Jimmy Donaldson, known online as MrBeast (@MrBeast), is facing some backlash for his newest challenge.
MrBeast, who has over 190 million subscribers on YouTube, is known for his elaborate and grandiose video ideas.
In his latest challenge, MrBeast claims he will give $500,000 to two contestants — strangers — who spend 100 days together in a specially designed white room. The door would be unlocked and they could leave anytime. Yet if one person leaves, then both contestants fail and don’t receive the prize money.
After he announced the challenge on Sept. 29, many people pushed back on this idea, questioning MrBeast’s intentions.
do y’all ever think about how mr beast mildly tortures people for money and poses it as entertainment https://t.co/6mBFMAf2XH
— paris ᓭི༏ᓯྀ (@saikisvt) September 30, 2023
“Do y’all ever think about how mr beast mildly tortures people for money and poses it as entertainment,” wrote @saikisvt on X, formerly known as Twitter.
i had a feeling we were close to a landmark court case caused by Mr Beast creating a second Stanford Prison Experiment https://t.co/XNXoEUdNBS
— kenzie (looking for storyboard work era) (@pk_kenzie) September 30, 2023
“I had a feeling we were close to a landmark court case caused by Mr Beast creating a second Stanford Prison Experiment,” replied @pk_kenzie.
The Stanford Prison Experiment was a study conducted in August 1971 to determine the effects of authority and powerlessness in a penitentiary environment. The experiment was canceled after six days due to the cruel punishment the participants faced.
There are several reality shows that operate under a similar premise as MrBeast’s YouTube idea. Shows like Alone and Big Brother use limited camera crews and show the contestants in some form of isolation, sometimes with strangers.
“Once you go to these extreme levels, switching back to how we live in modern times is an on-going process,” Alan Kay, winner of Season 1 of Alone, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Some experts believe the effects of these types of experiments can be damaging and life-altering for some contestants.
“I’m concerned about the negative effects that can arise from being confined to each other for extended periods, which might breed tension and have negative consequences on mental health,” Brianna Paruolo, a certified mental health counselor, told In The Know by Yahoo. “It is imperative that appropriate safeguards are put in place to prevent normalizing isolation for the purpose of entertainment.”
On the other hand, there are people who are defending MrBeast, arguing that the contestants have a choice to participate in the experiment. Some users likened it to the hit game show Fear Factor, in which people would do things they were scared of for the chance to win money.
“Comparing the Stanford Experiment to Mr Beast is insane,” commented @wirelessheadphones under @dnnamerica’s post on TikTok.
“People forgot fear factor is a thing,” replied @macdamartian under the same post.
This isn’t the first time MrBeast has faced criticism for his video ideas and overall actions.
In March, in a post on X, MrBeast asked his fans to fix any displays they saw of his Feastables snack brand and make them look organized. He also said that he was working on creating a team whose sole job would be to organize the displays.
Upon hearing his request and seeing his followers oblige, some social media users were upset that he even asked that of his followers.
Mr. Beast just unlocked a new form of capitalism, I hate it here pic.twitter.com/9ay9ejIr94
— Strewth
