When political commentator Mehdi Hasan appeared on the popular YouTube series “Surrounded,” he knew the video would get a lot of attention. The episode, titled “1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives,” quickly went viral, pulling in over 10 million views. But the true impact hit home when an older man in Washington D.C. approached him and, in Urdu, said: “I watched you with the 20 crazies.”
The man was referring to Hasan’s intense debate on Jubilee Media’s platform. The series puts one person with a specific viewpoint in a room with a larger group who disagree with them. In this case, Hasan faced off against 20 conservatives, some of whom were later identified as far-right extremists. One man on the show was even revealed to be the organizer of two violent protests. The video has sparked a major conversation about the role of online media in political discourse and whether this type of content is helping or harming society.
From Viral Videos to a Media Powerhouse
Jubilee Media, founded in 2017 by Jason Y. Lee, has seen explosive growth by turning highly polarized debates into entertaining and shareable content. While the company also creates dating and game shows, “Surrounded” is its most talked-about series. The format is simple but dramatic: one person sits in the center of a circle while adversaries race to a single chair to make their point.
The show has tackled a wide range of hot-button topics, attracting huge audiences. Other episodes that have gone viral include “Flat Earthers vs Scientists: Can We Trust Science?” with 31 million views, and “Can 25 Liberal College Students Outsmart 1 Conservative? (Feat. Charlie Kirk),” which has been viewed 30 million times. A 2024 episode with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, where a transgender man confronted him, was one of the most-watched election-related videos on YouTube.
Jubilee’s success highlights a massive shift in how people, especially younger generations, consume news and political content. YouTube is now the top source for televised entertainment in the U.S., and platforms like Jubilee are filling a void left by traditional news outlets that often shy away from raw, unfiltered debates.
The Promise of Empathy vs. The Pull of Profit
Jubilee’s founder, Jason Y. Lee, has a stated mission that sounds noble. He told Variety that he wants the company to be the “Disney for empathy,” aiming to “show what discourse can and should look like.” The company’s original goal was to create content that provokes understanding and builds human connection.
However, many critics argue that the company’s business model often works against its stated mission. Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic believes that while the idealism might be genuine, it’s mixed with a strong ambition to become a massive, profitable entertainment company. “Empathy, in the Jubilee context, is standing for voyeurism and curiosity about other human beings,” Kornhaber says, suggesting the show is more about watching a spectacle than truly understanding different perspectives.
Julia Alexander, a media correspondent for Puck News, is even more critical. She claims that Jubilee has “succumbed to the hateful vitriol that defines a lot of social media.” According to her, the unspoken rule of the internet is that angry and fear-driven content generates more engagement than messages of empathy and connection. As a company that needs to grow and perform well financially, Jubilee may have no choice but to continue making more extreme and controversial videos to keep getting clicks and views.
The Host’s Dilemma: Does the Format Help or Harm?
Mehdi Hasan, who also contributes to The Guardian, understands both the appeal and the criticism of the show. As the author of “Win Every Argument,” he sees that traditional media often fails to facilitate good debates. This has allowed platforms like YouTube to step in. Yet, he also acknowledges the valid concerns about the show’s format.
Writer Imani Barbarin points out that clips of Hasan’s debate were shared by both his supporters, who saw it as a victory, and his opponents, who claimed he lost. This highlights how easily these moments can be taken out of context in our “meme-ified culture.” The bigger picture and surrounding context often get lost in the noise.
Hasan admits that he regrets not doing more research on the people he was debating, as he wasn’t aware that some of them were violent extremists. Still, he’s unsure whether he regrets participating at all. “I stand by what I said. I think I did a fair enough job as a debater,” he says. But he questions the long-term value of the format itself. “Is there value in doing these debates? And I don’t know the answer to that: maybe ask me in five years.”This ongoing debate about Jubilee Media’s “Surrounded” series perfectly captures the tension between creating compelling entertainment and fostering meaningful conversation. It raises important questions about whether we can truly find understanding in a world where conflict often sells better than connection.
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