An American travel blogger, Conner McBee (who goes by the moniker “Small Brained American”), has ignited widespread outrage after his year-old YouTube video, titled “I went back to India… it still sucks,” resurfaced, showing him aggressively bargaining with autorickshaw drivers and making derogatory comments about the country.
The Controversial Content
The video, which chronicles McBee’s journey from the airport to his hotel, shows him criticizing India as “dirty, dishonest, and noisy.” McBee claimed he was only in the country due to a layover and wanted to “avoid India like the plague.”
The segment that drew the most intense criticism involved his interactions with underprivileged autorickshaw drivers:
- Extreme Lowballing: McBee was shown trying to negotiate a price down from ₹300 (quoted by one driver) to just ₹20. At one point, he mockingly stated, “It’s so fun bargaining in India.”
- Insensitivity and Mockery: The video also shows the traveler walking carefully on the road to avoid stepping on “human faeces” and generally complaining about the difficulty of finding “honest people in India.”
Called Out by a Fellow American
Although the video was shared a year ago, it recently came into the spotlight after fellow American traveler Stephen Hauser publicly called out McBee’s behavior in a series of highly critical Instagram videos.
Hauser fiercely condemned McBee’s actions:
“You’re not bargaining. You’re being an ahole,”** Hauser said while reacting to the bargaining clip. He further accused McBee of dehumanizing the drivers: “He doesn’t believe these people are humans. So he can’t fathom paying somebody what they ask, because he doesn’t believe that these people are actual humans trying to make a living and provide for their families.”
Accusations of Exploitative Content Creation
Hauser also dismantled McBee’s claim that he was “forced” to visit India due to a layover, pointing out that most layovers do not require leaving the airport.
“You didn’t have to come back here for a layover… You’re coming back here to make content. Just be honest,” Hauser asserted, accusing McBee of intentionally creating negative content to farm engagement and earn money off of defaming the country.
The outrage intensified when McBee was shown bargaining with an elderly rickshaw puller who requested ₹200. Hauser passionately stated, “Just pay him the 200! This is what his whole video is, trying to lowball Indians.”
Widespread Indian and Foreign Outrage
Hauser’s videos went viral, leading to a massive wave of condemnation from both Indian and foreign users:
- Bargaining Criticism: Comments poured in, with one person stating, “Bargaining 300 to 20? Its diabolical. Even we Indians don’t go that low.”
- Content Defamation: Another viewer noted, “I think defaming India has become one of the major content pieces for most creators. Thanks for calling it out.”
- General Disdain: One commenter summarized the widespread feeling: “Aussie who grew up in India, these are the type of people even I would want out of the country.”
The incident underscores the growing scrutiny faced by travel influencers who exploit cultural differences or poverty for viral, sensationalized content.