Recently, megastar creator MrBeast posted a video to his YouTube in which he spotlights numerous blind and visually-impaired people who have undergone a surgical procedure that “cures” their blindness. As of this writing, the video has been viewed more than 76 million times, and the responses have been visceral in both praise and contempt. For his part, MrBeast has taken to Twitter to publicly bemoan the fact that so many are so angry at him for putting on what amounts to a publicity stunt under the guise of selfless #charity.
The truth is straightforward: The video was more ableist than #altruistic.
Before delving into the many layers of why the video is troublesome, it’s important to issue a caveat. However problematic MrBeast’s premise in producing the video, the people who participated – the patients and their doctors – should not be vilified. They made the decision to go through with the surgery of their own volition. The reasoning behind making that choice goes far beyond the scope of this article.
Hasan Piker, a popular content creator on the video platform Twitch, recently expressed his anger and frustration over a recent video by fellow #YouTuber, MrBeast. The video features MrBeast helping to cure 1000 people’s blindness by paying for their treatments. While many viewers praised the gesture as a #heartwarming act of #kindness, the video filled Hasan Piker with “rage.”
Thus it also made Valkyrae, who was sitting beside Piker a bit curious about why he is reacting like this, and it was revealed by the political streamer that it’s not because of MrBeast but because of a 10-minute procedure getting “paywalled”.
Hasan Piker says MrBeast curing 1000 people’s blindness fills him with “rage”, Valkyrae asks why?
Hasan Piker and Valkyrae recently reacted to MrBeast’s latest video. #MrBeast is well known for his #philanthropy and stunts, and this video was no different. He gifted the funds needed for 1000 people to receive the 10-minute procedure that would cure their #blindness. The reaction from both Hasan Piker and Valkyrae was mixed.
