More than a decade ago, I read a play by Jean Genet called Balcony. The play is set in a brothel in an unnamed city which is undergoing a revolution/rebellion. The brothel is a make-believe stage where one can indulge in activities of power and control, which is crumbling outside in the city. The clients of the brothel participate in role-playing and act out their dreams and fantasies.
Genet, himself the son of a prostitute, was a politically charged French poet, playwright and an activist. His plays highlight power centers and established norms and subversion.
But he also believed that once a revolution achieved its goals and established a new order, this new order would inevitably come with its own set of problems and forms of oppression.
I have not seen Mr Beast's videos in the last few/couple of years. But I have seen his early videos helping people or giving gifts to unfortunate people. Last time I saw him, he was driving a charity effort helping some children get better eye care. So the news that is cropping up recently and shocking the Youtube-verse could be stunning for many. The more news we hear, the worse it sounds.
If we collate Balcony and Genet with this situation, this was bound to happen. When climbing up the stairs of success, one is subversive and breaking the mold and displacing the status quo. In their mind, they are fresh, young blood and revolutionary - Pioneers.
But once established, it all goes down the same way. Rumors surrounding unsafe working conditions were the start; Now there is news of racism, homophobia, hiring criminals, and CP, among others.
Investigation is ongoing but usually big corporations get away or bury such stories. And Mr Beast and his team is the gigantic mammoth bringing millions of views regularly to Youtube. So all this could be silenced or maybe there could be another quiet rebel working his way up again...
But we are just here for the content, right?
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