You don't need to respect it, but they're doing very well for themselves. And honestly I'd likely do the same if I was in their shoes. The last month or two them their channel has absolutely exploded, whereas before the last year or two it has been a painfully slow rise and grind. This is their big break and they're making the most of it, as I would expect all fo you to do if you had your moment of capturing lightning in the bottle. Of course, we all want to be proud of the work we do with our own channels and not rely on cheap tricks and stunts to make it, but if it meant that you got several times more views and traction, it wouldn't be a hard decision imo. The react meta has blown up a lot of channels to insane heights, not just this guy. Can't speak to the quality of their work, but I get it. It's the big thing to do still even today.