This is why we can’t have nice things…
Jimmy is a 20-year-old YouTuber who goes by the alias “MrBeast”. Over the past year, he’s developed the nickname of “YouTube’s biggest philanthropist” for giving away massive amounts of money to random people.
To date, Jimmy has donated more than $500,000 to everyone from Uber drivers, to waitresses, to random people in parking lots, all of which he’s shared with his over 5 million subscribers on YouTube.
Related: James Woods defends his virulent homophobic tweet about a young boy
In one video, Jimmy gave three million pennies ($30,000 dollars) to his 3 millionth subscriber. In another one, he dropped $20,000 from a drone. And then there was the time he gave his own mother $100,000 to pay off the mortgage on her house.
Pretty cool, right?
There’s just one teeny tiny problem.
Jimmy has kind of of a homophobic past. And a not-so-distant one either. He was still dropping antigay slurs on Twitter just a few months ago. All of which went seemingly unnoticed… until now.
Taylor Lorenz at The Atlantic reports:
Jimmy regularly uses the notion of being gay as a punchline and treats the word like a slur, hurling it at people or things he’s attempting to diss. “Windows is gay,” he tweeted regarding his frustration using the operating system in December 2015. More recently, in December 2016, he responded to a tweet saying “I don’t have a printer fag.” Just this past December, in 2017, he replied to another person on Twitter, “STFU fag.”
When The Atlantic approached him for comment on its story, Jimmy replied by saying he’s “just a dumb kid that makes YouTube videos.”
“I’m not offensive toward anyone,” he added. “I’m not offensive in the slightest bit in anything I do. I’m just going to ignore it. I don’t think anyone cares about this stuff.”
Then he cut the call short, hung up the phone, and promptly scrubbed his Twitter account of all antigay language.
Of course, he’s hardly the first YouTuber to be caught up in a homophobic scandal. Last November, massively popular British YouTuber Zoella was has to issue an apology after she was outed for mocking gay men on Twitter.
Related: Homophobic tweets come back to haunt a massively popular YouTuber
Despite being exposed as a homophobe, Jimmy continues making videos and raising money. Two weeks ago, he celebrated his birthday, tweeting: “I’m 20 years old now, one of these days I’ll stop being an idiot.”
I’m 20 years old now, one of these days I’ll stop being an idiot. pic.twitter.com/HZlSFLXZuZ
— MrBeast (@MrBeastYT) May 9, 2018
Let’s hope that day comes soon.
QueerTruth
That’s it? That’s all? Really, Queerty?
Why not aim for real discriminating stories and not about philanthropist teenager who dropped the fag bomb… Yawn.
Bryguyf69
Er, why are you ignoring the part where he told the Atlantic reporter, “I’m not offensive toward anyone…I’m not offensive in the slightest bit in anything I do. I’m just going to ignore it. I don’t think anyone cares about this stuff.”
It’s not just that he said, “fag.” He:
1) won’t acknowledge that it’s offensive;
2) arrogantly claims that he’s never been offensive;
3) ignores the fact that its unacceptable;
4) arrogantly claims that others share his view
You don’t think trivializing homophobia is a problem, especially when you’re a media star and role model? Don’t deny that he’s a role model since plenty of his fans would love to emulate him and make their living as a YouTube star.
Teddy Ready
Hello. If this Kid is Smart enough to be the Selfless Humanitarian has he is portrayed in this article, then it is my hope that although he is super young and somewhat educated, he will sooner than later realize that his Negative Expressions that are Public, Influences All those He Helps and those that Look up to Him as a Role Model. It is never to Late to be a Better or Greater Person than He already Seems to Be. Step up to the Plate Young Man !!
Chrisk
Where does he get the money to be doing this? Clearly it can’t be just for doing the YouTube shtick.
Persa
He has nearly 5 million YT subscribers. He is raking that money in. He’s on the low end of what some of these Youtubers make.
Chrisk
Haha. I just watched some of his videos. I guess he appeals to young teens or something because I don’t get it. Basically it’s just look at me being stupid.
Dick Gozinia
What is a ‘printer fag’? Or, did he mean to write, “…printer, fag.”
Zambos271
I chuckled when I read that. Thanks for catching that, too.
decampbell
In my house *I’m* the printer fag.
DCguy
And what exactly is the line you draw where it’s ok? The guy has millions of followers, regularly uses anti-lgbt slurs and tells the Atlantic that it isn’t offensive.
Puckersnique
It’s about intent. Yes, the things he said we’re offensive and not owning up to it was even more ignorant, but SO many kids his age do it (including friends of my daughter who love my husband and I). Yes, they need to learn why it’s wrong, why it’s offensive even when they don’t intend it to be offensive to gay people, but this kid (based on this article anyway) isn’t a homophobe, he’s ignorant.
Chrisk
I’ve watched some of his videos. He comes off like a 14 year old. I’m not going to knock him because apparently that seems to be working with the the teeniboppers ie lots of $$.
MaxTaste
“Dumb Kid” sums it up nicely. Who got time for those. Not me.
Zambos271
In those two pictures, he looks way older than 20.
Heywood Jablowme
He can try to make amends by giving all of us [email protected] 3 million pennies each!
LibraOracle
This guy’s head is so far up is arse that he can’t see himself being offensive. He’s a rich, straight, white guy, why would he not ignore it, it’s not like he’s going to stop making money.