🚰 MrBeast builds 100 African wells

It’s Wednesday, November 8 — people are talking about MrBeast’s African wells project, the debate over whether movies are too long these days, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

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- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🚰 In the news: MrBeast’s African wells project

The YouTube star MrBeast shared a video in in which he builds 100 water wells in Africa, sparking controversy.

🚰 CNN said the gesture divided the internet. MrBeast’s fans were thrilled by his philanthropic efforts, but some African officials found the attention the project received frustrating.

🚰 @bongoideas found the video offensive and patronizing. He described the entire continent of Africa as a village with its people living in huts, and asserted that all Africans lack good drinking water.

🚰 But Citizen Digital said Kenyans praised MrBeast's work: He showed up local politicians who've done little to improve their own communities.

🚰 Either way, Deseret wrote that MrBeast isn't letting the backlash stop him. He has promised to continue making videos on his philanthropic efforts, even if he gets hate.

🎬 Cultural trend: Are movies too long?

Are movies too long these days, or are 3+ hour runtimes justified?

🎬 Vanity Fair says it seems like movies keep getting longer and longer, and it's unnecessary — they're slow and boring. What happened to the 90-minute flick?

🎬 Script Magazine thinks it's a self-discipline issue. Brevity is beautiful — 3-hour movies aren't about the audience; they're about the filmmakers’ egos.

🎬 But Collider is supportive. 3-hour movies like Oppenheimer, The Irishman, and Killers of the Flower Moon deserve their long runtimes. They are beautiful films.

🎬 Digg says some are great, but other movies could shave off an hour and be just as good (better, honestly). Avatar: The Way of Water, The Eternals, Beau is Afraid, and The Batman come to mind among recent films.

🎬 But Slate points out that movie runtimes have stayed roughly the same since the 1960s. This debate is silly — it’s a classic media overreaction.

Quick hits

🏠 The US housing market hasn't been this unaffordable since 1984. Housing costs 41% of the median household's monthly income. (CNN)

👑 King Charles III delivered his first speech since his coronation. It was the first speech by a British King in 70 years. (BBC)

🗳️ Ohio voters enshrined a right to abortion in the state constitution. (CNN)

🏛️ The House voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her condemnation of Israel in its war against Hamas. (Bloomberg)