Now that infamous YouTuber, Mr. Beast is in boiling water for his disaster of a company and his unethical —and frankly criminal — actions, it begs the question of why YouTubers and influencers in general are able to market themselves, and their products so strongly to children.
Mr. Beast has multiple food-related ventures, putting himself firmly in the food niche. He owns Beast Burger, a delivery-only, ghost kitchen restaurant, while also selling Feastables, his name-brand chocolate bars.
Mr. Beast, officially known as Jimmy Donaldson, has always been aware of his audience being majority young children. That’s why he talks the way he does, forcing his viewers to buy his products. Donaldson markets himself with bright, saturated thumbnails and dramatic expressions, extreme challenges with unimaginably valuable prizes. Donaldson plays into this shtick because he knows he can manipulate children this way.
His Lunchables knockoff, Lunchly. Claiming to be healthier, Lunchly markets to children that fewer calories equal health.
Sure, the sugar content is 10g compared to the whopping 22g in Lunchables, but both have terribly high sodium content.
Lunchly markets itself in a sleek package, bright reds and blues. The food options — nachos, pizza, turkey, and cheese crackers — are all quite similar to the nostalgic Lunchables ‘meals’, but on the box, the saturation is bumped up so high, it’s blinding.
The dramatics of the box design and the Mr. Beast name attached to it are eye-catching to his young fans. Donaldson knows how to market to children and won’t stop until they drain their parents’ bank accounts.
A layer that added more controversy was the influx of YouTubers and reviewers who were shocked to find their unopened packages boasting an expiration date a month out from the time of publication, while juxtaposingly containing mold.
Popular YouTuber and baker, formerly known as ‘Nerdy Nummies’, Rosanna Pansino filmed herself reviewing the product. The cheese was moldy. More people found mold in the product themselves, and further investigation found that there was no glue around the plastic seal to fully keep air from leaking into the box. In any normal product, manufacturers wouldn’t have overlooked this issue.
This, coupled with recent allegations of his character, allegedly being investigated by the FBI, holding a close relationship with and hiring alleged predators, and even including his past as a gaming channel where he uttered inappropriate language, all really show a lack of Donaldson’s credibility.
YouTubers, and internet personalities in general, are largely unmoderated and unchecked compared to sanitized television. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with maybe an advertiser marketing a toy to a child audience, but YouTubers and streamers have no true concept of advertising and child safety.
Internet personalities publicly push agendas, and influencers in general are in the business of selling products. There is nowhere near enough moderation of online advertising, as television advertisers had decades to learn from dangerous recalled toys, influencers get famous and will take sponsorships or brand deals that are largely unchecked, creating murky waters for those being influenced: the masses.
