echo Background
Content creation is something many people love doing. Whether it be a short TikTok dance, an Instagram reel regarding the latest brainrots, or a person jumping off a skyscraper while drinking red bull, the possibilities are endless. It’s fun, it’s enjoyable, and it’s exciting, and in some cases, even profitable! Who wouldn’t want to have fun while being paid to do so? And thus the masses began going at it. This amount then spiked when the salaries of various popular youtubers such as Pewdiepie and Nigahiga were revealed. However, they are not who we will be talking about today. As you can see in the title, we aren’t going to be praising anybody. This article will be covering four individuals that have sparked controversy over the past 6 months. If you haven’t guessed, they are the Paul brothers, Mr Beast, and KSI.
If you somehow don’t already know who these individuals are, here’s a brief summary of them. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) rose to fame on YouTube through his unique, high-budget challenge videos, philanthropy, and creative stunts, becoming one of the platform’s most subscribed creators. Jake Paul began with comedic vlogs, pranks, and lifestyle content, building a strong following among younger audiences. Logan Paul started with comedy sketches and daily vlogs, becoming one of YouTube’s top creators before pivoting to podcasting after a controversial incident. KSI (Olajide Olatunji) gained popularity with FIFA gaming videos and comedy skits, later diversifying his content with challenges and collaborative projects, solidifying his place as a leading YouTuber.
Now you might be wondering, why are we slandering them? They are successful in their field and make good, entertaining content. Yes, that is precisely the point; they are good content creators and the world would be perfectly fine had they stayed content creators. Unfortunately, things did not stay that way. They wanted to expand their horizon, using their already large popularity to begin their journey in other fields. Among these fields includes boxing, food, and music, just to name a few. Being successful in their respectives careers somehow wasn’t enough that they had to step outside of their realm and explore. Now, we’re not saying it’s a bad thing, no, no, no. In fact, finding alternative methods to making money is something a lot of people often do. However, is it really worth delving into new business ventures when controversy has surfaced around you? And is it necessarily a wise decision to then mock the faces of the respective industries you’ve chosen to dive into? Today, we’re going to be discussing (well, more like dissing) on why some Youtubers should stay in their own lane.
Boxing
Now, let’s start with “The Problem Child” of the Paul brothers, Jake Paul. Many of us have likely come across the recent Netflix special ‘PAUL vs TYSON’ or even witnessed this livestream event on November 15. Well, you may be wondering how this 27-year-old YouTuber ended up with a boxing career? Starting in August 2018, Paul gradually stepped into the boxing ring, beginning with amateur matches and before turning professional two years later. As his boxing career grew, so did his net worth, eventually leading him to declare a fight against “Iron Mike” – Mike Tyson. Tyson, 58, is a two-time heavyweight champion, who dominated the sport between1987 and 1990, but has been retired from professional boxing since 2005, fueling massive speculation about the highly anticipated match.
Would Tyson still remain as undefeatable as he was in his prime? Was Jake Paul reckless for declaring a fight against such a legendary champion? Has Tyson’s boxing skills deteriorated over the two decade hiatus? The controversial fight eventually resulted in 65 million households tuning in on the Netflix livestream, which aired the fight that took place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15. However, the long awaited fight turned out unsatisfactory to most, with the crowd booing the match at the end. With the punching stats recording Tyson landing only 18 out of 97 punches, the people’s concerns about the 58-year-old’s age proved valid. Now, this is where the controversy begins.
If Jake Paul sincerely wanted to advance his professional boxing career, why challenge a retired champion who was 30 years his senior? No matter the outcome, Paul would either face ridicule for beating up a 58-year-old man or humiliation for losing to one, producing a lose-lose situation on both ends. Some fans have even described the event as ‘elder abuse’, questioning the ethics of bringing back a man who was enjoying his retired life from the violent sport he had left behind. But no matter the real reason, it is evident that this ‘PR stunt’ which was supposed to solidify his name as a professional boxer was not well thought out, as it ultimately just places him in a egoistic view, that perhaps he was only doing this just to unnecessarily boost his own ego. Can you really call yourself a boxing champion if you fight against retired old men?
‘One for the money, two for the show.’ Some netizens have suspected the fight to be scripted, claiming that Tyson ‘bit his gloves’ because he ‘wasn’t allowed’ to knock Paul out. Comparisons between his training videos vs the fight have also prompted fans to comment that he definitely was holding back and not utilising his full potential. And it definitely does hold some sort of sense to it, as why would a retired champion return to the ring, just for his opponent to be a YouTuber-turned-boxer? If the fight was indeed staged, it would be a disservice not only to boxing as a sport but also to Tyson’s loyal fans, who had hoped to see the legend reclaim his former glory, only to watch the person they looked up to being ambushed.
Sometimes even the strongest metals rust over time, as seen by the defeat of the legendary “Iron Mike”. This match was clearly flawed from the start, scripted or not, as age would still put Tyson in an incredibly disadvantaged position. This brings us to a clear statement : YouTubers should stay in their own lane. Jake Paul might have defeated Mike Tyson, but absolutely not “Iron Mike”.
Food
The F&B industry is known to be one of, if not the most competitive industry, to start a business in. Gaining recognition, differentiating your brand and maintaining customer loyalty requires constant innovation, branding, and quality control. Many entrepreneurs dedicate years into building a successful brand name. After all, without the right connections, financial backing, or pre-existing popularity, it can be incredibly difficult to stand out.
Now, what if you already had all three things mentioned above? An automatically successful business that immediately gains attention from the masses. This is exactly what Logan Paul, KSI, and Mr Beast have successfully achieved. The names Prime, Feastables, Beast Burger, and Lunchly were instantaneously known by many upon their release.This widespread recognition was due entirely to their founders, who are globally known figures, whether for good or bad reasons. The backlash behind some of these brands was not necessarily because the products were bad, but it was rather targeted towards the founders of the brands themselves.
Let’s take a closer look at Mr Beast’s food brands, starting with Beast Burger. Beast Burger was undoubtedly one of the least successful attempts at creating a fast food chain. Launched in 2020 by Mr Beast with Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC), Beast Burger blew up at first but eventually ran into some big problems. The biggest issue was quality control, as the food was being made in ghost kitchens, leading to complaints of undercooked or poorly prepared meals. Beast Burger feels like the ultimate cash grab disguised as a food brand. The menu reads like it was put together during a lunch break, with uninspired burger options that rely more on influencer hype than actual culinary quality. The food is a hit-or-miss, often arriving cold, soggy, or looking like it lost a fight in transit. And let’s not forget the pricing—charging premium rates for what essentially feels like fast-food leftovers. It’s all flash and no substance, banking on celebrity clout rather than earning customer loyalty through taste or consistency.
Next on the list of products that we are critiquing today is another collaboration involving Mr Beast, Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime; Lunchly. Marketed as the better ‘Lunchables’, Lunchly is the perfect storm of overhyped mediocrity, dressed up in flashy branding but delivering little to no substance. The menu is a snoozefest of uninspired, reheated options that taste like they were designed by someone who’s never enjoyed a good meal. The portions were laughable—barely enough to satisfy a toddler, let alone an adult with real hunger. As for the price? You’re paying outrageous prices for what feels like a cheap afterthought. The delivery is about as reliable as a knockoff smartwatch, and the excessive packaging screams “we don’t care about the planet.” With names like MrBeast, KSI, and Logan Paul attached, you’d expect something innovative, but instead, Lunchly is a sad cash grab banking on clout while failing to deliver anything worth the hype.
As for Feastables and Prime, they do not exhibit as many flaws as the other two mentioned above. While they are far from being the best in their field, they benefit significantly by huge names. The main reason these brands were made fun of was strongly because of the people who made the product, as well as its outrageous prices. However, that’s not the only issue. They released these products when various controversies about them were coming up, especially Mr Beast. Afterall, he was criticized for exploiting participants for views, while others question the sustainability and authenticity of his charitable efforts. And with that being said, what makes us think he’s not exploiting his young viewers to grab even more cash than he already has?
Music
Over the years, there have been several YouTubers who successfully ventured into music, with notable examples being Joji, Troye Sivan and Tyler, the Creator. Of course, the music route seems utterly attractive, but that does not necessarily mean it’s for everyone. Some youtubers find it hard to accept that being a content creator doesn’t automatically mean that you’re deemed to be successful. Like any new artist, they are equally vulnerable to criticism, if not more so, given their pre-existing fame.
On October 6, KSI released his single ‘Thick of It’ , which unexpectedly transformed into a major Internet meme. People described the single as a ‘Roblox 2017 bully story ahh song’ or ‘Minecraft parody ahh music’, implicitly outlining the song’s obsolescence. Some netizens took a more friendly approach, stating that the song would have absolutely ‘went hard’ if it was released in 2017, claiming that the then audience would much better receive it. There was one particular lyric from the second verse which went viral “From the screen, to the ring, to the pen, to the king.” which originally was used to denote his journey from being a youtuber, to a boxer, and later towards an artist. What was meant to symbolize a transformative journey instead became a laughingstock, emphasizing the challenges YouTubers face when stepping into the music industry.
His close acquaintances didn’t have his back either, with his brother Deji commenting that the song was ‘a solid 2/10’. Other YouTubers like Agent00 and Ishowspeed too couldn’t help but make fun of him as they reacted to the song. Meanwhile, business partner Logan Paul even released a skit where he was tied up and had ‘violent repulsions’ listening to the single. It is eminent that the lengths people took to make fun of the song was unnecessary, but despite its potential of being a banger in the past, it isn’t wild to conclude that the criticism for the single and KSI was well deserved
Another issue that people found ‘diabolical’ was KSI’s decision to promote his business “Prime”, as introduced above, in his music video. This decision had some viewers questioning whether the single was a genuine musical effort or simply a cleverly disguised business strategy, and hence caused KSI’s passion for music to be downplayed (assuming he has passion). All in all, this profit orientated move was not received well by the audience, painting him as a dishonest and money-loving artist. This approach also highlighted a deeper issue: while smaller artists pour their heart and soul into their work, struggling to gain recognition, KSI’s exploitation of his platform for monetary gain painted him as opportunistic,showcasing the insincerity that lies beneath his work.
As with any profession, there are so many layers that one should expect if he or she decides to venture into music. Whether it is being a solo artist or having a team, the production process is inherently difficult, as you or your team have to produce, mix, write lyrics, etc. But most importantly, one has to consider who their target audience is and whether your work would be well accepted in this current day and age. Artists, whether big or small, are all prone to criticism, and hence YouTubers should learn to stay in their lane if they aren’t ready to face said criticism.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the controversies and dramas involving the Paul brothers, KSI, and Mr Beast, no matter how contentious, have succeeded in drawing more attention to these individuals. These incidents reflect the unique pressures on influencers who venture into entrepreneurship. Their attempts to expand into traditional markets like food and drink bring both opportunity and scrutiny. While some criticism may be warranted, these controversies also showcase how public figures navigate the fine line between innovation and accountability in an era of intense public focus.
So, are these content creators in the wrong for wanting to venture into new industries? No. Have poor decisions been made along the way? Yes. We aren’t critiquing their choices to attempt new experiences, but rather the intentions that lie behind those decisions. At the end of the day, we can all agree it’s worth questioning: are these pursuits fuelled by genuine passion, or are they merely about chasing fame and fortune?
Written by: Chung Wei & Vanessa
Edited by: Ashley
