A video claiming Asians are “better” photographers than Britons has gone viral on social media with its producer Mark O’Dea saying he always preferred Asians to take his images.
In the TikTok video, the Malaysia-based British YouTuber and television presenter Mark O’Dea compares the photographic efforts of a UK man and an Asian woman and then appreciates the latter’s commitment.
The clip posted last week begins with O’Dea saying he was “not being racist”. Then he asks a British man to take his photograph. The unidentified man takes a snap and leaves. However, an Asian woman who also agrees to take the YouTuber’s image takes several shots, suggests angles and even gets to the ground to capture his pictures.
“I am not being racist, but whenever I go back to the U.K., I will always ask an Asian person to help me take the photo,” O’Dea says in the video which has garnered some 25.8 million views.
“And that is because they are better picture-takers than us Brits, and they put in much more effort,” the Kent-born man says.
While some people agreed with O’Dea, others said the photographic commitment had nothing to do with race but with gender - suggesting women are better than men.
In his follow-up video, a British woman and an Asian man take his photographs. Just like the Asian woman, the Asian man also takes multiple images, rotates the camera and bends his body to take photos.
O’Dea’s caption read: “Don’t be sexist, people… Males are also good photographers - sorry, let me rephrase that - Asian males.”
While one social media user said, “Yeah...told ya. Couldn’t agree more. Hi from Sarawak Malaysia! #ProudAsian,” another person commented, “Hell yeah! Asian power!”
Another person reacted: “This is so true. I always ask [an] Asian tourist to take one. The best and nicest people. Asian myself”.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event