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- ‘Beast Games’ Has Been Compared to the Infamous Fyre Fest
- ‘Beast Games’ Sued by Contestants
As someone who has spent countless hours in the chaotic world of reality TV production, I must say that the tale of Mr. Beast’s “Beast Games” is a rollercoaster ride that leaves me both astounded and amused.
Mr. Beast and Amazon’s Prime Video have joined forces to produce a brand-new reality competition series called “Beast Games.” Known as the largest reality competition ever, it gathers 2,000 contestants and promises the most substantial cash prize in game show history: an astounding $5 million. Although Mr. Beast has built his reputation on the daring and extraordinary challenges seen on his popular YouTube channel, his ambitious venture to redefine the boundaries of reality competition television has sparked quite a stir.
As a passionate moviegoer, I’d like to share my thoughts on “Beast Games,” a production that’s the brainchild of none other than Jimmy Donaldson, famously known as Mr. Beast. This project is an extension of his popular YouTube channel, where he presents daring challenges like “Survive 100 Days in a Nuclear Bunker and Win $500,000” or the “World’s Deadliest Obstacle Course.” The adrenaline-pumping nature of these tasks has catapulted Mr. Beast to the top as the biggest YouTube creator (with over 330 million subscribers). However, this meteoric rise seems to have sparked some off-screen drama that has found him and his new reality show embroiled in a lawsuit.
‘Beast Games’ Has Been Compared to the Infamous Fyre Fest
Initially, it was announced that Donaldson’s (Mr. Beast) project, titled “Beast Games,” would break records as the biggest game show ever made. This is just another grand venture for the YouTube sensation, who has previously established a fast-food chain, a snack kit line, and a brand of chocolate bars. Despite being his first foray into traditional entertainment, the production of Beast Games hasn’t been without its challenges. With 2,000 contestants and filming taking place in Las Vegas, Toronto, and Panama, it was inevitable that there would be tension in such a vast project. However, anonymous contestants and crew members claim that the production of Beast Games was marked by disarray and chaos.
2,000 competitors assembled at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for a competition, where they spent their days eating, resting, and living as they faced various challenges. Their ultimate goal was to advance to the top 1,000 who would carry on with the contest in Toronto. However, according to the contestants, the filming of the show presented hazardous and disappointing circumstances. Contestants alleged that they had to sleep on the stadium floors, some suffered injuries, and others claimed that the show was withholding their prescribed medications.
A crew member commented to Rolling Stone, “This level of production hasn’t been attempted before for good reasons,” adding, “It never should have been attempted without professionals who know what they are doing.” The crew member described the production as chaotic, uncontrolled, and potentially dangerous. They also pointed out that the crew was inexperienced when it comes to large-scale productions, likening it to the infamous Fyre Festival.
‘Beast Games’ Sued by Contestants
Based on accounts from contestants at Beast Games, the production of the show was nothing short of disorderly. A closer examination by The New York Times unveiled that the series featured perilous challenges and extensive waivers, where participants acknowledged they could potentially suffer from dehydration, fatigue, burns, heat stroke, or even death. Such hazards are not surprising in a liability waiver for an experience that pushes contestants to decide if they’re willing to be entombed alive or tossed overboard from a vessel.
In simpler terms, many participants asserted that they weren’t anticipating some issues not directly related to the challenges they faced daily. A collective lawsuit was initiated in September, with several previous contestants alleging they endured unjust and hazardous working conditions. Contestants claimed they received insufficient food (one instance alleged a single serving of rice was given over a 16-hour span) and that female participants experienced sexual harassment during filming.
The contestants alleged that the production team exerted undue influence to make them sign overly restrictive confidentiality agreements, thereby limiting their ability to discuss publicly about their treatment. Among the issues raised, they asserted (as reported by Rolling Stone) that the work environment was rife with misogyny, lacked privacy, and that the contestants were subjected to complete control by the production staff. In simpler terms, the contestants claimed that they had no freedom or self-rule in an atmosphere that fostered misogyny.
It is claimed that a guidebook called ‘Mastering Success in Mr. Beast Productions’ was circulated and suggested participants engage in inappropriate humor as a way to boost the male cast members during filming, making them appear foolish or reckless. One of the female contestants involved in the lawsuit commented on the production environment, saying she expected a challenging experience but didn’t anticipate being treated disrespectfully.
Competitors also expressed concerns about Beast Games misrepresenting the actual number of competitors. Initially, 1,000 competitors took part in the Toronto games; however, the Las Vegas qualifiers allowed up to 2,000 participants. The footage was used for content on the Mr. Beast YouTube channel, and some contestants who expected to be part of the series discovered they were eliminated before the Toronto games started. Additionally, these competitors alleged that they weren’t fairly compensated for their time as ’employees.’ Although contestants aren’t officially recognized as ’employees,’ they are hoping that future seasons will reconsider this classification. This request might gain traction since participants from the reality show Love is Blind have recently been instructed to be categorized as employees.
Following the completion of the competition, participants were reached out to by Mr. Beast’s team and given an offer of up to $2,000 each. A representative from Mr. Beast has acknowledged that the Las Vegas event was made difficult due to the CrowdStrike downtime, harsh weather conditions, and unforeseen logistical problems. It’s possible that the sudden increase in Mr. Beast content production caused some complications. After all, managing and accommodating 2,000 contestants is a significant undertaking that would challenge even the most experienced productions. The legal dispute between the undisclosed contestants and Amazon/Mr. Beast is still pending. Starting from December 19, two inaugural episodes of Beast Games will be available on Amazon Prime Video. Fresh episodes debut every Thursday thereafter.
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2024-12-19 05:31