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

  • Brahboop@eepy.express
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    4 months ago

    @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
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      4 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.

    • sik0fewl@lemmy.ca
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      4 months ago

      My understanding is that he got his start doing extreme challenges himself, so now that he’s got the money, he challenges fans and gives prize payouts. He also still does his own challenges once in a while.

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    4 months ago

    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
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      4 months ago

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

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

    • kamiheku@sopuli.xyz
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      4 months ago

      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
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        4 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
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      4 months ago

      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

    • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

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

      Spoiler alert: it’s this face 😲

    • kratoz29@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      I will say that he’s a master at knowing what will make someone click on his videos.

      Well, his methods haven’t caught OP and me.

    • 𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      4 months ago

      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 😅

      • Nithanim@programming.dev
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        4 months ago

        I feel the same way. The only videos I watch are the ones on the philanthropy channel and the ones where the core is giving away money or stuff (e.g. cars) to random people (or people in need).

        Though, I also question the sustainability of (some of) the philanthropy actions. Don’t get me wrong, giving water and light to people in the middle of nowhere is nice, but when they become dependent and they can’t fix it when it breaks, they could be screwed big time.

        The like five minutes I “researched” the “main” guy of the philanthropy channel (Derrick? Taran?) I came to the conclusion that he seems genuinely dedicated to trying helping people.

      • TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        Edit: I didn’t see the hit piece / exposé that was made about him until now

        From what I know about him, he is a genuine person, and his projects are done to help people if possible.

        I know that many influencers profit off of suffering/kindness in a scummy way, but I believe that MrBeast is one of the few that actually try to do it ethically.

    • NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      My understanding is that there is also a Democratic element to his business model which also works as a form of engagement from his fans who give him their money.

  • Altima NEO@lemmy.zip
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    4 months ago

    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
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      4 months ago

      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

      • Scrollone@feddit.it
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        4 months ago

        It’s a worrying trend; kids can’t focus at all these days. They’re always craving for the dopamine rush.

      • Altima NEO@lemmy.zip
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        4 months ago

        YouTube creators in general have loves their jump cuts for ages. At first I think it was because they were amateurs who were be to video editing and didn’t understand established editing techniques. But now they do it intentionally because kids can’t sit still for too long.

    • Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      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.

      • averyminya@beehaw.org
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        4 months ago

        I don’t know the details but there’s a bunch of allegations coming out against him now. He’s been objectionable for a while IMO, but it seems to only just now be coming out.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      4 months ago

      I also haven’t seen anything from him, but I’ve seen things that talk about him. My understanding is he’s a guy who makes outlandish videos, and some of that is “charity” (is it charity if you profit more off the video about it?) that got really popular. Other than that, I don’t really know what he does.

        • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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          4 months ago

          Technically by definition you’re correct, though there is a lot of philosophical debate about where it’s “good” (in a moral sense).

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    4 months ago

    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.

    • TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      I’m curious as to why you say that as he literally used his first sponsorship to pay off his mom’s mortgage and seems to come from an average standard of living.

      • selokichtli@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        That, if true, doesn’t invalidate that the guy is rich, immature, and makes a living from attracting people to pay him attention so he gets paid even more money. I said it because that’s what he is.

        • TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          I get your point now. I interpreted your comment as “he was born rich”. I also didn’t watch the exposé until after I wrote mine.

    • Binette@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      MISSSTEEERRRRR BEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST

    • xionzui@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      They won’t be well if they watch him. One of his main money makers is dishonest and probably illegal lotteries where he suggests almost everyone who buys something from him will get some kind of big prize. In reality, the odds are like 1 in 60000, and the requirement of a purchase for a chance to get the prize is probably illegal.

      He also sells chocolate and cookies as “healthy” using similar underhanded promises of rewards. He also runs contests and game shows that are staged and rigged which, again, is illegal on broadcast TV.

      • notfromhere@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        I’m not defending him or his actions. All I wanted to comment on is his candy bars have a handful of ingredients compared to 50+ unpronounceables (exaggerating somewhat) in competitor bars. Sugar and candy is never healthy, but if I have to get one, I usually grab those because it seems like a better option.

        • xionzui@sh.itjust.works
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          4 months ago

          The bars were originally 5 compared to 9 ingredients in a Hersheys bar. They’ve since expanded and now both have 9 from what I’ve heard

  • corroded@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    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.

    • Otter@lemmy.ca
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      The fact that these aren’t random people and are employees or actors, and that the outcomes are fixed, makes the audience feel deceived.

      Oh I had no idea. I know some people seemed like friends/ other content creators, didn’t know others were faked too

  • MeatsOfRage@lemmy.world
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    4 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.

  • jprice@kbin.run
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    4 months ago

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

    • dan1101@lemm.ee
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      4 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.

    • jet@hackertalks.com
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      4 months ago

      Yeah, I always thought he had resting punchable face in his thumbnails. When I heard people say he had a heart of gold, especially the casy neistat interview I felt bad about thinking he had a punchable face… but whenever I clear my cookies youtube recommends his videos, and I’m staring at his face yet again, and it’s so punchable.

      I’ve never watched one of his videos, simply because anything youtube recommends when you clear cookies is really not my kind of content.

  • CaptainBasculin@lemmy.ml
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    4 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”.