"People are very hectic and scream-ish and crazy" - When PewDiePie was accused of sharing "anti-Asian" stereotypes

Felix "PewDiePie" is one of the most recognizable figures on the internet, previously holding the title of YouTube's most subscribed content creator. He is best known for playing various games on his channel, which has over 111 million subscribers. However, Felix is no stranger to controversy, having made headlines for several contentious reasons, ranging from using the "N-word" while playing Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) to making fun of a deaf TikToker.

In this article, we look at a 2019 episode in which PewDiePie was accused of using "anti-Asian" stereotypes in one of his videos. In it, he was heard saying:

"The way people react, what I found in different countries, is very different. Right? If you go to countries like Malaysia and Singapore, people are very hectic, and scream-ish and crazy, and they lose their minds if they see you. They do all these crazy stuff."

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Taking a look back at the time when PewDiePie was accused of sharing "anti-Asian" stereotypes in a viral video

The Swede uploaded a video titled Answering Very Personal Questions on December 29, 2019. In the 21-minute feature, a viewer asked him if he notices people secretly taking photos of him in public places. Responding to this, the YouTuber said:

"It's extremely cringy. It happened, actually, when I was in Italy. Now, some guy did this (points his phone's camera) and then the flash went off, and I'm just like, 'Really?!' And then, they don't even go... and the worst part is, afterwards, they go up and be like, 'Hey! Can we do a photo?' And I'm like, 'You just took a photo.' It's super cringy!"

Timestamp: 12:40

After expressing his displeasure with fans treating him as an "attraction" rather than a "person," PewDiePie shared his experience interacting with people from various regions. He cited Malaysia and Singapore, claiming people were "hectic, scream-ish, and crazy."

He then made a comparison to his homeland, Sweden, and remarked:

"And then, you look at countries like, when I go back to Sweden, people are more, like, me. More reserved. Very polite, and calm, and more... I would say a lot nicer about it. Which I really, really appreciate."

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PewDiePie issues an apology for his controversial statements

The following month (on January 4, 2020), PewDiePie apologized for his controversial statements in a video titled PewDiePie NETWORTH revealed! Pew News. He clarified that he was comparing "fan culture" in different countries:

"I was comparing fan culture from different countries; going in the more Asian region, compared to small Scandavandian countries. You know? It's very, very different! So, that made me think that's a strange behavior."

Felix explained that he was "annoyed" in Malaysia because he felt "hunted" in the Southeast Asian country :

"The reason I was so annoyed in Malaysia was because people were literally entering our hotel. And it felt we couldn't leave our hotel, because... people were just looking for us. It felt like we were being hunted, almost."

Timestamp: 07:10

PewDiePie claimed that he was "a bit dishonest" when he expressed his opinions about Singapore:

"I was being a bit dishonest when I spoke about Singapore, because actually, the first time I got recognized in Singapore, that was like, a huge thing for me! Because I've never been recognized as a 'celebrity' before. I don't know if we have footage of that. But it was absolute madness."

A few moments later, the YouTuber apologized by saying:

"I'm sorry if I was a little harsh to you, Singapore and Malaysia. It's not your fault Okay? Like, that was fun. I'm not going to lie. Just so we're clear. All right. Sorry. Sorry! I'm sorry!"

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PewDiePie continues to upload content to his channel. Earlier this year (on February 5, 2023), the 33-year-old announced that he and his wife, Marzia, were expecting a child.