By Richard Mason
Amazon Prime program, “Beast Games,” can be dumb fun when not broadcasting the desperation of its contestants. The game show created by Jimmy Donaldson, otherwise known as Mr. Beast, is a high-stakes competition with a $5 million prize. While Mr. Beast demonstrates a knowledge of competitive reality TV tropes, he’s revolutionary in lowering the bar in terms of keeping one’s dignity.
The contestants in the show are deeply involved in staying on, as all competitive TV contenders do. I think what has stood out to me though is the lack of personality, on their parts and Jimmy Donaldson. Crying and begging are common early on in the series. There’s a massive gap in contestant etiquette and TV editing between this show and most regular games hows. Donaldson himself is not mean spirited, he’s an observer who clearly likes to highlight the most extreme reactions out of people. He doesn’t comfort or condemn contestants, he sort of hovers and gives descriptions of the most obvious.
Unlike Survivor, there aren’t proper confessionals so getting to know the cast is hard. While it starts with 1,000 contestants, it gets below 100 pretty fast. There are brief asides with contestants, but they usually don’t get shown talking about subjects beyond the individual games. When the viewer does get to see their personal lives is when they have to bargain with each other in social challenges. Some games require one contestant to choose who will move on directly. Vulnerable contestants will often shout out their trials to the lucky player in an effort to get noticed. One contestant shouted out that their dad had cancer in order to get attention.
Reflecting on recent episodes there’s been a peak moment in both pity flexing and desperation. In one challenge, a stack of $1 million was left out for the final 10. Each of them in a specific order would take as much as they want anonymously. One contestant going early took over $600,000 despite other contestants being under the impression they’d each take a little bit or $100,000 each. In his immediate justification to host Jimmy Donaldson he stated how he’s in deep debt at the moment. While financial trouble is understandable, it can’t be overlooked that this contestant called out another earlier for bad sportsmanship, and that he has to be aware he wasn’t the only contestant in bad financial shape.
Beast Games is entertaining though, despite the unprofessional nature of the competition. The segment in which contestants compete for an island is a highpoint of the series so far, featuring strong, engaging challenges and high amounts of respect between competitors. Lil Yachty also makes an appearance in this segment which is handled as awkwardly as Jimmy Donaldson can. If the whole show was as light-hearted and fun as this section, then it’d be great reality TV. However, I don’t think Donaldson quite gets the medium.
YouTubers have always attempted to break out into television, never to long-term success. Children’s internet entertainer Fred had become his own zeitgeist for a small period of time, but from the reviews on this IMDB page I won’t expect a reunion for his Nickelodeon show anytime soon. Other zany YouTube personalities have tried to break into traditional media for new audiences and another income stream, only to realize their content was formed by the platform that birthed them and not suitable for network TV. The medium, YouTube, has its own conventions the same way movies and novels do.
Mr. Beast is exemplary for the success of Beast Games and his own understanding of YouTube as a medium. He was an early adopter of utilizing key words to game the algorithm. He’s old enough to have been exposed to a young YouTube’s heyday, and to have been able to learn from the mixed long-term successes of his predecessors. His content, as self-aware of YouTube’s intricacies as he is, is not self-aware of his clear insincerity on screen. A man birthed from the recommended feed is not going to understand showmanship, good sportsmanship, or compassion.
