Warm up
If you had enough money to donate thousands of dollars to any charity or cause, what would it be?
Article
Mr. Beast’s social media philanthropy is new twist on age-old model
https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/mr-beasts-social-media-philanthropy-is-new-twist-on-age-old-model/
Discussion Questions
- Before reading this article, had you ever heard of the famous YouTuber “Mr. Beast”? Now that you know a little bit about him, what is your impression of him?
- What do you think of the video where Mr. Beast pays to have 1,000 people’s eyesight restored?
- Had you ever heard the term “performative altruism” before? (A definition of altruism that I found online is: “Altruism involves engaging in selfless acts for the pleasure of it. An example is giving your jacket and shoes to an unsheltered person.” In the case of performative altruism, this act of kindness has a performance aspect to it in which many people are aware of what was done.) Do you think that Mr. Beast’s video is an example of “performative altruism”? Why or why not?
- Do you think performative altruism is a good thing or a bad thing? Or do you think it could depend on the situation? Please explain.
- Can you think of any examples of “performative altruism” in Japanese culture?
- What do you think of the claim that paying for surgeries such as the ones Mr. Beast paid for should be the responsibility of the government rather than charities?
