What Is 'The Karl Effect' And Has Chris Tyson Been 'Affected' By It? The Controversial MrBeast Meme Explained

MrBeast is the biggest YouTuber in the world right now which makes some of his OG team members, like Chris Tyson and Karl Jacobs, equally notable. Over the past few months, lots of discourse has surfaced about Chris Tyson's transition, leading to more discourse about the alleged Karl Effect.

So, what exactly is this "effect" that Karl has on the other MrBeast team members? Does this "effect" rub off on the likes of Chandler Hallow too?

Overall, the memes and videos about Karl's "effect" can be seen as problematic or justified in the eyes of the beholder. Let's explain.

What Is 'The Karl Effect?'

As stated, Karl Jacobs is an OG MrBeast team member, having since branched off and started his own YouTube career. In the eyes of many MrBeast fans, Karl's appearance and way of presenting himself has shifted over the years. This "shift" is ultimately related to him dressing more feminine, as in, painting his nails, wearing necklaces, etc.

What might seem like a minor wardrobe change to some appears as a new gender identity to others. Thus, the "Karl Effect" was identified, implying that Karl started to influence other MrBeast team members to dress more effeminately too, the most obviously "affected" person being Chris Tyson.

Has MrBeast's Chris Tyson Been Affected By The 'Karl Effect?'

At the beginning of last week, MrBeast member Chris Tyson officially revealed they have been taking HRT and will be accepting any pronouns from here on out, meaning that they are in the throes of a transgender transformation, going from male to female. While many celebrated Chris's transition, others expressed more problematic views, likening Chris's decision to the "Karl Effect."

It's surely possible that someone like Karl helped Chris come out to the world about this transition, given that the two are friends and that's pretty much what friends do. Overall, though, it's hard to jump to any conclusions like many MrBeast fans are doing on TikTok, where they make edits that criticize Karl "affecting" Chris.

For the full history of the Karl Effect, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.