A viral video capturing an impromptu cultural performance inside an H-E-B grocery store has sparked widespread conversation online, highlighting the polarized reactions that often follow public displays of culture on social media.
In a short clip, which rapidly gained over 2.5 million views within 24 hours of being posted to X on Monday by Elijah Schaffer, shows two Indian kids performing an intricate Indian classical dance (Bharatanatyam) in the wide center aisle of the supermarket.
The original video includes an overlay text, “My HEB is lit….that is all,” suggesting the one who filmed it was entertained but considering it was Schaffer, a famous MAGA influencer, people are calling him out for making racist comments.
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However, the footage gained massive traction after being reshared by observers and political commentators. Schaffer, captioned the video, “Trying to shop at a grocery store in Texas in 2026 be like.”
The caption quickly polarized the comment section, drawing a sharp contrast between users celebrating the cultural showcase and critics questioning the appropriateness of staging performances in a retail environment. “I’m I the only one who doesn’t care about this? As a black person, I’m not doing it, but I see a lot of white people doing it,” an online user commented to people getting triggered by them dancing barefoot claiming hygiene as their main concern.
Schaffer is the CEO of The Rift TV and host of the digital show “Slightly Offensive.” He has a documented history of targeting South Asian communities and immigration trends in Texas through his social media platforms. Earlier this year, Schaffer faced heavy public backlash for mocking the Indian American chairman of the Texas Republican Party, Abraham George, and posting videos ridiculing other Indian American candidates running for local office in Frisco, Texas. His commentary on the H-E-B video follows a consistent pattern of using viral clips to critique demographic changes within the state.
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For many Texas residents, the grocery store scene is less an anomaly and more a reflection of tangible demographic shifts. Over the past decade, the Lone Star State has seen a significant influx of South Asian residents, particularly in major metropolitan suburbs surrounding Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth. In response, major regional retailers like H-E-B have progressively expanded their international inventory, frequently introducing dedicated aisles for South Asian spices, snacks, and staple ingredients to cater to the evolving community.
While public flash mobs and promotional cultural events have been a staple of retail marketing and community outreach for years, the intersection of public space, corporate diversity initiatives, and social media commentary continues to provoke debate among people. While some online commenters expressed annoyance at navigating around a performance during a routine shopping trip, others defended the display as a vibrant expression of Texas’s multicultural diversity.