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.
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I think deep down he is, although he has the moral compass of a 4 year old.
Edit - oh I thought you said Mr Bean
He seems pretty genuine, but I can’t watch his content because I personally find the cult of money… repelling?
I mean, obviously under capitalism money will have cult following, duh. But this stereotypical handing over tons of cash to someone and someone loosing all their shit makes me feel very uneasy.
There is at least one video (maybe an interview, not necessarily on his main channel) where he talks out of character about how he runs the channel etc.
His on screen persona is just that, a persona. This is something your kids should understand (and they can, if you find one of those out of character videos).
That said, I believe Jimmy Donaldson (the person behind the on-screen persona) does genuinely seem like a good guy, who is also smart and knows how to run a successful business while entertaining people. He also talks a bit about clickbait and how he tries to not make it too extreme but has to play the game.
Depending on how old your kids are, it may also be worth talking about the business aspect (sponsors, merch, the various brands he creates, how Beast Burgers actually works with ghost kitchens etc., Feastables) - no need to criticize or put it in a negative light, just explain that it’s also a business.
Wikipedia has some notes about controversies and criticism.
Since it’s not a financially good idea to be seen as a douche, I think it’s in his best interest to put videos on the internet that look good- but is he really? Nobody knows that but him.
While it’s obviously a different niche, unfortunately being a douche can also be very profitable.
This comes down to the old debate over which philosophical framework is the basis for ethics and morality.
If you’re a deontologist, you might say that Mr. Beast is not a good person because he intentionally exploits people when he provides medical care for someone, by uploading their reactions for engagement.
However, a consequentialist would say that the outcome is more important; the means by which people receive medical care is irrelevant, and in this case, their treatment essentially necessitates compensation via engagement.
Ask yourself this: Does he offer the same “generosity” off camera ?
If not, then he’s an actor who’s only doing what he does to continue his acting career.
If your kids watch him because he’s entertaining, then I wouldnt worry too much.
But if they are trying to emulate him (I.e. trying to garner internet clout by doing “good deeds”, but only on camera), then that would worry me as a parent.
I would ask a different question - is Mr. Beast a good role model for the kids or not? Whether he’s a “good person” or not is largely irrelevant, the fact is he is doing good.
Personally I’m a big fan of his philathropy, but I don’t think he makes for a good role model. He’s found a way to influence and doing good for the world, but I don’t think it’s easily replicable nor should kids try to emulate him - because to be Mr. Beast, you need to be in the influencer / clout-chasing game, which can have roads that lead to success but at the end of the day, it’s an endless game of trying to get eyeballs and capture attention.
I would encourage the kids to forge their own path and not necessarily emulate Beast, but try to make the types of impact he makes in the world.
We can go into big depths on how he’s actually a corporate slave making his business on sponsorships instead of promoting big systemic changes, but that misses the case you make on how it affects kids.
On the kid side, he can be a somewhat good role model, a generous philanthropist sharing what he has to make people’s lives better. I’d say the effect his may have on kids is mostly positive.
I find him annoying, doesn’t mean I think he is a bad person.
Colin and Samir did and excellent behind the scenes hour long interview on Jimmy’s life. He seems to be a genuine guy who just wants to do nothing but entertain. Check it out on YouTube.
The behind the scenes of his restaurant opening seems to show how he acts under stress, too, although I’m sure it was cut down a lot
Even if he is not the same person off camera, he’s still helping a lot of people in his videos. Sure it might be to “make money” but he turns around and uses a large portion of that money to do more good things on camera in other videos. He does far more for others than the vast majority of people in this world.
kinda cringy, but seems like a nice guy.
sure, he does his philanthropy “for views” but that’s what allows him to continue doing it.
not a fan of his, but he’s alright.
He also does a lot of philanthropy that doesn’t get made into content, which leads me to believe he is just a philanthropist. Making content out of it isn’t negative in my mind anyway, it just allows more philanthropy to take place.
He is one of the kindest people you can find on social media. He has helped lots of people through financial and other means. Some say he’s evil for recording and posting these acts of kindness but the views from his channels are what enable him to do these things. He also has a philanthropy channel named Beast Philanthropy.
Basically this, he does a lot of good stuff, but since he does it “for views” some people hate him/think he’s “taking advantage of their situations.”
IMO, he didn’t make those situations, and he’s providing an avenue for those situations to get resolved (even if maybe someone has to get “embarrassed” by virtue of appearing as the benefactor of one of his videos – to be clear, he to my knowledge never does anything like “kiss my feat and I’ll give you a million dollars” to these people).
Kind of one of those, “there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like you” things; if you ask me, he’s overall doing good.
My personal take is that content creators and celebrities in general should never be judged as “people” in the sense that you might deem a teacher or a neighborhood kid as a “good” or “bad” influence. Rather, you should treat them as “media personalities”. Content creators are characters. They’re personas meant to drive engagement and clicks. Some achieve this by engaging in risky behavior or drama. Some just do wacky challenges. The motivation is the same in that the persona presented on the screen is a combo of the creator and the engagement from their community meant to drive up click rates and brand-building.
Mr Beast has kind of a “wacky semi-wholesome” image. Odd challenges and charities that hand out cash to random people for views. That’s a cynical take, but at the end of the day he’s a content creator, that’s it. If handing out free surgeries to correct childhood blindness didn’t drive engagement, he wouldn’t do it. If anything, the fact that his community is interested in seeing that project reflects more on them as people than on him.
So in my opinion the better questions for assessing his influence on your children are things like “why does his content appeal to you?” “What about his character do you find likable?” “What aspects would you want to emulate in your own life if you could?”
Again, just my personal view.
