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John Oliver on MLMs/Herbal Life

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John Oliver and the team on that show do some great work. I'm not really up on news/events and the show really turns my attention to numerous things in an educational and entertaining way.
 
I can confirm that Herbalifes fleecing of the hispanic community is very real. Someone's beater at work has this garish herbalife sign glued to the side of the vehicle. If you ever hear a loved one utter the word 'downstream', run.
 
A lot of my classmates were recruited to these. My friend who went to an Ivy tried to rope me into one of these - was in complete shock.
 
I was exposed to it mostly when I was in post-secondary. They seem to take advantage of people who are having trouble keeping up with the cost of education. I've seen it borderline mess up a couple peoples lives.
 
Is youngliving one of these? I get vibes from the name and branding/market (discount herbs with questionable healing properties) alone but it doesn't seem to possess any of the obvious qualities of a MLM... and I know a lot of people who are into their stuff.


I have seen Herbalife everywhere, had no idea it was one of these; they're getting sneaky.
 
I find multi-level marketing schemes fascinating. I love watching their huge presentations & conferences. It's crazy to me how easy it is to brainwash humans. Excited to watch the expose from John Oliver.

I fucking hate multi-level marketing schemes. It punishes people in hard times and exploits human nature. It's a disgusting business.

My favorite:
MarketAmerica & Fat Joe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHHgk9QyqJ8
 
It's really weird that they show a La Fea Mas Bella telenovela clip and then they bring Jaime Camil who starred in said telenovela but John presents him from Jayne The Virgin, lol. What the heck!

Anyway, amazing segment as always.
 
MLMs are absolutely fascinating, in a horrifying way.

I still don't understand how they're legal. I mean, sure, the only reason they aren't pyramid schemes is that they have an actual, physical product, but everything else is still so seedy and predatory that it's disgusting.
 
DJ_Lae said:
MLMs are absolutely fascinating, in a horrifying way.

I still don't understand how they're legal. I mean, sure, the only reason they aren't pyramid schemes is that they have an actual, physical product, but everything else is still so seedy and predatory that it's disgusting.
Click to expand...

Its also amazing to see an oversight agency do backflips to avoid calling it a pyramid scheme. A company shouldn't be able to shell out enough money to keep its predatory practices even just a tiny bit hidden.
 
These things are disgusting, they pry on people who feel really hopeless in life and only make their situation worst. Acting like "you'll be something! you'll have a real career!" it's just like for-profit schools.

I hope the government cracks down harder on this stuff, I have a little more hope since they have recently with for-profit schools.

Also John Oliver show is great, at this point I'd go as far to say his show is better than what the Jon Stewart Daily Show was.
 
Thankfully none of my loved ones have fallen for this shit. Only times I get pitched is from randos. The other day some guy was trying to get me to get involved in something where you make money off your bills. Desperation causes people to lose their common sense.
 
whytemyke said:
Wouldn't that knife company (Vector or CutCo?) qualify as this?
Click to expand...

Yes it would. I actually worked for one of these companies when I was going through a rough patch. Wasn't getting any interviews and they called me. Worst idea of my life worked there a day and quit. They are all over NYC. It was like a little cult.
 
BlueTsunami said:
Its also amazing to see an oversight agency do backflips to avoid calling it a pyramid scheme. A company shouldn't be able to shell out enough money to keep its predatory practices even just a tiny bit hidden.
Click to expand...

It's pretty sad that they can't just outright call them a pyramid scheme, presumably because of the settlement they came to.

I dunno. I really don't understand how they're allowed to operate, as they don't even do the bare minimum to operate legally, the just pay fines to make up for that.
 
perfectchaos007 said:
The funniest MLM's are the ones that pitch to you "We are not an MLM" even though they totally are. Take Team National for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMTEoYbj7sM
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9b0cd27e16283722b715bb902259adb9.jpg
 
I knew Herbal life was sus when I saw everyone posting up pictures on Instagram. Definitely wasn't suprised when I looked it up
 
Like a decade ago I got sucked into one of these seminars for Robert Kiyazaki mlm garbage. Actually thought I was going on a date with a attractive and friendly woman who came into my work and wanted me to "hang out with her and her friends". I guess they have people out there trying to hook in gullible marks with the lure of sex which is kinda sick. After the meeting I told her to never speak to me again.

Great piece as usual from Oliver.
 
whytemyke said:
Wouldn't that knife company (Vector or CutCo?) qualify as this?
Click to expand...

Shit yeah. I almost got roped into that nonsense. But luckily for me, I didn't have any transportation at the time to do sales, so I couldn't take the job. But beforehand, I learned about these guys and was happy to leave. And on my way out the door, I turned to a guy who was probably going to get the only position available and said: "Good luck. You're gonna need it."
 
Will watch.

When I was still working, I had a shitload of people who would come into my workplace and I would help them design business cards, flyers, etc. Boss needed to bring up profits and I can't deny them :(

They would always tell me:

Bro, why you working here? If you work with me you would make more money!

I would always decline and then they would give me their business card that I just helped them designed and printed -_- In the trash their cards go.
 
I met somebody who was all up on the Herbalife life. Her social media was pretty much all Herbalife-related. Looked like a fucking cult.

I didn't know what Herbalife was, then I looked it up and it all made sense.
 
There was an MLM arc in Welcome to the NHK.

_Oyasumi__Welcome_to_the_NHK__17__60B4DE4D_00001.jpg


It was the last Manga arc (volume 3 of 8) adapted before the animals had its own ending.
 
Yeah this MLM thing is fucking ridiculous.

I was working for a startup a few months ago and our CEO was way too deep in this shit that the startup eventually died. Motherfucker focused on building his shit with some MLM called World Financial Group instead of helping us get the startup off the ground.

Needless to say I was unemployed for months and I don't even talk to the CEO now even though he is the older brother to one of my best buds. He texts me once in a while asking if I'm alive or some shit and I can't even bother replying... I'm just over his shit lol.
 
Digital-Hero said:
JO is going to run out of material. He's hit all the good stuff already.
Click to expand...

I mean all he has to do is read reddit and take soundbytes from Fox News.

It's not like those sites are running out of animal pics, hot takes, or political fuck ups.
 
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