New contributor to Double Apex, Karunesh Matadin, takes a novel look at the popularity of some of YouTube’s biggest automotive channels in his first submission titled: The Jackass Influence.

Remember the show Jackass. They made their name with crazy stunts that had you squirming in your seat, but you just couldn’t look away? Well, in today’s ever-changing pop culture scene, there’s a new trend that’s rewriting the script. People treating supercars as through they’re dispensable props.

There’s no more putting them on a pedestal; now it’s all about doing insane things with high-end rides. And guess what? These antics are blowing up online, going viral in a flash and raking in ‘likes’, ‘shares’, and ‘followers’ like there’s no tomorrow. It’s as though the Jackass spirit lives on, but this time it’s got a shiny, supercar twist. In a world that’s always hungry for the next big thing, it seems like these supercar shenanigans are here to stay.

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The Best/Worst Examples

You can find the latest examples of this ‘Jackass influence’ over on the Whistlindisel YouTube channel. This massive channel boasts more than six million subscribers and is famous for its quirky antics and aggressive driving.

The channel dropped its most viral pieces of content ever earlier this year: the Ferrari durability tests. And it’s pretty crazy. We’re talking donuts on gravel, off-road adventures, pressure-washing the delicate paint job, and chucking all sorts of junk at the car. This video skyrocketed to the top spot on YouTube’s trending page, proving that people would rather watch a Ferrari take a beating on purpose than a beautifully shot road/track review.

A Fiery End

In part two, things take a wild turn. The supercar is driven full speed through a cornfield in Texas. It’s like a scene out of an action movie. The F8 plows through the field, kicking up a ton of dry crop that gets all over the front and rear wheel areas.

And then disaster strikes – a fire breaks out in the car. To make things even crazier, the fire ends up engulfing their film-crew van, too, turning the whole scene into chaos. Eventually, a fire truck arrives and manages to put out the blaze, but the damage is done by then. The whole ordeal results in about $500,000 worth of damage – talk about a costly day.

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Mr Popular

In the wild world of YouTube, MrBeast aka Jimmy Donaldson, reigns supreme with a jaw-dropping 181 million subscribers. And where there’s fame, there’s fortune. MrBeast is famous for serving up content that’s like an adrenaline shot for viewers, and while he’s not a car-focused YouTuber, he’s not shy about bringing supercars into the mix to ramp up excitement.

MrBeast’s relationship with Lamborghinis is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, he’s given away a bunch of them to lucky folks. On the other hand, he’s also crushed a few, and it’s painful to watch. Take, for instance, the time he put a Gallardo through a hydraulic press. The poor car’s tyres and rear wing gave in first, followed by the shattering of all its windows. But that wasn’t enough. MrBeast went all out, filling the flattened car with explosives and giving it a fiery send-off.

Lambo Giveaway

But what really got car enthusiasts talking recently was MrBeast’s video titled “Lamborghini vs World’s Largest Shredder.” In this epic showdown, not one, but two Lamborghinis took the stage. But before one faced their fate, MrBeast threw down a challenge to one lucky viewer: protect the car from being obliterated by three tanks and he’d get to keep it.

Yep, you read that right, three tanks. The nail-biting scene of tanks firing at the protective structures, with everyone praying for the car’s survival, was an emotional rollercoaster. Miraculously, the viewer pulled it off and drove away in their very own Lambo.

Pressing Matters

And then came the moment of truth as a Gallardo was tipped into the world’s largest shredder. For a brief moment, it looked like the supercar might just stand its ground, dancing on the shredder’s teeth. But, as expected, the shredder prevailed and out came a mess of black and red metal bits.

Just to ease your mind, both the car in the shredder and the hydraulic press were out of commission, so it’s a bit less painful to watch. In MrBeast’s world, where generosity and crazy stunts collide, Lamborghinis get to play some truly unexpected roles, leaving viewers thrilled and maybe a little heartbroken at the same time.

These examples give us a view of how pop culture keeps us on our toes. Treating supercars with less respect also brings a sense of excitement. Doing things that go against the norm gives a rush of adrenaline and a feeling of breaking free from rules. The boldness of these actions although gut-wrenching to the standard car fanatic makes them really interesting to watch.