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submitted 4 months ago by KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

I never bothered to ask and now i'm afraid of being outed as an old for asking.

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[-] corroded@lemmy.world 26 points 4 months ago

I'm old. Not old enough to need a prostate exam, but old enough to potentially have children in his target demographic. That being said, he essentially has found a winning formula for videos that amounts to "give away lots of money and make it entertaining." I've watched a lot of his videos; they are entertaining and a decent way to kill 10 minutes.

I'm assuming you asked this question because of all the recent information that came to light calling him a fraud, and to be honest, it's kind of a big deal. Part of his brand has always been "these are random people, competing or doing a challenge to win a life-changing wad of cash." He's made a point on multiple occasions to say that his videos are never faked. It's not too dissimilar to any cable TV game show. The fact that these aren't random people and are employees or actors, and that the outcomes are fixed, makes the audience feel deceived.

It's the difference between why people watch pro wrestling vs MMA or boxing. With pro wrestling, we all know it's a show; it's a scripted performance, just like a movie or a play. People still watch it and enjoy it, but they know it's no different than watching a fictional TV show or going to the theater. In MMA or boxing, you're watching two people compete to see who's the better fighter. It doesn't have a predetermined outcome; you're watching a real competition.

The problem is that he has always presented himself as being "boxing" when in reality, he's "pro wrestling." The people featured in his videos aren't random subscribers trying to win money to send their kids to college or put a down payment on a house. They're employees or paid actors who are putting on a show for our entertainment. There's nothing wrong with mindless entertainment, but call it what it is.

TLDR: Fake videos, unsubscribed.

[-] otter@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 months ago

The fact that these aren't random people and are employees or actors, and that the outcomes are fixed, makes the audience feel deceived.

Oh I had no idea. I know some people seemed like friends/ other content creators, didn't know others were faked too

this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2024
185 points (92.6% liked)

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