Bill Maher defends Mr. Beast for YouTuber’s charity work
By Matt Moore
Bill Maher came to the defense of social media personality Mr. Beast during Friday night’s Real Time with Bill Maher. The late-night TV host also had a lot to say about how disability is framed in society today.
Mr. Beast holds the title of the most successful YouTube personality in the platform’s history. He boasts over 32 billion views, helping him amass an estimated net worth of $500 million.
With that following and wealth, Mr. Beast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) has turned his attention to charity. He has helped disadvantaged communities and provided medical access to those in need.
But Mr. Beast’s decision to film and upload videos of his philanthropic efforts has rubbed some the wrong way. He’s been accused of being performative, while others have questioned his motivation in helping the disabled.
That’s where Bill Maher stepped in last night on Real Time. Maher sarcastically admonished Mr. Beast for helping blind people, rebuilding an orphanage, and helping bring clean drinking water to a community in need.
On the surface, it isn’t like Maher to support someone line Mr. Beast. A millennial living his life on YouTube for other millennials to watch on their phones isn’t exactly Maher’s idea of a healthy lifestyle.
Yet Mr. Beast’s efforts to help people and improve the world around him earned applause from Maher. The Real Time host defended the YouTuber for doing something while calling out critics who haven’t done the same.
So why would anyone criticize Mr. Beast? According to Bill Maher, it all ties into an overly sensitive society. The comedian has railed against victimhood in the past but claims some people want to be victims until it’s actually time to get help.
Maher’s “New Rule” segment transitioned from defending Mr. Beast to criticizing how some portray disability. He was shocked by comments from organizations suggesting that disability wasn’t something that had to be fixed. For Maher, that is absolutely what should be done when it comes to disabilities.
In conclusion, Maher dismissed the idea that “disabled” is a political identity. The Real Time host blamed the “woke,” arguing that so many in America are eager to “s*** all over something” rather than accept the good. That’s why Mr. Beast will always have a fan in Bill Maher … even if he isn’t watching.