YouTube sensation Jimmy Donaldson, popularly known as MrBeast, faces accusations of exploiting Mexico’s ancient pyramids for commercial purposes following the release of his video “I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples” on May 10. More than that, with a mind-blowing 395 million subscribers, MrBeast is the unanimous choice for the King of YouTube. Yet today, he finds himself ensnared in perhaps the biggest culture war storm of all.
MrBeast and his crew jump into restricted areas within the Mayan cities of Calakmul and Chichén Itzá. Their harrowing journey inspired more than 60 million Americans in a single week! The video, while promoting their trip, calls attention to some of the gorgeous archaeological sites. It markets a new chocolate product that MrBeast describes as a “Mayan dessert.” Mexican authorities are particularly concerned with the commercial dimension. First, they concern themselves with the integrity, representation and accuracy of their heritage.
MrBeast received special permission from Mexican tourism and government authorities to film at these historical sites. In the video’s caption, he thanked these officials for giving him the chance to highlight these places. The Secretary of Culture in Mexico, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, confirmed yesterday that a permit has been issued. Still, she underlined that the commercial exploitation of such images, for instance in advertising, is absolutely forbidden. Photographers’ rights She argued that MrBeast’s video included “egregious misrepresentations,” which she says misrepresents the value of these archaeological sites.
“We disapprove of any commercial pursuit that distorts the value of archaeological sites, which are a legacy of our indigenous cultures and the pride of our nation.” – Claudia Curiel de Icaza
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has already condemned the case. They go on to argue that MrBeast’s assertions throughout the video are deceptive. They wrote, “Each and every one of these is a false claim that caters to the drama of the special effects YouTuber mentioned above. Given these concerns, Mexico is seeking compensation from the producers of MrBeast’s video for potential damage to its cultural heritage.
In light of the controversy, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has called for an investigation into how the filming permit was granted. This important inquiry seeks to uphold regulations which require that preservation and respectful portrayal of cultural sites come first.
Even after the backlash, MrBeast continues to argue that he did good. In an interview about his experience while filming, he shared how he couldn’t believe he was being given access to such important historic sites.
“I can’t believe the government’s letting us do this.” – MrBeast
In response to criticism, a spokesperson for MrBeast said the video was meant to highlight the important Mayan archaeology in Mexico. They downplayed his egregious actions, claiming that his intentions weren’t harmful. Critical debates surrounding the commercialization of cultural heritage continue to be relevant today. Now, how this situation resolves itself remains to be seen.
Leave a Reply