Tyler Oliveira, a YouTuber, is receiving criticism for supposedly taking advantage of unhoused individuals in his video about investigating homelessness in Seattle, Washington.
Tyler Oliveira is a popular YouTuber who is recognized for his videos that delve into various topics such as “endangered species in Africa”and “the dangerous Coca-Cola addiction in Mexico,”each receiving millions of views.
Despite this, there is one particular ‘investigation’ of his that has been met with significant criticism on the internet, including from other content creators. Some of these creators have even publicly denounced the YouTuber for his questionable ‘journalistic’ methods.
In January 2024, Oliveira shared a video where he investigated the homeless population in Seattle, Washington. He stated that due to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, the area had “banned police.”However, the zone was ultimately cleared out by protestors after just three weeks of occupation back in July 2020.
In his video, Oliveira captured footage of an unhoused man defecating in public, documented an unconscious man experiencing an overdose in the street without seeking assistance, and labeled a purported nonprofit organization that distributes substances to unhoused individuals as a “disruptive and harmful entity.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuSswE-3QOw
Oliveira has faced criticism for his portrayal of Seattle’s homeless crisis, as many online users have accused him of turning the situation into a spectacle and using unhoused individuals for his own gain.
The YouTube duo known as ‘Boy Boy,’ consisting of influencer IDidAThing and comedian Aleksa Vulović, responded to Oliveira’s video by creating their own video, in which they accused him of “exploiting”the homeless individuals featured in his footage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrX2XWnLGGk
Posting a video of someone without their consent during a vulnerable moment and sharing it with 7 million people is heartless. However, spreading the false narrative that this individual’s situation is a result of a city “banning police”and that they are willingly living on the streets like “zombies”is a despicable act, as denounced by their statement on Twitter/X.
In response to Oliveira’s video, Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan expressed his thoughts, stating, “It’s absolutely terrible. I can’t understand how anyone could watch this and think it’s good content.”
Oliveira has since stood up for himself on X, engaging in a dispute with Boy Boy regarding their coverage of his content.
“I am willing to interview anyone and everyone who is willing to have a conversation,”he wrote, sharing a link to a tweet about his interviews. “It does not matter if they are homeless or not; if they want to share something, I give them the mic.”
“The occurrence of an individual overdosing on a public sidewalk during daylight hours is significant information for the general public in comprehending the impact of the opioid and homelessness crisis on America’s population.”
Tyler Oliveira interviewed unhoused people in Seattle, Washington – but critics aren’t happy with how he went about his investigation.
He asserted that he was simply exercising his constitutional rights, as guaranteed by the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and the press for all Americans.
So far, Oliveira has not provided any additional details on the criticism surrounding his content – however, it is evident that many internet users do not approve of this specific video.
The Seattle Times’ report states that two significant contributors to homelessness in Seattle and the rest of the country are a shortage of affordable housing and poverty. Axios has reported that Seattle’s housing index is more than twice the national average, further highlighting the severity of the issue.
Oliveira filmed homeless encampments in Seattle, Washington alongside local journalist Jonathan Choe.
Despite the severity of Seattle’s homeless crisis, numerous viewers and fellow creators believe that thrusting cameras in the faces of unhoused individuals is not an appropriate means of “investigating”the issue.
Meanwhile, Channel 5’s Andrew Callaghan has also received widespread praise for his comparable investigation, with his video documenting the homeless community in San Francisco being hailed as “crucial”journalism by over six million viewers and still counting.
Despite this not being the first instance, Oliveira has once again received backlash for his content. Last year, the YouTuber caused controversy for using 100,000 paper towels in a video where he conducted an experiment to see if they could absorb all the water from a swimming pool.
In 2023, he engaged in a dispute with TikToker Brent Rivera when he accused him of “faking”his videos and “stealing everyone’s ideas.”This resulted in security intervention to calm the situation.
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