TikTok User Sparks Debate by Joyfully Restoring “Abandoned” Graves

A recent TikTok video has sparked a heated debate online after the creator shared several clips of herself cheerfully cleaning “abandoned” graves.

TikTok serves as a platform showcasing diverse content, ranging from money-saving tips and music trends to cooking advice and more.

While most videos of this nature receive positive feedback, one particular TikTok user has left many divided due to her posts where she cleans “random” gravesites.

Known as The Clean Girl on TikTok, Kaeli Mae McEwen has gained over 2.7 million followers by consistently posting cleaning videos. Additionally, her YouTube channel boasts 6 million subscribers.

McEwen’s content frequently features her tidying up her home, performing deep cleans on dirty cars, and even sprucing up public restrooms.

In her latest series of TikTok videos, McEwen is seen cleaning gravestones while expressing her cheerful and bubbly personality.

Her August 24 TikTok showcasing her cleaning a “random” grave has already accumulated 127 million views, and her subsequent grave cleaning videos have similarly gained millions of views.

@_the_clean_girl
I Cleaned a Random Grave!

♬ original sound – The Clean Girl

McEwen’s viral videos have ignited significant discussions on social media, with opinions divided about the appropriateness of her actions in cleaning these graves.

Another TikToker, hopeyoufindyourdad, reacted to The Clean Girl’s most popular grave video, denouncing her “clickbait” approach as “extremely disrespectful to these graves and their loved ones.”

Moreover, Dr. Robyn S. Lacy, an archaeologist and co-director of the Black Cat Cemetery Conservatory, responded to The Clean Girl’s content with a video of her own.

A TikTok featuring a creator cleaning a grave with household cleaning products (& withOUT consent) has garnered millions of views in less than a week. While it’s wonderful to want to care & preserve these spaces, consent & conservation is critical. @Graveyard_arch pic.twitter.com/GYjCratWUB

— OrderoftheGoodDeath (@OrderGoodDeath) September 5, 2024

While the archaeologist acknowledged that it’s admirable to want to care for and preserve these spaces, she stressed that “consent and conservation are critical” in such efforts.

On the other hand, many have defended McEwen’s initiative. An X user, Gravantas, commented, “This is actually a really sweet thing to do, to clean up old and forgotten graves. The world would be a better place with more people like her.”

Other users on X added, “Her virtue is far superior to mine” and “She’s providing a service for free, which is more than most people do on TikTok.”

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