YouTubers have always been controversial, and KSI, MrBeast and Logan Paul are among the most controversial figures in the YouTube sphere. The trio has been under collective fire due to a recent announcement that they are launching an alternative to Lunchables called Lunchly. However, many fans and their YouTube peers are not happy about the development.
The Lunchly launch has made headlines because of its public backlash. Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, replied to a post on X, formely known at Twitter, from DramaAlert that posted the reactions of many known content creators to “Lunchly.”
“Lunchables sells hundreds of millions of units and countless people eat it,” MrBeast wrote in an X reply. “Our goal is to give people a ‘better for you’ alternative to it. Our turkey meal, for example, is 80 less calories, 60% less sugar (and) more electrolytes; we use real cheese they use ‘cheese product’ (they can’t call it cheese), higher quality meat, etc.”
"Obviously eating fresh chicken and broccoli is healthier but if someone is going to eat a premade meal like this, (which millions of people do thru lunchables) then I think giving them a higher quality version at roughly the same price is a net good imo and why we launched Lunchly,” MrBeast added. “Also as we get economies of scale and can get things cheaper we will be only improving the product more and more."
DanTDM, a prominent YouTuber whose audience is mostly young fans, condemned the trio’s launch on X. In a post, DanTDM called out the practice of selling products to an impressionable audience.
“What happened to YouTubers man? I can't not say anything anymore. This is selling stuff for the sake of making money, simple,” DanTDM said. “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. Do better.”
The post resulted in a response from all three Lunchly creators, including MrBeast’s response to the DramaAlert post. KSI would reply nine days later.
“Some dumba -- youtuber said this exact same thing to me the other day,” KSI said. “Rather than complaining, crying and trying to cancel a YouTuber for creating a product, here's an idea ... If you don't want/like a product, just don't buy it. Simple.”
Paul replied to DanTDM’s post on X as well.
“I’ll tell you what happened to YouTubers,” Paul said. “We spent our lives creating content and building our brands. Now we want to build businesses. You don’t say anything when Lunchables faces bans for allegedly containing LEAD but when we create a better version, you’re upset? Then don’t eat it.”
Paul would be called out for the lead comment due to his drink brand Prime, which is included in the Lunchly meal. The drink was the subject of lawsuits after numerous flavors were allegedly found to contain lead and other permanent chemicals.
Prime’s inclusion in the meal has many critiquing the claim of a healthier alternative to Lunchables. Doctor Mike, a family medicine physician who creates medical educational content on YouTube, created a video explaining the nutritional value of both Lunchly and Lunchables.
Doctor Mike said the FDA standard for children in K-8 grade levels should receive about 625 calories in a lunch every day, with less than 10% of calories coming from added sugars and less than 10% of saturated fat.
Doctor Mike found that 23% of Lunchly’s calories came from saturated fat and 10.4% came from added sugars. He would go on to add that a Lunchly’s turkey meal is only 230 total calories.
Children would need to consume 2.7 portions of Lunchly turkey to get their needed calories at lunch, which would result in the consumption of nearly 1,300 milligrams of sodium and close to the daily recommended sodium intake for children.
In the video, Doctor Mike acknowledges that saturated fat and sugar content is slightly better than Lunchables at face value. However, there is a lot of general individual data and the lack of standard calorie amounts that prohibits him from leaning toward Lunchly as a better alternative.
The announcement videos of Lunchly have been called cringy for their sensationalized differences between Lunchly and Lunchable. In one promotional video, Paul ate a Lunchable, spat it out and commented on how bad it tasted compared to a Lunchly.
Content creator, Asmongold taste tested both Lunchly and Lunchables nachos on a livestream, where he said they tasted the same.
“If you prefer Prime it’s going to be (Lunchly); if you prefer Caprisun, then it’s going to be Lunchable,” Asmongold said.
The entirety of the press around Lunchly has garnered more negative attention than good due to its creators being controversial figures.
MrBeast is currently being sued for the alleged abusive environment and conditions the contestants of his “Beast Games” were forced to compete in.
Logan Paul is a part of the controversial figures from the “golden age” of YouTube. He received individual backlash for promoting Lunchly while his fiancee, Nina Agdal, was giving birth.
Most of the replies for the overall backlash of Lunchly has been directed to DanTDM, however, his singular X post has sparked an onslaught of posts and video replies from KSI and Paul.
The Lunchly controversy highlights concerns over influencers prioritizing profits, as backlash centered on questionable health claims and marketing ethics. Paul, KSI and MrBeast's defensive responses only fueled this issue further.
The backlash has turned a celebratory launch into a reflection of the growing criticism against influencer-led businesses. Whether these YouTubers address the concerns and adapt their product to better meet expectations, as MrBeast claims, remains to be seen.
