iilluminaughtii
Welcome to iilluminaughtii, the podcast that is all about debunking bad business. Whether it's a pyramid scheme or a charity stealing money, everything (and anything) business-related is on the table. Blair Zoń is ready to dig into the underbelly of the business world to find out where your money and time really goes. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss any of episodes delivered fresh every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
51
CEDU: Synanon for Kids | Dark Dives
Synanon was a horrific cult that used confrontational and abusive tactics to supposedly heal people from addiction. Now imagine if it was for teens, and you’ve got CEDU.
28 min
52
Why Everyone’s Scared of the Dentist | Corporat...
Being a dentist is like being a doctor for your teeth—sort of. There may be less science to dentistry than you realize.
26 min
53
How Grocery Store Monopolies Hurt Everyone | Co...
When you go grocery shopping, you are presented with a plethora of options— or so you think. In reality, grocery store monopolies have presented us with an “illusion of choice” and those illusions come with a whole heap of drawbacks.
28 min
54
The Underbelly of Door-to-Door Sales | Multi Le...
We’ve spoken about door-to-door sales before and the dangers of letting a stranger into your home—or going into a stranger’s home as a young seller. But it gets so much worse.
24 min
55
Subway: Eat Fresh, Market Lies | Corporate Casket
Subway is one of the largest chains out there—but not by profit. You might think that makes them successful, to have so many stores open. Instead, the opposite is true.
22 min
56
PETA is Anti-Human | Corporate Casket
It seems every other day PETA is doing something to horribly offend someone. It happens so often that people are beginning to wonder, is PETA really this problematic in the way they run their ad campaigns, or are they a front for something else?
25 min
57
The MLM that Sells Tree Frequencies!? | Multi L...
Olive Tree People is not just your typical mlm. They are an mlm that connects you with tree vibrations. For psychology.
28 min
58
The Devastation at Hard Rock Hotel | Corporate ...
When the Hard Rock in New Orleans came crashing down the city was left searching for answers. Four years later, they’re looking for justice.
23 min
59
Chris Brown is Way Worse Than You Think | Corpo...
There is nothing more upsetting than talent wasted and Chris Brown certainly fits that bill.
29 min
60
Is Loving Hut a Cult? | Dark Dives
Loving Hut is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, vegan restaurant chains out there. The food is good, the atmosphere is meant to bring peace, so what’s the issue? The owner is allegedly a cult leader.
23 min
61
Panera: Not as “Natural” As You Think | Corpora...
Panera Bread is supposed to be a healthier option in a sea of fast food. But then, why is their food frozen? Are the sky-high prices really a fair price to pay for their obvious greenwashing?
27 min
62
The 700 Club: God’s TV Network from Hell | Corp...
The 700 Club is the flagship program of the CBN, or Christian Broadcasting Network. While it’s what you’d expect from just about any religious network, the 700 Club has had a lasting and devastating impact on the world around it.
32 min
63
The Food Pyramid Lie: How Lobbying Ruined Our F...
While I love a good triangle, the food pyramid is not one of those. In fact, this dietary model has done a great disservice to the US over the years, and may contribute to health issues more than you know.
27 min
64
The Pipeline from Crunchy Moms to Alt-Right Con...
There has always seemed to be something a little funny about those crunchy moms we have seen all over social media. But it turns out that the bizarre qualities of a “crunchy mom” go a little bit further than we might think.
27 min
65
2000s Reality Programs Were Wild | Corporate Ca...
In the early 2000s, there was a reality TV show for everything. Dating, cars, modeling, singing—it didn’t matter. But some of these shows might be more ridiculous than you remember.
29 min
66
When Beauty Goes Too Far: The Danger of Plastic...
Who hasn’t wanted their tummy a bit flatter, their lips a bit bigger, and an entirely different butt? Cosmetic surgeries certainly aren’t uncommon, but the way that they’re advertised to us can be concerning.
25 min
67
Oli London: Ultimate Grifter
Right-wingers love to have a marginalized ally to prove their discriminatory points: they aren’t racist because Candace Owens is on their side, for example. Recently, they’ve gained that person in Oli London.
27 min
68
Noom Is Lying–They Are a Diet App | Multi Level...
Noom claims to be different from all of those other diet apps. But, have they done enough to distinguish themselves from the diet culture that plagues our society?
25 min
69
Airing Out Fashion Nova’s Dirty Laundry | Corpo...
Fashion Nova is the king of influencer fashion. But, despite all the pretty things, Fashion Nova is just another typical fast fashion company; full of disappointment and exploitation.
30 min
70
Copaganda: How Police Bought the Media | Corpor...
Cops used to be portrayed as incompetent fools in the media. Now, they’re almost always portrayed as heroes and “the good guys”. The “Copaganda” phenomenon is alive and well and it just keeps growing.
35 min
71
The Twitch Exodus: Why Streamers are Jumping Sh...
For a while, Twitch seemed untouchable. They were the king of streaming and without real competition. However, as time has worn on, creators have become exhausted with their policies and hypocrisy
27 min
72
Did The Jilly Juice Lady Kill Her Dog? | Dark D...
Jillian Epperly, also known as the Jilly Juice lady, is notorious for promoting strange, bad science to her followers. But this time, she’s been using it on her dog—potentially with dire consequences.
34 min
73
The Complete Pornhub Saga | Corporate Casket
Pornhub has been wrapped up in a tidal wave of scandals for a few years, and everyone thought it was the end of the adult entertainment empire. But, digging a little deeper into the groups behind this massive movement everything might not be all it seems.
29 min
74
The "Woke" Joke: What the Right is Really Doing...
Is everything really “going woke” or is it just another dog whistle?
32 min
75
The Dangers of Door-to-Door Bookselling | Multi...
If it exists, there’s an MLM for it. In this case, we’re talking about Usborne Books, now known as Paper Pie, and Southwestern Advantage. Both of these book MLMs have made questionable income claims, but it’s their worrying messages, whether in their books or in their businesses, that has people wary.
27 min