The Twitter Mob Comes for MrBeast

YouTube star MrBeast recently paid to help 1,000 blind people restore their vision… and people are angry. 

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is one of the most popular YouTube celebrities with over 130 million subscribers.

At just 13, Mr. Beast launched his YouTube channel in 2012. Over the years, he’s become known for his expensive stunts, like buying a private island for himself and his friends, and his extreme generosity. Most of MrBeast’s videos show him giving money away and helping both random strangers and those in need.

In his latest video, he paid for 1,000 people to undergo a very expensive, ten-minute surgery to restore their sight.  The video was touching, as viewers watched the heartfelt reactions of the people who were able to see clearly. To say it was emotional is an understatement. There were tears of joy and even enthusiastic screams from those who would not have been able to afford the surgery without MrBeast’s help. 

The young YouTuber’s generosity didn’t end with the surgery. After the procedure was complete, one woman was so overwhelmed she fell to the ground after she received a suitcase filled with $10,000. Another man who had expressed how much he had missed driving since becoming vision impaired was surprised with a brand new Tesla. 

It’s hard to imagine how these acts of service could garner any criticism. But as we have learned over the years, Twitter is always filled with peculiar outrage. 

Criticized for Kindness

At first, people celebrated MrBeast. But it didn’t take long for the critics to chime in, accusing MrBeast of preying on vulnerable people and exploiting them for views. Some chastised him for making money with these videos, without acknowledging the fact that his stream of income is precisely why he is able to help so many people.

Among the more ridiculous attacks were those who accused him of discrimination. As one article asserted, “Mr. Beast’s videos seem to regard disability as something that needs to be solved.” The author continued, “he doesn’t say in the video or in any of his subsequent public statements whether he consulted with the video’s subjects about how they felt to have their disability treated as a problem.”

Every single one of the people he helped could have said “no” to his offer had they felt it was insulting. They didn’t because they appreciated the opportunity given to them. His critics are defending people who never asked to be defended. And yet, without any input from those on the receiving end of his charity, the Twitter mob has asserted the authority to speak for those they have unfairly victimized. 

The article itself reads like some sort of South Park-inspired satirical piece. You have to do a double take to make sure you didn’t accidentally click on an Onion article. 

Another person tweeted that just because his actions were charitable, that doesn’t make him a good person. 

“The end result is good, because some people are getting what they need, but he is not a good person because of it.”

When it comes to the question of whether MrBeast’s actions make him a good person, the only logical answer can be summed up in two words: “who cares?”

If someone offered to feed the homeless, would you subject them to a series of tests to ensure they are “in it for the right reasons?” Would you prevent them from giving aid if the answer was no?

Can you imagine someone in need being denied help because a mob of keyboard warriors decided that a person’s motives weren’t pure enough to meet their standards of morality?

“While it was an amazing piece of altruism on your behalf: why make a video about it?” another user tweeted. “Why not just do good with no reward other than self satisfaction, knowing you’re making the world a better place? Maybe some people see it as attention seeking.”

It’s baffling to think that generosity would be demonized to this degree. 

How Did We Get Here?

There was once a time when the internet celebrated heartfelt stories of people helping other people. Over the years things have changed. Now, the mere act of helping someone is under scrutiny for perpetuating some sort of perceived systemic discrimination ingrained in society. In this case, this has manifested in labeling MrBeast as an ableist. 

This is another symptom of “woke” culture that views everything through the lenses of oppression. Every act of kindness has to be scrutinized for a victim. And when there is no victim to be found, they create one. 

Perhaps the most laughable aspect of this whole controversy is the hypocrisy of it all. Twitter is routinely filled with rallying cries for billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk to share their wealth to help out those who need it. 

Yet, here comes this young kid who is voluntarily doing what people claim to want, and instead of being admired, his actions are not only deemed “not good enough,” they are also an alleged insult to the blind. 

There is an argument to be made that supports the hypothesis that no one acts purely out of altruism. 

Even without a public display, feeling good inside for doing something nice is still at its core, self serving. And that’s okay. In the end, people in need are helped because someone chose to voluntarily give up something they have to help others. That’s a beautiful thing no matter what the motives may be. 

The fact is, MrBeast is doing more to help people than any of the critics attacking him. He’s made a living out of helping others and even inspired others to do the same.TikTok is filled with examples of people who have copied the MrBeast model of “gorilla” charity. Whether it helps them get views really doesn’t matter.

Service and kindness, no matter the motives, helps people, who in turn may want to help people. MrBeast should not only be applauded for his work, but held up as a shining example of voluntary charity.