MKBHD, the most famous tech YouTuber on the planet, is heavily criticized for the second time in three months. After an initial controversy over the sale of an application to download wallpapers, he is now accused of having driven dangerously on a school road in a fully sponsored video.
“The downfall of MKBHD” ? On Twitter, some are very harsh towards Marques Brownlee, the tech YouTuber with 19.6 million subscribers.
MKBHD, as he likes to call himself, is accused of serious behavior in one of his latest videos, which is moreover a nine-minute promotional content for a DJI product, while the videographer has always spoken out against content entirely sponsored.
For 5 seconds in his latest video, which presents a mini-camera for shooting vlogs, we can see Marques Brownlee accelerating beyond 150 km/h on a school road, although limited to 50 km/h. The height? The speedometer first shows the speed, then becomes blurry, proving that the video editor had spotted the excess. However, it was left in the edit, before being deleted in post-production. Many MKBHD fans (and detractors) are calling for sanctions.
A second controversy in three months, what is happening to MKBHD?
A YouTube prodigy, MKBHD has been testing tech products since his early teens, often with very in-depth analysis, which has earned him the reputation of the best tester in the profession. Brands now give more importance to his opinion than to that of any other specialist journalist or creator, since Marques Brownlee has become the reference in the sector.
Since the end of the summer, something seems to have changed at MKBHD, which is regularly singled out for its errors. Some are minimal (he was notably wrong on several characteristics in his test of the iPhone 16), others more problematic. The launch of an application to download wallpapers for 50 euros per year had caused him problems, this speeding on a school road goes even further. Some analysts like Neil Cybart wonder if MKBHD's business has not become too big, to the point of disconnecting it from what made it successful. A partnership like the one with DJI certainly pays several salaries, even if it misrepresents the content of its channel.
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Obviously, beware of the culture of the moment. MKBHD certainly made a mistake, but the majority of its content remains very high quality. Success also comes with criticism, and the creator has become particularly aware of this in recent weeks. The calls for its boycott are undoubtedly very exaggerated, and very American.
Marques Brownlee apologizes and cuts part of the video
As in the previous controversy, Marques Brownlee responded on X (Twitter) and in a comment pinned to his YouTube channel. He explains having “did something really stupid”while qualifying his behavior in the car “inexcusable and dangerous”.
MKBHD decided to use YouTube's post-production tools, which allow you to edit a video after publication, to remove the controversial passage. He indicates that this is not an attempt to disguise reality, since he admits having made the mistake. “All I can do is apologize and promise I will never do something this stupid again.” adds the creator.
Social media being social media, MKBHD continues to receive criticism despite its backlash. Comments on YouTube only talk about this incident, while the creator added hearing feedback on the sponsored video. In short, this affair adds to his current downturn, hoping for him that it will serve as a lesson.
