14. MLMs, Relationships, and the Myth of Meritocracy

A conversation with Adrianne Pintar. Adrianne has a degree in Journalism and Media Studies and works in advertising; she is also my girlfriend. We discuss multi-level marketing schemes, MLM parties, Vector knives, what makes an MLM an MLM, how MLMs are pyramid schemes, how MLMs don’t make sense in terms of market economics, Herbalife targeting poor hispanic women, Betsy DeVos and Amway, how MLMs target religious stay at home moms and military moms, Pure Romance, Touchstone Crystal, the John Casablancas modeling school scam, the illusion of being your own boss or even owning your own company when you work for an MLM, Gamestop and r/Wallstreetbets, Robinhood and market manipulation, relationships and dependence, the key to a long-lasting relationship, compatibility and compromise, whether people can remain friends without developing romantic feelings, the difficulties of cutting onions, whether cooking is worth the time investment, why people cook less than they used to, people’s preference for convenient food, being a picky eater, the cycle of brothers bullying younger brothers, childhood punishments and video games, how we aren’t responsible for our own intelligence, the myth of meritocracy, how college can feel like a scam, and why meritocracies don’t exist. Find Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriannepintar/?hl=en Find Adrianne on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpx-VIY6V6m7kGevyVZmBig