MrBeast’s Giant Reality Competition Faces Safety Complaints From Initial Contestants

NEW YORK — MrBeast, YouTube’s biggest celebrity, is facing questions regarding the safety of contestants in the preliminary stage of his ambitious “Beast Games” game show, which has 1,000 competitors vying for a $5 million grand prize.

Some contenders complained publicly and to other YouTube influencers about not having regular access to food, water, and medication during early production at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and some competitors were wounded throughout the process.

MrBeast’s Giant Reality Competition Faces Safety Complaints From Initial Contestants

A MrBeast spokeswoman stated that his team is reviewing the process and requesting input from participants ahead of the next round of production in Toronto.

The stakes for “Beast Games” are high not only for the players but also for MrBeast himself, actually named Jimmy Donaldson, and the recipients of his style of “stunt philanthropy,” which frequently involves direct cash or housing presents. The accusations about the “Beast Games” production coincide with Donaldson’s admission this week that he used racial and homophobic obscenities years ago in recordings he made as a teenager.

The show, which has already been picked up by Amazon Prime Video and will air in 240 countries, is part of Donaldson’s cultural expansion beyond YouTube, where he has 307 million subscribers. Countless young consumers already buy his Feastables candy line and the burgers bearing his name.

“My goal is to make the best show possible and prove that YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms,” Donaldson stated in an Amazon press release in March.

Donaldson’s firms cast 2,000 people for an initial trial at Allegiant Stadium in July, with 1,000 moving on to the main event. Amazon Prime Video was not participating and did not return a request for comment.

A MrBeast spokeswoman stated on Friday that the promotional video production was “unfortunately complicated” by inclement weather, the huge CrowdStrike outage that caused global technological devastation, and “other unexpected logistical and communications issues.”

We “have taken steps to ensure that we learn from this experience, and we are excited to welcome hundreds of men and women to the world’s largest game show in history,” the spokesperson stated in an email.

MrBeast provided $1,000 to eliminated candidates upon their departure from the game, and the spokesperson stated that most of those still in contention are eager to continue.

Some players anticipated obstacles akin to those from the dystopian Netflix show Squid Game, a fictitious series—and eventually a reality game show—in which highly indebted people battle for millions in high-stakes children’s games.

The Associated Press contacted multiple candidates about “Beast Games,” but the majority either did not answer or refused to speak on the record because they had signed nondisclosure agreements.

Scott Leopold, a 53-year-old father from Austin, Texas, told the Associated Press that he believed he was competing in the actual “Beast Games,” not a prelude to the program. He claimed he was misled about his prospects of winning and that the tournament in Las Vegas would not be available on Amazon Prime Video.

Donaldson should not be “villainized,” but “an apology would go a long way.”

“All I can conclude is that he was in over his head,” Leopold explained. “There were too many people, and I don’t think he knew how to handle the situation.”

Nancy Libby, a Navy veteran from California who claimed to be one of the last people removed, told the Associated Press that she registered after seeing a casting call on Facebook. Her daughters watch MrBeast videos, she explained, and she had already planned to take time off work.

The on-set conditions met her expectations. Libby stated that recruiters had urged her to watch past MrBeast’s challenges to better understand the event. As a result, she added, muesli meals and nights spent sleeping on the floor were no surprise.

Libby admitted that “crowd control” was a difficulty, and extra staffing could help ensure that competitors did not damage their opponents. But Libby said the MrBeast team appeared to take safety seriously, and she only saw nasty behavior from other contractors.

MrBeast’s Giant Reality Competition Faces Safety Complaints From Initial Contestants

“Sometimes, when you run things that are the first of their kind, things come up that you can’t foresee,” Libby told me. I think that the template was there for a really good competition.”

MrBeast has previously had strained ties with its contractors. One of Donaldson’s companies sued and then countersued a vendor with whom they collaborated on the “MrBeast Burger,” which was critically ridiculed.

Fans have frequently complained about not receiving things ordered from MrBeast or receiving incorrect items or sizes. In an online post last year, a merchant who worked with MrBeast to ship some of those goods said they had let the fan down.

SOURCE | AP