American top influencer IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., has been nicknamed “Hyperthyroid Bro” by Chinese netizens due to his hyperactive emotions and exaggerated body language during livestreams.
With over 38 million followers, this energetic 20-year-old has ignited an unprecedented “China craze” across global social media through his signature expressive reactions and completely unscripted livestreams.
IShowSpeed’s visit to China had no official planning — it was a spontaneous, impromptu trip.
Starting from Shanghai’s Bund, his continuous livestreaming captured countless moments that left Western viewers utterly stunned:
- The sour and pungent douzhi (fermented mung bean drink) in Beijing contorted his face into a chaotic display of “facial artistry.”
- In the Shaolin Temple, a martial arts master knocked him down with a single staff blow, from which he insightfully proclaimed: “Pain is life.”
- In Chongqing, after jumping with excitement at a light rail station, a female passenger gently reminded him to calm down — the clip garnered over 8 million views and was praised overseas as “the most polite traffic safety lesson.”
- While test-driving BYD’s amphibious vehicle “Yangwang U8” in Shenzhen, he shouted “OMG” more than 20 times.
- The ultra-clear livestream quality using Huawei’s tri-fold phone left Western viewers questioning, “Is this CGI?”
His comment section turned into a site of massive cognitive reversal:
“China’s subways are ten times cleaner than New York’s.”
“They can livestream in 4K while riding high-speed rail through tunnels? We don’t even have signal in our subways.”
These raw and authentic experiences struck harder than any traditional propaganda film.
IShowSpeed’s viral rise is no accident.
Generation Z is reshaping the landscape of global communication. In this era of information overload, young people tend to trust real experiences from peers rather than grand narratives from traditional media.
IShowSpeed’s livestreams adopt a first-person, street-interaction style — when elderly tea masters in a Chengdu teahouse taught him how to pour kung fu tea with a long-spout kettle, the screen exploded with “Respect” comments.
This bottom-up form of communication presents China’s technological capabilities in the most organic way.
Through his lens, 5G high-speed rail, drone-delivered meals, and other everyday technologies in China have become persuasive “national calling cards.”
No wonder an American blogger quipped:
“The White House should hire him to livestream — it’s more effective than a Congressional hearing.”
Notably, China’s expanding open policies provide institutional support for such grassroots exchanges.
Since the implementation of the 240-hour transit visa exemption, the number of foreign entries has increased by 112.3% year-on-year, and Google searches for “China Travel” are up 47%.
These statistics strongly prove:
True openness is the best ambassador for national image.
IShowSpeed precisely grasped the communication codes of the younger generation, showcasing China’s charm in highly creative ways. He skillfully blended Chinese and Western elements — wearing a Northeastern floral jacket on the Great Wall, painting his face like a panda while sipping tea from a gaiwan — these “rural-style antics” unexpectedly went viral.
His quirky cover of Da Zhang Wei’s song Sunshine, Rainbow, Little White Horse sparked a cross-Pacific celebration among Gen Z in both China and the U.S.
In terms of cultural experience, he presented a China that the world rarely sees:
- A livestream showing acupuncture treatment for a headache put traditional Chinese medicine on international trending lists, hailed as “the most cyberpunk form of Eastern wisdom.”
- A comparison video showing his bodyguard “losing his job” in China — going from anxious vigilance during Western livestreams to casually taking selfies on Chinese streets — vividly illustrated the sense of safety in China that Western media refuses to report.
While some Western politicians still demonize China with a Cold War mindset, influencers like IShowSpeed are using livestream cameras to tell the world:
China’s story should be told by those who experience it.
As one foreign netizen put it:
“They spent $1.6 billion to smear China — a single influencer’s livestream did a better job.”
This — is the answer of our times.
