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.

  • trouser_mouse@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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

  • habanhero@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • rufus@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      yeah. i heard many people are vastly different, depending if they are in front of a camera. i really wouldn’t judge people by what the do and say when the camera is rolling.

  • Sanyanov@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • SHITPOSTING_ACCOUNT@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • denast@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • mobley@ani.social
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • Zozano@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This comes down to the old debate over which 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.

  • Reygle@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • BlackPenguins@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • kate@lemmy.uhhoh.com
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      1 year ago

      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

  • justdoit@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • applejacks@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • LukeMedia@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      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.

  • mizu@vlemmy.net
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • Dark Arc@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      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.

  • Eisenhowever@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    General takeaway is: letting your kids be enamored by mr beast is teaching them to get clout. Teaches them that to do nice things, they must be recording themselves doing it. Its different if youre an adult that can think for themself

    “If i cant record myself helping this person out then ill wait till i can find a camera.” Theres a good chance thats the type of thing your kids are gonna unconsciously think about.

      • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I somehow agree with both of you. It’s okay to do good things to feel good, but it’s also not good to glamorize chasing clout.

      • scarabic@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yeah but his general point about kids thinking nothing is worthwhile unless it is recorded goes far beyond philanthropy. Many times they’re thinking so much about how something will be filmed that they are never actually present for that something. Or they do only things that will film well because that’s how they register value. You can say that Mr Beast does well AND it’s not good for kids to watch those videos, and both can be true.

        • Ookami38@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, I’m pretty sure I stated at some point that this isn’t a dichotomy, and there are legitimate concerns with the system he’s playing into, but I think that those concerns exist without Mr beast. He may be feeding into a bad system, but at least the how of it is helping a significant number of people. Often, that’s the best an individual can do.

    • loobkoob@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      It’s an interesting dilemma. I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said but, at the same time, Mr Beast is helping people, even if he’s also personally benefitting. And the only reason he’s in a position to help as many people as much as he does is because of his “clout” - without his platform and the sponsors he attracts, he wouldn’t be able to have nearly as much of an impact as he does. And I’d rather influencers like Mr Beast exist than the Andrew Tate of the world, or the nasty “prank” influencers.

      But, at the same time, you’re right that it teaches people they’ll be rewarded more if they wait until they’re on camera before doing any acts of charity. If he can inspire people to do charitable things just for the the sake of helping make the world better then that’s great, but if people are only doing charitable things for “clout” then it’s definitely not ideal.

      There’s definitely not a black and white answer or solution. I think Mr Beast has a positive impact on the world overall, but there are definitely both good and bad things people could take away from watching his videos if they don’t consider things correctly. It’s something that touches on a number of philosophical subjects: capitalism, materialism, individualism versus collectivism, the influence of social media, external validation versus internal satisfaction, to name but a few.

      The best thing OP can do is to teach their sons the nuances of it all.