Photo: Twitter
Many viewers were outraged, with some calling for him to face legal consequences.
By Megan Quinn — Written on Apr 26, 2023
A man’s act of kindness quickly turned into a cruel prank, sparking a war against him on the Internet. The man claimed that he intended on helping the homeless. Instead, he decided to play a heartless joke on them.
The man, known by his YouTube handle “whatsuptre,” uploaded a video that caused outrage among viewers. In his video, he shares that he is going to turn a homeless person’s day around by purchasing them a hot meal.
He tells a homeless individual that he would buy him a hot meal only to eat it himself right in front of him.
“Los Angeles California has the third biggest homeless population in the United States,” he says while standing in front of a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant. “Today it is my job to make sure there is one less hungry person on the streets.”
In the next shot, the man approaches a seemingly homeless man sitting behind a dumpster while smoking a cigarette.
He asks the man if he is hungry, and before he can answer, the man offers to buy him a drink, a burger, and fries from Wendy’s. He then asks the homeless man for his man, which he reveals as Israel. “God bless you, Israel,” the man says, giving him a fist bump before heading into Wendy’s to buy him food.
He returns with a Sprite, a large order of french fries, and a cheeseburger with bacon. He places the drink down on the ground next to Israel before removing the fries and burger from the bag.
However, instead of giving it to him when he reaches for the items, the man holds them for himself. “I was homeless myself so I want to make sure you get on the right path,” he says as he unwraps the burger from the foil. “So I want you to enjoy this.”
The man then proceeds to take a bite out of the burger and helps himself to the french fries. “This is really good!” he says to Isreal, who appears perplexed.
What he does next is perhaps even more jaw-dropping. “Take care, have a nice day!” he says as he walks away with the food for himself.
However, the man claims that his actions were just of a prank, and he returned to Wendy’s to buy the homeless man a meal. “Y’all didn’t think I was that mean, right?” he says to the camera. Although when he goes back to give him his food, he discovers that Israel is gone.
Instead, he opts to give the food to another group of homeless people outside of the restaurant after he fails to locate the first man he offered to buy food for.
“I feel bad, but at least I did something good,” he says.
Most viewers, however, beg to differ. Even though the man deleted his original video on YouTube, clips have been reshared on other social media platforms including Twitter. People are not as impressed with his actions as he was.
“He deserves jail for this,” one Twitter user commented. “To think that people are gonna laugh at this and see this as content is scary… I really give up on this nation,” another user wrote.
“These people will do anything for fame. No moral or character. It’s disgusting,” another pointed out.
The man has yet to publicly address the backlash.
Homelessness is a pervasive social issue that affects individuals from all walks of life. Instead of pulling heartless pranks, being kind to homeless people is essential for creating a more compassionate, inclusive, and supportive society. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in the lives of homeless individuals and help build a more just and equitable community for all.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.