TOXIC:
The Dark Reality of Content Creation in Medellin
Let’s talk about the damaging effects of salacious content creation in Medellin.
By Kaveh Paymayesh
In the last 6 years, online content related to Medellin has skyrocketed. Sadly, it is dominated by sexualized material. In my opinion, the effects are far-reaching and damaging. Let’s explore…
What kind of content dominates Medellin search enquiries?
Go on YouTube, search “Medellin” and see what appears at the top of your results…
I understand it. For many, content creation is primarily about monetization. More traffic translates to more revenue.
Without a doubt, some of the highest viewed Medellin videos on YouTube are those that covertly film street sex workers.
“Wrong Route” videos garner hundreds of thousands, even millions of views.
It begs the question; are these videos stimulating sexual tourism in Medellin? I think so.
The influence is obvious for content creators
A major part of creating content is doing your research. You evaluate what is likely to get views and what is not, based on what people are searching for. Creators generally try to provide content that satisfies consumer demand – nothing unusual right? This is the law of demand and supply.
It is the personal decision of the creator to choose whether or not to pursue less yielding topics. After all, we all want returns on our time. That’s understandable.
But what if those demanded topics are exploitative in nature, or what if they are related to hookers and sex?
Well, that’s when, as a creator, you will be faced with the following questions:
Do I satisfy that demand? What is the impact if I do? Is it worth those extra views?
For me, it’s not. No way. I’ll explain why below. For others however, it is.
Attracting a certain, undesired strand of tourism
In the famous words of Donald Trump…
“When they send their people, they aren’t sending their best.”
Sexual tourism has long been a thing in Medellin. In recent years though, it has boomed.
YouTube content, in my opinion, has amplified this growth.
When videos of prostitutes garner thousands of comments like:
“Wow, Columbian women are beautiful. Can’t wait to pick one up when I arrive in June.”
Or
“Was feeling nervous before, now I’m glad I booked that ticket.”
These aren’t the ideal tourists that most locals are going to relish being around in their city.
Are we sending our best to Medellin?
The effects are far-reaching and damaging
Below is a list of reasons how promoting sex online in Medellin causes damage:
Inhibiting creators, killing creativity
Do you know what stifles creativity?
The desire for immediate results.
Let me give you an example. I’m subscribed to a small YouTube channel. The owner of which is a man that moved to Medellin. For 6 months, he was making interesting videos about the city. He was doing walking tours, reviews, commentaries, etc.
The thing is – he wasn’t getting too many views. This is normal for channels less than 2 years old.
Recently, however, this same channel succumbed to the pressures of demand. He has joined the growing list of channels that promote sexual tourism. He now films unsuspecting women in places like Provenza and downtown.
After getting a taste of blood, after seeing how many views he could get – it was game over for his old style of content.
This is how you stamp out creativity and authenticity.
Creativity requires you to charter new territory. It requires you to embrace risk.
Making the city a more dangerous place
In Colombia, criminals are cunning. They are quick to adapt.
And guess what they’ve adapted to? The influx of sexpats.
Right now, there are criminal bands dedicated to foreigners looking for sex. In the touristic district of Laureles, it took less than 24 hours for two separate assaults to transpire – both victims were foreigners that had used dating apps.
Furthermore, let’s not forget about the growing cases of scopolamine intoxication.
Taking advantage of sexpats – it’s become quite the business model for many of Medellin’s nefarious minds.
Overall, sexual tourism has made the city more dangerous. Content that promotes sexual tourism is content that is culpable.
Creating friction with the locals
Nobody wants their city to be infested with sleazy men that enjoy partaking in voyeurism.
Also, sex workers definitely do not want to be filmed and shared on YouTube. They’re not selling their bodies for fun, but because Colombia is a developing nation; opportunities are scarce.
Filming them, when they make it clear that don’t want to be, is exploitation. If you film these women for money and views – you’re vile.
6 years ago, when tourism was more in its infancy, we foreigners had a blank slate as far as reputation goes. Locals were curious and received us with open arms.
In my opinion, this is slowly changing as the patience of locals grows more strained. Medellin is a city that has contended with a dark history. Only through tenacity and resolve have things been able to change. As the city’s reputation edges toward recovery, is it going to be in vain? Will it be trading one bad reputation for another?
Making tourists look sleazy
Sometimes I wonder if my friends secretly think I go to Medellin for the hookers. This is the stigma that exists, now more than ever.
Why? This is what I think:
YouTube is a major source of information. Alas, one of the first things you learn about Medellin on YouTube is that prostitution is rampant. You also learn that many men are excited by it, and willing to travel in order to get involved in the action.
As a tourist, I don’t want people to associate me like that. That’s partially why I try to look local.
Hyper-sexualising the city (look at Parque Lleras)
Let’s ignore the fact that currently, Parque Lleras has been ripped down for remodelling.
For about 15-20 years, Lleras was a place that attracted the city’s upper crust. But, in the last 4 years, the place really went downhill. As of yet, no intervention has been able to mitigate the damage caused by prostitution in the area.
The number of sex workers spiralled out of control. As a result, local women veered away in fear of being mis-labelled.
Go to Lleras on a Friday night and it’s like stepping into Sin City. Also, make sure to look out for any hidden cameras. You may be featured in the next “Wrong Route” video.
Prostitutes have always worked in Lleras but things were never like this. There was pride and dignity before.
The place derailed into a place of debauchery and it is because of tourism – tourism promoted by videos like these.
If you’d like to learn more about how Parque Lleras has changed, read here.
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