Hot take: your theories about how a celebrity's motives to participate in charitable acts are, actually, secretly selfish, are not relevant nor important in the face of the actual effect their actions have on the world, and the behavior it models for younger viewers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkCX...
Let's say you're right. Mr. Beast's deepest, most secret heart is as cold and rotten as the grave. He has us all fooled. The most brilliant sociopath to ever exist.
Still doesn't matter. 100 families are sleeping on real beds in real homes tonight.
I fully believe that Brad Pitt meant to do a good thing in the 9th Ward when he built 100 houses and sold them at a 50% loss after Katrina. But they ended up being so badly-built he had to pay a settlement to the owners after they fell apart.
Hope he hired real experts to do this well.
For sure. I wonder what kind of breakpoint there is between encouraging charity and reappropriating excess wealth. There's definitely an answer somewhere but no data for it.
My view on this is that we’ll always have a use for charities, because they can move fast and address new or marginal issues that the govt isn’t doing. Govt money is always the better, more cost-effective, longer-lasting solution. But you can just RUN a charity, without waiting for voter permission.
The annoying problem is GOP controlled states already get to decide how to limit charity. Getting arrested for giving people in line to vote water is probably the most egregious example, but it'll definitely expand to everyone conservatives hate this year,
As a person who sometimes struggles to be kind and patient when my nature prompts me to be otherwise, I certainly hope that action dictates merit rather than does the nature behind it. With the hope that eventually action alters nature to fit habit.
It may feel icky, but yeah, if it's a net positive it's a net positive!
It's something I've had to reconsider... After reading My Hero Academia, of all things xD
People can do good for selfish reasons, it's still good!
yeah same with Swift donating to all the food banks of the cities she gives her concerts
sure, she can miss it, but also more people who really need it get more food!
I just hate that it’s come to this. The luck that a very charitable and influential YouTuber with money has to do the thing the government should be doing. Ya know? Like it’s just damn…
Im glad he did it but I’m just mad at the over line systems that got us to the point
I've encountered some variation of the "deeds before thoughts" lecture on a daily basis this week. Why are we having to explain this to people so often these days?
i thought the issue with mr beast wasnt that he exploited the machine through examles of charitable actions, but rather that he does more than the richest goverments and thus is sad people like him are needed more than ever.
The argument is often "We shouldn't NEED people like him to do this!" Which like yeah, obviously, the system should be addressing this. But it's not, so at least he IS doing it for now? Let's focus on the rich shits who refuse to do any charitable acts at all.
Yeah, it's kind of like a Mr House type of situation. Sure, he may be ultimately in it for his own ego, and knows that he can get revenue for being charitable, but nevertheless, he is doing something that is beneficial and greatly improves people's lives.
"What's the difference between a world where everyone is a good person and a world where everyone just pretends to be a good person?"
"Let's try it and find out."
I can't help but think about when Oprah gave away all those cars and no one could actually accept them because they would then owe tax on them. I'm with you in hoping this is more than a ruse but it's hard to be optimistic anymore
Let’s give him a ton of engagement for this and show the other celebrities if they follow suit we will give them engagement too! (I am emphatically agreeing with you 💜)
this is great!
but a lot of his other videos are really exploitative, which is no doubt why people are being critical
if he quits doing that stuff, i’m 100% team beast
This here. He isn't a philanthropist or charitable or a good person. He exploits other people for his own gain. He makes TONS of money off this. He's not doing this to do good. It's 100% cynical and selfish. He is a bad person. Does he do good occasionally? Sure. But it's one step forward, two back
On one hand, I think it's abhorrent that Mr Beast uses his wealth to highlight this kind of inequality.
On the other hand, he gives directly more than a bunch of other rich people so...I don't watch his videos, he can keep giving stuff away!
"Philanthropy is done for selfish reasons and should therefore be rejected" is straight up Ayn Rand's "moral" philosophy. Folks should be wary of "philanthropy" done by the uber wealthy that's just tax schemes and enriching themselves that does nothing helpful, but these are actions we can see.
The Kurt Vonnegut book Mother Night makes a compelling case that we actually are whatever we pretend to be.
It's about a Nazi propagandist who is actually an American agent, but is nonetheless very good and effective at his fake job and does a tremendous amount of harm.
Here in Oregon, every other sports arena and hospital wing is named after a Knight family member, trying to wallpaper over the sins of Nike manufacturing. I’m still glad we have a world class cancer center within driving distance.
