American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira Cancels ‘Gorehabba Festival’ Documentary After Massive Backlash From Indians

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American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira, who faced intense online backlash for filming himself at Karnataka’s Gorehabba cow-dung festival, has announced that he will no longer release his planned documentary on the event. The decision comes after severe criticism, alleged doxxing, and threats directed at him and his family following the viral teaser video.

In a detailed post on X on November 06, 2025, Oliveira wrote “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… My family has been attacked in ways I never could have imagined.”

Calling his visit to the festival “the worst decision of [his] life,” Oliveira said he underestimated the scale of outrage his video would provoke. “I am only one man. I cannot defeat the combined power of 1.5 billion Indians who yearn for my destruction,” he added, stating that he could no longer “fight this war” and was moving on from the controversy.

Oliveira clarified that he never intended to insult Indian culture or religion but only wanted to document a unique local tradition. “I just wanted to participate in this unusual poop-throwing festival and share it for the world to see,” he said, urging people to stop targeting his family.

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Gorehabba Festival

The Gorehabba festival takes place in Gumatapura village, located on the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border, and is celebrated annually after Diwali. The ritual involves locals flinging cow dung at one another to honour Beereshwara Swamy, a local deity believed to have been born from cow dung. Devotees see the practice as sacred, symbolizing fertility, purification, and community bonding — not as a spectacle for amusement.

Oliveira’s video, titled “Inside India’s Poop-Throwing Festival,” featured him wearing a hazmat suit while navigating the festivities. The teaser quickly went viral, gaining millions of views but sparking widespread anger among Indian users who accused him of mocking local customs and portraying the tradition in a sensational and disrespectful manner.

The video ignited massive backlash online, with critics calling it “racist” and “insensitive.” Many pointed out that foreign content creators often exoticize and sensationalize Indian traditions for clicks, ignoring their deeper cultural and spiritual significance.

Social media users condemned the choice of title, saying it equated cow dung — considered sacred in Hinduism — with filth. Several users highlighted that cow dung in India is traditionally used as fuel, fertilizer, and a natural disinfectant, arguing that the portrayal reflected Western bias and ignorance.

In response to the criticism, Oliveira initially defended his work, insisting, “It isn’t racist to film a poop-throwing festival.” However, as the outrage escalated, he eventually decided to cancel the release entirely.

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Who is Tyler Oliveira?

Tyler Oliveira is a well-known American YouTuber recognized for his adventure and commentary videos. He has over 8.3 million subscribers on YouTube and nearly 190,000 followers on X.

Despite the controversy, the incident has sparked an important discussion on cross-cultural sensitivity and the ethics of global content creation. While some defended Oliveira’s curiosity as part of cultural exploration, many argued that filming sacred traditions requires context, respect, and understanding — not shock value.

As the controversy dies down, Oliveira expressed hope for peace, concluding “I never meant to offend Indians.....Please leave my family alone.”

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