The recent visit of the global YouTuber IShowSpeed to Algeria sparked widespread debate, especially following the incident that occurred in the stadium. This incident was interpreted in many different ways across media outlets and social platforms. However, an essential point was either ignored or oversimplified.

What happened was not a rejection of Speed as a person, nor hostility toward foreigners. Rather, it was a direct reaction to behavior that the Algerian public considered inappropriate in a public space. His use of explicit body gestures, including touching a private area of his body in front of the audience and cameras, came as a shock to a society that is inherently conservative and deeply respectful of public conduct, particularly in family-oriented and sports environments.

While the reaction itself was unacceptable in its form, it nevertheless reflects a deeply rooted value system within Algerian society, where such public behavior is not tolerated, regardless of the individual’s fame or intentions. This does not indicate backwardness or intolerance, but rather a cultural conservatism that defines a people who still consider public respect a red line.

The real issue here is not cultural difference in itself, but the lack of awareness of it. What may be considered spontaneous or entertaining content in one place can be seen as a clear offense in another. This is where the responsibility of global influencers lies: to respect the cultural context of the countries they visit.

Algeria does not reject openness, nor does it oppose global fame, but it rightfully demands respect. What happened in that moment was an expression albeit in an incorrect way of that demand.

In the end, Speed’s visit revealed an important truth:

Our people are hospitable, yet conservative. Open to the world, yet unwilling to accept the crossing of their boundaries.

And this is not a weakness… it is identity.

By Hind Benkohila