IShowCulture: How IShowSpeed Became the Epitome of Soft Power

I took the final, arduous steps of my first hike up the mountain, occasionally slumping on the wooden rail to catch my breath. Visions of a man backflipping on the Great Wall of China passed through my mind, and with a burst of motivation, I dashed up the stairs to reach the peak. I had to see what IShowSpeed saw for myself.

When I arrived at the beginning of the Wall, I realized two things. One, China is beautiful. Two, we need more streamers.

Streamers like Speed wield a unique power to change Western perceptions of unfamiliar parts of the world. That included my own perceptions of Beijing. Before enrolling in an Interim trip to China’s capital, the only exposure I had to the region was not through my own eyes, but through IShowSpeed’s stream of his tour of China.

IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., is a 21-year-old social media influencer from Cincinnati, Ohio, who has been breaking the Internet. Known for his backflips, over-the-top reactions, and unfiltered streams on games like FIFA and Fortnite, Speed has garnered over 51 million subscribers on YouTube. His authentic and absurd personality has helped establish a global community of fans, and as his massive fanbase grew, so did his initiative. Too comfortable with having his content be confined to the streams on his desktop, Speed argued he needed to connect with his global fanbase in person. Vowing to help fans who could not travel see the world for themselves by placing himself in unfamiliar destinations, the streamer promised: “I’ll show y’all a live experience… Whether it’s the Safari, whatever experience it is, I’m your chest dummy.” In 2023, Speed began streaming world tours, and international relations have not been the same since.

Throughout our pre-trip Interim meetings, I would hear murmurs of doubt between my friends. Isn’t China underdeveloped and poor? What human warmth is there in a place of authoritarianism and censorship? Shaped by the Western media’s portrayal of China and within an American international school, our perspectives had long been warped to perceive China negatively, even though we had never witnessed Beijing for ourselves. It was Speed’s tour of China in 2025 that fundamentally altered our views on China’s technology, infrastructure, and culture.

Millions have seen Speed’s shocked reaction to the “cyberpunk” metropolis structure of the city of Chongqing, where he thought he had descended underground, only to find himself above a skyscraper. Even more have viewed his hyped reactions to riding a flying taxi and a bullet train, along with conversing with friendly locals on top of the Great Wall. The effects of Speed’s livestreams have been widespread. A Pew Research Center survey in March 2025 – which was around the time of Speed’s China tour – revealed that the percentage of Americans who considered China an enemy decreased from 42% in 2024 to 33% in 2025 (Aini). Such a change in perceptions is an example of soft power. The term, coined by political scientist Joseph Nye, refers to the ability to use attraction and persuasion, rather than coercion or payment, to influence the behaviour of others (Aini). Imagine if you were trying to convince your friend to attend a local dance party. Using soft power would be showing them the lavish snack table your friend could enjoy and the stylish moonwalks your friend could witness. Speed accomplished this, except on a larger scale.

As we stepped through the halls of the Forbidden City and shopped through Hutongs, my friends and I were shocked at how our experiences matched not what we saw on American television, but Speed’s stories instead. Elderly strangers eagerly taught us how to perform ridiculous handstands, and historians showed us a colossal replica of Beijing city. China was not the dystopia western media portrayed it to be. Instead of being an oppressive, impoverished nation, China was full of people with passions and innovations. Speed’s viewers had the same change. One top comment on his Beijing tour read: “After watching this video, I realized how foolish my previous views on China were. I've decided to plan my trip this year to China. I feel that if I don't go to China, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.”

Speed continues his mission to connect the globe. His 28-day “Speed Does Africa” tour features him starting a friendly competition over which country makes the jollof rice and performing Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed leaping celebration with African stiltwalkers. Using streamers to reveal the culture of misunderstood countries, however, has its limitations. One would be the lack of historical context. Speed, for instance, drove around in a convertible in Algeria and commented on how it resembled a French vehicle. What he did not know, or was able to show on stream, was the reason: French automobiles dominated the Algerian market during France’s colonization of Algeria. Streamers like Speed still hold tremendous soft power to raise cultural awareness amongst Americans. But if not enough historical context is learnt first, this awareness may only remain at the surface level.

Thanks to Speed, many of my classmates, including me, now conduct research on the cultures in China, from Cantonese opera to the ancient court system. In a world of endless media that has long enforced stereotypical narratives, streamers open a window into the real lives of those around the world. If we want to reverse the effect media has on us, we need more streamers. They probably won’t provide all the answers surrounding a country. But at least they help viewers see that there is still so much in the world for them to explore.

After all, as the Chinese proverb goes, reading ten thousand books will never beat walking ten thousand miles.