among young audiences” to learn about Mexico’s ancestral cultures and visit their archaeological sites.
MrBeast has been contacted for comment.
Despite the backlash, the comments from Mexican viewers on MrBeast’s video were largely positive. One user said: “I have a conflict about allowing access, but at the same time I thank you for doing so because if you didn't show us what's inside these places, we would never see them.”
Another commented: “People attack him and I don't understand why. He was very respectful and showed things that unfortunately many Mexicans couldn't see or didn't know about.”
English (US) ·