this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2024
177 points (92.3% liked)

Asklemmy

43945 readers
716 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy πŸ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I never bothered to ask and now i'm afraid of being outed as an old for asking.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] bloop@eepy.express 155 points 3 months ago (3 children)

@KingThrillgore @asklemmy YouTuber who make money off of throwing money at people to do ridiculous things.
I do not like his content cause it feels like a billionaire playing with the little people for his amusement.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 27 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I enjoyed a few when I first came across the channel because it reminded me of those shows from decades ago. The ones where someone comes up to you in a toy / electronics store and you have a minute to grab whatever you can for free. That was a fun concept.

billionaire playing with the little people for his amusement

However a lot more of the videos feel like this, especially with how well known he is now. I don't think I'm the target age group regardless.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] overload@sopuli.xyz 124 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (8 children)

I think you could happily live your life not knowing who he is. I will say that he's a master at knowing what will make someone click on his videos.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 50 points 3 months ago

He’s a master at knowing what will make someone click

He effectively dedicated a couple years to β€œstudy” this, which is exactly what you can do with your life when you live in Greenville, NC.

[–] kamiheku@sopuli.xyz 27 points 3 months ago (1 children)

a master at knowing what will make someone click on his videos

Coincidentally also a master at knowing what will make me never click on them (yes it's the horrifying face he makes)

[–] overload@sopuli.xyz 11 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Lots of YT creators edit their face to look strange or unsettling. I'm the same as you, though I think it's more the gimmicky nature of his content I'm a bit put off by.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

On that note, there is this browser extension

https://dearrow.ajay.app/

DeArrow is an open source browser extension for crowdsourcing better titles and thumbnails on YouTube. The goal is to make titles accurate and reduce sensationalism. No more arrows, ridiculous faces, and no more clickbait.

It's nice because it will affect all the videos equally. I didn't want to use it initially because it was messing with my ability to remember which videos I had already seen. I might give it a try again since people keep changing video thumbnails now

[–] kalleboo@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 90 points 3 months ago (2 children)

A bourgeois philanthropist that uses philanthropy as his business model.

[–] lemann@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 3 months ago (2 children)

To combine a bunch of explanations I've seen in the comments here:

A bourgeois philanthropist game show producer who dabbles in poverty porn.

That said, I do occasionally burn time watching some of his videos, however some of the content (especially the more recent game show ones which feel a bit like toying with people) rub me the wrong way.

I have no idea if his philanthropy efforts are genuine or not - he's barely visible in those videos (he has another individual hosting those videos) although I do appreciate the efforts they appear to go to when assisting communities desperately in need, and careful implementation of solutions that are sustainable, and can actually be maintained and fixed with local knowledge.

I've seen way too many "gimmicky" charity contributions by other organizations that become worthless as soon as they break because nobody fixes them, as well as other solutions that seemingly make sense from a western cultural lens but aren't really understood by the local people... worst one being a "merry-go-round" water pump mechanism where senior locals are forced to "play" just to pump water for survival. It was originally intended as a kids toy, but they of course don't have any attachment to such a foreign device, thus don't use it.

Ehhh apologies for the mini rant there πŸ˜…

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 81 points 3 months ago

A branch of the American healthcare system.

[–] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 70 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (6 children)

You're not alone. For how immensely popular he is, I've yet to ever watch any of his videos, or even have YouTube recommend them to me.

Only reason I know about him are a few videos from other channels, like the epic rap battles of history episode, and one that was criticizing his ghost kitchen. But I think the first time I heard about him was when every YouTuber was trying to jump on his hype when he was planting a ton of trees or something like that?

[–] bl4kers@lemmy.ml 29 points 3 months ago (3 children)

I tried watching a video of his once because I was genuinely interested in the subject. There were so many jump cuts it was unwatchable. Now I know all YouTube videos for kids are like that

Yea honestly I cant really watch it either. Shortform content and hyoeractive content just annoys the hell out of me.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 12 points 3 months ago (2 children)

From what I hear he's really not so objectionable and people enjoy his videos. I am yet to ever watch one though and that's purely out of spite. Somehow YouTube seemed to try so hard to push this dude in particular that I decided to specifically not watch anything he was in, this meant avoiding his stuff and also anything from anyone else I actually like if I could tell from the thumbnail or description he was going to be in it. I just about managed it because I've never seen anything with him directly, but I have ended up seeing parodies of his videos so I now in spite of myself know what must usually be in them, and I've seen the famous video critiquing all the spin off food businesses he's started up off the back of his famous name.

He's probably really not that bad, even if his obscene wealth is objectionable, but my contrarian nature just can't abide all the hype and cheerleading. Hopefully when he finally stops being popular, I'll have managed to miss everything he's in and maintain my pointless personal record of dodging the beastly bullets.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 60 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

All I know is he acts like Elon Musk is his friend, and that pretty much says everything.

The company you keep speaks volumes, and anyone who would gladly keep company with Musk is a fucking psychopath.

[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 32 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think his companies are making around 800 mil/yr in revenue, so it's just billionares rubbing elbows. Class warfare as usual.

[–] twei@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Even if that number was true: Revenue isn't earnings! He has like 100-200 ppl working on the YouTube channel

[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 20 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/15/mrbeast-brings-in-700-million-a-yearheres-why-he-says-hes-not-rich.html

He says he reinvests it all, which may be true. Amazon also famously did the same for about 20 years, but Bezos still lived like a billionaire off loans/etc during that time.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 23 points 3 months ago

I’m poor because I reinvest my capital. How dumb does he think people are? Reinvesting capital is literally what it means to be a capitalist.

[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 37 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Just another rich child man begging for your attention.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 28 points 3 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] corroded@lemmy.world 27 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm old. Not old enough to need a prostate exam, but old enough to potentially have children in his target demographic. That being said, he essentially has found a winning formula for videos that amounts to "give away lots of money and make it entertaining." I've watched a lot of his videos; they are entertaining and a decent way to kill 10 minutes.

I'm assuming you asked this question because of all the recent information that came to light calling him a fraud, and to be honest, it's kind of a big deal. Part of his brand has always been "these are random people, competing or doing a challenge to win a life-changing wad of cash." He's made a point on multiple occasions to say that his videos are never faked. It's not too dissimilar to any cable TV game show. The fact that these aren't random people and are employees or actors, and that the outcomes are fixed, makes the audience feel deceived.

It's the difference between why people watch pro wrestling vs MMA or boxing. With pro wrestling, we all know it's a show; it's a scripted performance, just like a movie or a play. People still watch it and enjoy it, but they know it's no different than watching a fictional TV show or going to the theater. In MMA or boxing, you're watching two people compete to see who's the better fighter. It doesn't have a predetermined outcome; you're watching a real competition.

The problem is that he has always presented himself as being "boxing" when in reality, he's "pro wrestling." The people featured in his videos aren't random subscribers trying to win money to send their kids to college or put a down payment on a house. They're employees or paid actors who are putting on a show for our entertainment. There's nothing wrong with mindless entertainment, but call it what it is.

TLDR: Fake videos, unsubscribed.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] jprice@kbin.run 21 points 3 months ago

Self proclaimed degenerate (it’s in an interview I saw) pretending to care about people by making squid game a reality.

[–] MeatsOfRage@lemmy.world 21 points 3 months ago

Can we please avoid all the editorializing in AskLemmy. I came to the comments to see an answer to this question and it's all comments about what people think about him instead of actually answering the question.

[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 20 points 3 months ago (2 children)

He’s an uncomfortable fake smile.

[–] dan1101@lemm.ee 7 points 3 months ago

Yeah he looks incredibly fake in every photo I've seen. I've seen a few video clips and he's not quite as bad in those.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Vaggumon@lemm.ee 20 points 3 months ago

No idea. And I'm perfectly fine with that.

[–] CaptainBasculin@lemmy.ml 18 points 3 months ago

MrBeast is a really popular content creator that makes videos with high production value; similar to TV Show Contests but with a worldwide audience. He currently holds the title for the Youtube channel with the most subscribers.

About the drama revolving him; recently, it's surfaced that one of his friends in the channel called Kris has inappropriately talked with a minor back before; and an ex-MrBeast employee has came out telling that MrBeast himself was favoring people he knew over completely random subscribers; skewing the odds to make the challanges more interesting to watch and also a stream he did way before (signing every T-Shirt bought live) had various elements that are outright illegal in a lot of countries, saying stuff like "if you buy this within the next 10 minutes you have chance to get XXX".

[–] Dhrystone@infosec.pub 17 points 3 months ago (1 children)

My top vote as the YouTuber who looks the least like his actual handle implies.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] neidu2@feddit.nl 16 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Some youtuber who first gained fame counting to a million. Then he pivoted to posting videos of him doing large amounts of altruistic acts such as paying for people's surgeries et al.

Beyond that I don't know.

[–] ShareMySims@sh.itjust.works 33 points 3 months ago (6 children)

Altruistic implies he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart and got nothing out of it, when in reality he was making poverty porn for profit and to further his own career.

[–] magic_lobster_party@kbin.run 16 points 3 months ago

He’s also probably doing β€œaltruistic acts” to defend himself against criticism.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 3 months ago

A charlatan.

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 months ago

He's a YouTube personality who makes clickbait videos, does random stunts using millions of dollars at a time, and now has a candy bar offering.

If there is a Mr. Beast thumbnail that catches your interest, usually the last 2 minutes of the video has anything worth watching. The rest is fluff and sponsorships and BS worse than reality-TV.

[–] ssm@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 3 months ago

Some guy who runs illegal lotteries and gambling targeted at children

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

Never seen his videos nor will I

[–] Alice@beehaw.org 9 points 3 months ago

What I gather from working in retail is that "Mr. Beast" is an incantation that brainwashes children into begging for candy bars they'd normally hate.

[–] darklamer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Now you made me curious: Why do you know that someone named "MrBeast" exists and why does it interest you who this person is?

[–] TheSlad@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Mr beast is popping up in various internet news circles lately because one of his friends/"co-star"s in his youtube videos was just caught grooming a 12 year old. To make things even worse, Mr beast was aware that this friend of his was pedo for years and continued to make videos with him(her). She recently transitioned last year and that was a minor controversy of its own for Mr beast cause most of his audience is cringey transphobic teens and tweens.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] nutsack@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

LA Beast is better

load more comments
view more: next β€Ί