I know this is going to sound like some clickbait bullshit title, but I’m genuinely curious, asking in good faith. My two oldest sons are enamored with him, and he seems like a genuine guy, so I’m asking - is he a nice guy? If you google the question, you get a bunch of reddit hate, which I don’t always trust, because…it’s reddit. I have not watched much content (not my thing, I’m old) but I’m just curious what the fediverse has to say.

  • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Ah yes, the king of poverty porn.

    Wrapping it up in warm fuzzies doesn’t make it any less exploitative. Don’t be confused - he is in it to make money, the people he helps are nothing but props to him, and people like him do nothing to solve the problems they claim to care so much about, they’ve just found a sympathetic way to profit from them while deepening the problem (because if we can’t even treat fellow poor people as humans, not props, what hope do we have of uniting against those who exploit us?).

    He is not a good roll model. Teach your kids real compassion (which includes among other things understanding that people who are less fortunate still deserve privacy and respect), teach them that kindness doesn’t need to be broadcast or be produced (because that’s what those videos are - productions), it is something we should all be engaging in all of the time, even, or actually especially, when no one is watching, not because we want more likes and followers. Teach them that if they’re that impressed with his efforts, just imagine what they could do if they actually went out and volunteered or otherwise contributed themselves. That’d be significantly better not just for them, but for your whole community.

    • PeachMan@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      OP’s question was “Is Mr. Beast a good person?” and the answer to that is exceedingly gray and hard to pin down. He does a hell of a lot of philanthropy, but he does it by exploiting people. Do the ends justify the means? One could argue either way.

      To the more narrow question that you’re posing, “Is he a good role model for OP’s sons?” the answer is HELL NO, HE EXPLOITS POOR PEOPLE.

    • spaceace@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I’m not saying there isn’t some truth to your post, but it lacks so much perspective that it’s off-putting. There are actual content creators out there spreading misinformation and dangerous ideas. Not using his platform in the exact way you want doesn’t make him a bad person or influence on his viewers. You clearly have a very dogmatic world view and I’m sure you would say this about almost any content creator.

      • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Talk about lacking perspective lmfao… 😂

        N̶o̶t̶ u̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ h̶i̶s̶ p̶l̶a̶t̶f̶o̶r̶m̶ i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶ e̶x̶a̶c̶t̶ w̶a̶y̶ y̶o̶u̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶

        Being an exploitative profiteer who only has a platform due to being an exploitative profiteer

        doesn’t make him a bad person

        maybe not intentionally or in his own eyes, no, but his actions and the impact of his brand of garbage tell a different story

        or (bad) influence on his viewers

        Yeah, it does, that’s kind of part of the problem

        You clearly have a very dogmatic world view

        says the person licking the boot and pretending everything about this is fine lmfao

        and I’m sure you would say this about almost any content creator

        if they were making money by exploiting others for gain? Yeah, I would, because that’s an actively shit thing to do.

        • Ookami38@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          I think you have some valid points, but they all break down when you realize that, in order to continue providing the very real philanthropy he does, he HAS to have a revenue stream. And it seems like feeding his philanthropy back into the system to generate money, to do more philanthropy is a pretty good use of the systems we have in place currently.

          There are plenty of people who would do similar things, and then just pocket whatever and fade into the sunset. Mr beast is essentially doing what people always praised billionaire philanthropists but he’s doing it more, and smarter.

        • spaceace@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          And the exploiting them that you’re talking about, that’s giving them cash and cars and stuff? Just trying to be clear on what you’re choosing to be upset about and what you are choosing to use YOUR platform for. The rest is just you throwing spaghetti at the wall.

          says the person licking the boot and pretending everything about this is fine lmfao

          I think the fact that when challenged you instantly said this this says it all about you and the way you choose to judge people. Which is by just inventing whatever fiction suites your narrative and then insisting that is true because you said it. Someone saying “Mr. Beast is not actually literally hitler” is all it takes for you to assume and fill in the blanks for everything else. It takes zero evidence, zero knowledge of a subject or person for you to feel you have the moral authority on it. That’s who you are. Reminds me of those reddit guys who ruined all those lives after the Boston bomber.