Lunchly controversy: Exploring why MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI's new business venture is receiving backlash
Three of YouTube's biggest names - Jimmy "MrBeast," Logan Paul and JJ "KSI," teamed up to launch their first-ever collaborative business Lunchly, a ready-to-eat pre-cooked meal box. This product has been labeled as a "healthier option" to the existing Lunchables. However, it has also attracted some serious drama within the online community, particularly over the nature of their marketing.
This story will explore the timeline of events involving Lunchly including the ensuing controversy and responses from the owners.
What is the controversy involving MrBeast, Logan Paul and KSI's Lunchly?
On September 16, 2024, MrBeast, Logan Paul and KSI joined hands to announce their pre-cooked meal box company called Lunchly. They declared that it was a healthier option than Lunchables, which has existed in the market since the 1980s.
On September 17, just one day after the official launch of the ready-to-eat meal box, veteran YouTuber and Minecraft player Daniel "DanTDM" tweeted his disapproval, bluntly calling the product "crap." He wrote:
"This is selling stuff for the sake of making money, simple. How does this benefit their fans? This is selling crap to kids who don't know better than to trust the people who are selling it to them."
As a highly respected and prominent YouTuber with 29 million subscribers, DanTDM's post has garnered significant support from the broader online community.
What did MrBeast, Logan Paul and KSI say about the controversy?
DanTDM's post criticizing Lunchly naturally attracted numerous responses, including comments from all three of Lunchly's owners. MrBeast, for instance, responded to the criticism by writing:
"Eating fresh chicken and broccoli is healthier but if someone is going to eat a pre-made meal like this (which millions of people do through Lunchables) then I think giving them a higher quality version at roughly the same price is a net good."
Logan Paul, responding to DanTDM's concerns, expressed that they want to start expanding as businessmen:
"We spent our lives creating content and building our brands. Now we want to build businesses."
Fans have also questioned Logan Paul over the alleged inclusion of lead or other metallic substances in the food product. The WWE star responded by uploading a video of the meals going through an X-ray and metal detection machine:
(Note: Despite the video, many pointed out that lead in food cannot be properly detected through a traditional metal detection machine, as used by Logan)
KSI, the popular Sidemen member, has also been quite vocal about the criticism against Lunchly. He uploaded a YouTube video, taking a shot at DanTDM, and accusing him of promoting pre-cooked meals himself (referring to DanTDM's past sponsorship deals). He said:
"He was sponsored, then promoted, and made a whole video on MunchPak, a monthly sub-box full of food and candy to his Minecraft audience full of kids. Now what?"
What are some other creator's responses?
The Lunchly drama has also garnered numerous responses from other creators, who appear to be taking a neutral stance. For example, Zack "Asmongold" conducted a taste test comparing the Lunchly and Lunchables meal boxes. He commented:
"I feel like this is so anticlimactic. They are basically the same f**king thing. They look different, but they basically taste the exact same."
Twitch and Kick streamer Felix "xQc" also reacted to DanTDM's opinion on Lunchly, seemingly disagreeing with his strong take. He said:
"Is this, 'Man discovers business' or what? This is, 'Dan discovers business.' Okay! Gotcha! (xQc reads out loud DanTDM's tweet) My bad, I forgot I should...hey, sorry! Wait, dude, KSI, MrBeast - no, no, no, no! I should've been trusting Nestle and Disney, and f**king whatever the f**k, dude. Dude, it's all business s**t. Who the f**k cares?"
Despite the wave of controversy and responses from various creators, including the three founders of Lunchly, DanTDM has not made any further comments on the matter.