You’re scrolling X, and suddenly MrBeast, the YouTube king of wild challenges, drops a photoshopped thumbnail of himself grinning in front of a gorilla and a mob of shirtless dudes. His caption? “Need 100 men to test this, any volunteers?” The internet lost it. The “100 men vs. 1 gorilla” debate, already a viral sensation, exploded into a whirlwind of memes, hot takes, and absurd arguments. What started as a silly hypothetical has become a cultural moment, proving once again that the internet loves a ridiculous “what if.”
This whole saga kicked off with a viral X post on April 25, 2025, by DreamChasnMike, who boldly claimed 100 dedicated guys could take down a gorilla. The post racked up a jaw-dropping 217 million views, sparking heated debates across TikTok, Reddit, and X. The idea isn’t new—it’s been bouncing around internet forums for years, fueled by a mix of absurdity, bravado, and meme culture. Something about pitting human numbers against a gorilla’s raw power just keeps people hooked, turning a goofy thought experiment into a global obsession.
Enter MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, who knows how to ride a viral wave. On April 28, 2025, he tweeted a mock YouTube thumbnail featuring a gorilla facing a swarm of men, jokingly asking for “100 volunteers.” Influencer IShowSpeed piled on, jokingly volunteering, while MrBeast quipped, “Only 99 more” needed. Fans knew it was a gag—no way he’s actually staging this—but the internet ate it up. MrBeast’s knack for turning dumb debates into viral gold made this a perfect playground for his brand of over-the-top humor.
Social media went feral. X users debated “swarm tactics” to overwhelm the gorilla, while others warned of getting “ripped in half.” One viral meme showed a guy in a suit, captioned,
“Ready to fight the gorilla, suit’s for the funeral.”
TikToker @mavsrunthenba’s clip of Robert Downey Jr. looking shocked at a man “torn apart” got 96,000 likes. Female users called out the all-male framing, with one saying,
“Why just men? Women could help take that gorilla down!”
From AI simulations to reaction videos, the debate became a full-on internet circus, with everyone from sports commentators to random Redditors weighing in.
Let’s break it down: a silverback gorilla is a beast. It’s four to ten times stronger than a human, can lift over 800 kg (think a small car), and has a 1,300 PSI bite that could crush bones like pretzels. Experts and AI models say 100 untrained guys would likely get wrecked unless they pulled off perfect coordination—and even then, expect a hospital full of casualties. One X user put it bluntly:
“You’re not outsmarting a gorilla; it’s outsmarting you.”
The math doesn’t lie: gorilla strength plus human chaos equals a bad day for the humans.
Of course, the idea of a real gorilla fight is a non-starter. Animal welfare laws and basic decency make it impossible—gorillas are endangered, and staging this would be cruel and illegal. Some X users slammed the meme, with one calling it “animal cruelty dressed as a joke.” Others, like commentator Lebohang Mosia, saw it as a reflection of toxic masculinity, with guys hyping up a fight they’d never win. The debate’s absurdity didn’t stop people from questioning what it says about internet culture’s love for shock value.
