Internet personality Darren Jason Watkins, American – better known as IShowSpeed – arrived in Lithuania on July 15, ad was welcomed at the airport by the Minister of the Economy, Lukas Savickas, LRT.lt reported on July 16.

“Welcome to Lithuania! We heard you enjoy speed – so here is a quick taste of our cold pink soup,” said the minister, handing him a glass of the country’s traditional beetroot dish, LRT.lt reported.

Widely known by his online alias IShowSpeed, he is said to be a teenage sensation in the world of livestreaming and online entertainment. He is followed by nearly 40mn people online.

Later in the day, the American celebrity was greeted near the Palace of the Grand Dukes by the Mayor of Vilnius, Valdas Benkunskas. A group of supporters and a spread of refreshments were prepared at the site. Performers in national attire encouraged him to join in with traditional Lithuanian dancing, LRT.lt reported.

The online star also visited Vingis Park in the capital, where he threw a discus with Olympic silver medallist Mykolas Alekna.

However, several Lithuanian politicians and commentators criticised the appearance, especially after a photograph circulated of him appearing to playfully sniff a Lithuanian official’s armpit.

“I’ve seen a lot; however, I’ve never seen a highly anticipated guest, entrusted with boosting Lithuanian tourism, sniffing an official’s armpits,” Remigijus Zemaitaitis, a Lithuanian MP, told bne IntelliNews.

“I cannot fathom why we resort to the incomprehensible methods in making our beautiful Lithuania more popular worldwide,” the lawmaker added.

Many others also doubted the celebrity’s input in boosting Lithuania’s image over the globe.

However, Savickas, the economy minister, defended the decision to invite the US celebrity and meet him, saying this in his Facebook post on July 16: "There was outrage over the commentators. The government gave €30,000 to some internet guy who loves exclamation marks – and so on and so forth. And the saddest part is that it’s my generation. People aged 40-50. So what exactly is so special about the generation that so eagerly criticises today’s youth for being shallow?
Here are a few examples. This is the generation that, in the early '90s, bought up thousands of copies of a “Radioshow” cassette filled with swear words and utterly meaningless conversations...This is the generation whose peak of foreign (Russian) music taste was ‘Ruki Vverkh’, where people went wild over ‘heart-wrenching melodies’ – without understanding a single word.

“This is the same generation that sincerely placed jars of water in front of the television, believing that some quack on the screen (by Kashpirovsky, a legendary Russian psychiatrist who gained fame as a televised healer and hypnotist during the Perestroika era in the early 1990s). This is the ‘wonderful’ generation that fell for financial pyramid schemes that, from today’s point of view, seem blatantly obvious – and lost all their savings.

“I could go on. But my goal is not to mock people in their forties or fifties. After all, damn it, it’s my generation too. So, once again, I say this to my fellow middle-agers: ‘Hey, you old grumps – let’s remember what we were like, before lecturing others about what they should dream of!’” says the minister's post.

Karolis Vaitkevicius, an adviser to the Minister of the Economy, told news outlet 15min.lt that IShowSpeed’s visit was arranged by tourism organisations Go Vilnius and Travel Lithuania. The total cost was approximately €30,000 – which included a €20,000 appearance fee and about €10,000 for on-site arrangements.

The initiative was coordinated with Latvia and Estonia – neighbouring countries the American influencer had previously toured, LRT.lt said.

Controversial at times, yet undeniably influential, Watkins represents a new generation of internet-born entertainers who blur the line between creator and celebrity. Whether sparking laughter or debate, IShowSpeed remains one of America’s most dynamic digital exports.