MKBHD faces backlash over reckless driving in video, sponsored content
What's the story
Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD on YouTube, is under fire from his followers. The outrage comes after his latest video "How My Video Gear is Changing!" was completely sponsored by DJI. Viewers have primarily called out MKBHD for driving a sports car at an unsafe speed in a school zone. Some have also expressed strong criticism over the absence of editorial independence in the review.
Damage control
Brownlee removes controversial clip, acknowledges criticism
In the wake of the backlash, Brownlee deleted the clip that showed him driving at such high speeds. The original footage had shown him going over 153km/hour in a 56km/hour zone and speeding past a sign on the road warning drivers to slow down for children. "There was a clip with the action cam of me test driving a car and going way to (sic) fast. Absolutely inexcusable and dangerous," MKBHD wrote in an apology post on X.
Twitter Post
Take a look at MKBHD's post
Last video I did something pretty stupid. You might've already seen it, but maybe not so I'll address it here. There was a clip with the action cam of me test driving a car and going way to fast. Absolutely inexcusable and dangerous.
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) November 12, 2024
I've since cut it out of the video with…
Viewer reaction
Viewers express disappointment over sponsored content
The video has also been met with a wave of criticism from viewers disappointed that it was a sponsored segment. "This can't even be considered a sponsored video anymore. It's literally just a 10-minute advertisement," one viewer commented, garnering over 12,000 likes. The backlash highlights a growing concern among Brownlee's followers about the perceived lack of transparency in his content.
Past controversies
This is not Brownlee's first controversy
Notably, this incident is the second major backlash against Brownlee in some two months. Back in late September, he was criticized for launching an expensive wallpaper app. However, he took the matter in his own hands and made changes to the app that appeared to fix some of the loudest complaints. These controversies indicate a pattern of missteps by Brownlee that have upset his 19.6 million followers on YouTube and several others on X and Instagram.