MrBeast Used an Ancient Mayan Temple To Hawk His Moldy Snacks

My wife and I were lucky enough to have our honeymoon in Mexico. A good friend gifted us a few days at his family’s hacienda in Merida. We visited ruins, ate fried crickets, drank lots of tequila (at least I did), and I lost my glasses in a cenoté. It was incredible. Then, due to a mix-up, we spent a few days in the heart of the city. It was a wonderful accident that found us immersed in Mexican culture. It was an absolute blessing. Then, we spent our last few days at a resort in Cancún. It was hell.

Sure, there was free food, drinks, and giant swimming pools. We were right by the beach, and the weather was perfect (save for one rainy night). But it was also tailored to American culture. White Snack was blasting the minute we walked in, only to be drowned out by a woman yelling, “Swimup bar?! Swim up bar! I’ll meet you at the swim up bar” at the top of her lungs as we checked in at the lobby. We had gone from authentic Mexican culture and food to a haven for mullets, Chilis, and Michelob Ultra.

Even without that personal experience, it doesn’t take much for me to bristle at the sight of MrBeast (I’m furious I just had to add that name to my Grammarly dictionary). The YouTube star and James Patterson literary partner (barf) has presented himself as some kind of philanthropist who exploits people’s pain to sell his s***ty snacks and smile like he’s never seen a human being show their teeth before. He smiles like he’s trying to fend off predators. I know media training is lost on these people, but you’re supposed to look happy when you show your teeth like that, not like you’re a toddler forced to pose with your grandma.

MrBeast’s videos have gotten more elaborate over the years as he’s become stupid rich. Recently, he took a trip to Mexico, and, like me, had some insider help. Ole Beasty Boy was allowed to explore inside the Mayan Ruins, something local citizens aren’t even allowed to do. Him and his dweeby sycophants make their way through the ruins, which would be harmless enough (albeit annoying) had he not ended the video with an ad for his peanut butter cups.

Beast and his boys sit down for an authentic Mexican meal after their travels, and it looks delicious. At this point, I had already watched more MrBeast than I had in my life, and had reached what I thought was peak annoyance. Then this uncanny valley-looking motherf***er has the nerve to bust out his own snacks as “dessert” post this meal. One of the dweebs call him a “master of marketing,” ensuring their place on the next trip. Beast points out how much real peanut butter is in it (can’t imagine why these things can’t sit on the shelf for very long) and calls them “Mayan-approved.” It’s gross.

Now, Mexico is looking for an apology. President Claudia Sheinbaum is looking for answers. The country took to social media to say it is “pleased that YouTubers and all the world’s young people appreciate the value of our indigenous civilisations” but that it “strongly condemns those who take advantage,” which MrBeast absolutely did. He took something beautiful and rubbed America’s stink all over it. It’s embarrassing, and not just because Beast perfectly encapsulates where we are as a country. That just makes it worse.