New Amazon Prime reality series forecasts a troubling future for the entertainment industry
Photo via IMDB.
Beast Games, released on Amazon Prime Video on Dec. 19, is a reality competition television series that has broken multiple records, including the largest number of contestants, and the largest sum of prize money in television history. These games, produced and hosted by Jimmy Donaldson — better known as MrBeast — are reported to have a production cost of over $100 million USD.
The show is loud, extravagant, entertaining — and dystopian. It takes clear inspiration from Squid Game, a South Korean series released in 2021. Squid Game attempts to criticize the class disparity in South Korea by showing people in financial hardship willing to risk their lives for the possibility of winning money, and the twisted enjoyment that members of the elite get out of it.
While the participants in the Beast Games are not risking their lives, during the first episode MrBeast tells the audience that some of the participants have left their jobs to pursue this opportunity. People risking their livelihoods, while MrBeast loudly flaunts his opulence to the audience, is one of the most dystopian displays of capitalism I’ve encountered in a while.
The dynamic between the hosts and the participants becomes increasingly exploitative as the series goes on. The games rely on betrayal, deception, and manipulation in order to win. This dynamic creates a stark juxtaposition — desperation on one side, and wealth-driven spectacle on the other.
Nevertheless, the success of the Beast Games has a more alarming and troubling implication — the unrelenting pursuit of bigger, louder, and more extravagant productions, which will continue to exploit participants for the sake of entertainment. Now that MrBeast has had 1 000 people compete for 5 million dollars, what will he do next to keep his viewers entertained?
The pressure to outdo himself and ramp up the spectacle will lead to even more extreme, and ethically fraught, productions. The Beast Games are a microcosm of a North American society obsessed with spectacle and wealth, where the pursuit of riches and viral content outweighs any ethical or moral considerations.
MrBeast himself has been involved in multiple controversies, including the mistreatment of participants and workers. A class action lawsuit has been filed against him earlier this year on behalf of five contestants from the Beast Games.
The lawsuit was filed on Sep. 16, 2024, and there hasn’t been an official response, other than a reply to a tweet on Nov. 25 stating that he has proof that the claims were “blown out of proportion,” but can’t release it yet since it would “spoil the games.” MrBeast refusing to engage with the controversy until after the show is finished airing shows his privilege, clearly demonstrating a drive for engagement that overshadows concern for the well-being of those involved.
So far, it seems that the most-subscribed YouTuber on the planet — boasting over 340 million subscribers — will continue to enjoy unconditional love and attention from fans, despite his many controversies.
One of the biggest questions I have is just how much people like MrBeast, whose large audience grants them so much social power, can continue to push these boundaries without alienating their audience or harming their reputation.
While the Beast Games are undeniably entertaining and have solidified MrBeast as one of the most important figures currently in the entertainment industry, they have also set a precedent for the type of entertainment audiences want to watch. The constant pushing of our societal boundaries with no critical thought supporting the viewing experience will lead to a change in the entertainment that we consume. These massive productions will take advantage of the working class as never seen before, all for the pleasure of entertainment. This exploitation is done because attention equals revenue, making that ever more extreme and questionable content an almost guaranteed outcome in the race for views and engagement.
MrBeast and all those like him have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to lead by example. By prioritizing ethical practices and fostering more inclusive and respectful dynamics with workers and participants in their series, creators like MrBeast could reshape the entertainment industry for the better. After all, being bigger and louder is only one way to ensure a lasting legacy. Uplifting and inspiring is another way to ensure one’s name stands the test of time.
Only time will tell if the Beast Games, and by extension, MrBeast, are remembered as innovative pioneers in entertainment, or as cautionary tales of spectacles gone too far.
