Donald Lapre Case Analysis | Manipulating with Optimism
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case of Donald Lapre?
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References:
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www.vice.com/en/article/nzz4e...
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quackwatch.org/11ind/lapre/
I was 13-15 years old in the 90's when I had seen his infomercial about placing "tiny classified ads," and thought I'd give it a try. I paid couple hundred dollars, and become a 3rd party seller, in which I'd receive 10% of all merchandise sold via placing ads. Well, I actually sold thousands of dollars of merchandise within one month, yet I didn't receive one penny. I was so mad. I fell for his scam, hook, line and sinker.
Dang! It even sounded good as you were describing!
Omg you did so much work and for nothing for it!
Not gonna lie, had me in the first half 😭
That's cuz you didn't do it right!
I'll tell you one thing. You had a lot of drive and determination for a teen. I hope you took that lesson in stride and made something of yourself because from the sound of it you definitely had the ability
"When people are very focused on their own suffering, they often cannot empathize effectively with others. It's a special gift to be able to be in pain and yet be able to feel others' pain at the same time."
Damn... Dr. Grande dropping a quality quotable quote bomb. 💣
When people are Sociopaths they can't empathize but have high IQ's and charming personalities.
@@ceilconstante7813 Not sure what you're implying. There's a gigantic difference between people who are hurting so badly that they can't see it in others and people who don't feel anything at all. They're practically polar opposites.
Ya, I agree. Quite eloquently stated.
I've never really looked at it that way before. Honestly I've always felt like it was a double-whammy.
Indeed, I was about to comment about this great quote, but the first comment of the video already talked about it.
"he didn't have time to make up convincing lies..." That's a good one:)
I haven't had cable in a long time, but as a kid, staying up way too late watching Nick at Nite, I remember realizing what infomercials even were. Once it got to be a certain hour, a "commercial" started and I sat through it thinking there was gonna be another episode of "Happy Days" or something on after the break, and about 5 whole minutes in, I thought "This commercial is SO LONG!" I remember I sat and watched more than a half hour of it because I was in shock of how a commercial could even be an hour and it could have a live audience?!? Lol
I remember seeing the dreaded “paid programming” come up on the tv guide channel lol
Hahaha this is too real!! I had that same exact experience. “When is I love Lucy coming back on?” Haha
@@hunterlong1820 that was the worst haha. When I woke up too early as a kid and had to suffer through those until cartoons came on 🤣
@@skyDN1974 omg yes and the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour ❤ 💙 💜
@@skyDN1974 remember girls gone wild? That shit would play all night
I was a registered nurse for 30 years. I was a shift supervisor for a nursing home. It was only in later years that I made $50,000 in a year. I can’t imagine people expected to make $50,000 a week for doing nothing
Desperation ...
I remember this guy! He taught people to make money by charging them to tell them to just do the same thing he did - charge people to tell them to charge people to tell people to charge people...
Yet another version of the old MLM model.
That's the greatest breakdown. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box. I didn't quite understand the scam. You just broke it down something simple. 😁
Eventually he was charged with defrauding by a judge.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game
@@1stcal11-b2 I like to use "not the sharpest knife in the drawer" but I like your brightest crayon analogy I'll be using that for a while
I remember this guy’s infomercials when I was in high school. When he said you could make tons of money by placing tiny ads in hundreds of newspapers across the country, I would laugh. Had no idea the guy killed himself.
I suffer from Severe Depression and NOTHING could get me hyped up. His exit letter didn't sound like he was depressed at all. He sounded Narcissistic and was a victim.
Some people will tell you, that mania is depression with "compensatory defenses". The observations of treatment of patients with bipolar depression don't seem to confirm such claims.
It's not mutually exclusive.
But there's also an aspect of depression which looks narcissistic. After all, in a severe episode the negative ideations tend to focus on oneself.
I guess getting a real job never occurred to him. Outstanding speculation Doc, btw, your shirt gets a gold star ⭐️
With Dr. G’s skin tone, the warm undertones work best. Blueish undertones will make you look sick. My skin tone is same & I have to be careful about reds. Orangeish reds will warm up my skin & look great. Cooler, more violet-reds make me look like I escaped the morgue.
Yep, the lack of fulfillment from werk.
Its gets a gold seal award! 🦭
J O B - Just Over Broke.
This was the sale. And it wasn't wrong, just the catalyst to fool people.
I’m still waiting on my Encyclopedia Britannicas. I ordered those bad boys C.O.D. in ‘87.
omg I remember COD!!! Oh the good (?) 'ol days.
🤣🤣🤣
I hate you !!! I laughed my Rosé onto my Laptop !!!!
Dr. Grande's fans are primo!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🇬🇧
I used to see his commercials when I'd stay up too late as a kid watching Conan O'Brien, I can still do a perfect impression of him to this day.
Mr.Lapre made all my dreams come true. Sending this comment aboard my yacht, which I paid for by following his program of placing hundreds of tiny classified ads in local newspapers.
He's the reason I became a bum. I owe him big time !!!
Me too!!! I own an island because i bought ads in newspapers
When I was a kid I loved to watch infomercials, everyone else watched cartoons, I was finding random products to buy, I asked for GLH for my birthday to give to my dad, and I studied the dr.s book of home remedies,and begged my mom for a flowbee. Everything I bought for presents was always something I'd found from the as seen on t.v. section. I was weird.
OMG! Flowbee, hilarious!
No. You were standard. Just a little ahead.
Are you in marketing now?
I live in the same town the inventor of the flowbee lives, later he invented a flowbee for dogs that groomers buy and it works great
I love the flowbee! And weird is 👍 great! As long as it's not * weird* , but just plain ol weird❤
Not only is Dr Grande’s special kind of humour a great source of entertainment- the listener’s tongue-in-cheek comments are an added bonus! Hi 👋 especially to my fellow Brits 🇬🇧
Selling dreams to dreamers never ends well!
But why do they buy? 🤔
narcissist who is Never wrong; he self Imploded: a Tragedy of wasted LIFE.
The core of capitalism.
Vegas casinos are doing pretty well
A girl from work and her husband tried that 'tiny classified ad' thing with Lapre back then. As I recall, the ads were for some pamphlet that sold for I don't remember how much. People could print them out and send them to whoever ordered it. The pamphlet was a bunch feel-good, get rich quick tips or something along that line. After telling me about starting it, she never mentioned it again. I don't think it went well.
I remember in my early 20s, around 1996 I signed up from Don's program. (this was well before the vitamin era) I got called almost constantly about setting up more situations and wanting money to set things up, even when I told them I had not much money, they asked how much I did have. They kept trying to pry any money they could out of me, wanted to do check by phone even for smaller amounts than the usual charge to set things up. I had to just not answer the phone unless I knew who was calling. Caller ID was newer at the time. It was somewhat of a nightmare. I was young and naive.
Dr. Grande gets the Platinum Seal Award because he's a cut above all the rest. 🏆
This comment!
🦭
I think The Simpson's did an episode on this, Homer had a machine that called people and played a recording how he was happy if you want to be happy send him a dollar. When he got caught his machine said he was a sorry guy and if you wanted to show you accepted his apology send him a dollar
Infomercials and 900 numbers. This has got to be a good one.
I'm still wondering what was in those "tiny classified ads".
Thank you for the nostalgia! I remember those commercials.
I distinctly remember these infomercials- specifically how persuasive in delivery tone everything came across.
Don Lapre is who I can thank for my start, and how I became "close" to set for life. Thank you Don. Rest in Peace.
Can’t wait till his channel hits 1 million. How exciting to watch the channel grow and educate more people on depth of mental health issues
I think the old saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a big steamy pile" ...or something along those lines...could be applied to these victims. I'm thankful I am almost always playing this over in my head. Will it keep me from taking chances and possibly making millions? Yes. BUT it will also keep me from falling for things like this (or an MLM😱😱😱).
How funny! At the minute 5:57 the video was interrupted for an ad exactly along the lines of Donald Lapre, with a guy that looks like he could be Ralph Macchio's brother!
Dr Grande, I find this and ALL your videos worthy to win a Gold Seal Award🥇
There is no competition when it comes to content and entertainment☝️👏
He wasn't socially responsible, altruistic. Lack of empathy followed. His ignorance as well.
NPD is here as his denial and constant effort to earn money, no matter what. Here it comes depression.
Only thinking...
Great analysis.
Thank you, Dr. Grande.
Ah yes… I remember this guy !! The late 80’s~90’s was the golden era of the infomercial and 900 number. My favorite was Tom Vu.
Tom Vu was another one who was over the top.
I lived in Phoenix then, saw him all the time on TV! I couldn’t believe how he had so much money and how he got people to believe him!!! I just never really knew wtf he was actually doing!!
Didn’t he live really large, in a big mansion??!
I became a Millionaire placing ads from my tiny 1 Bedroom Apartment,Why do you live there if your a Millionaire LOL
Who would believe this guy?🤣
@@retrobilly1719 😆😆.
Platinum seal award for Dr Grande
Now that is the bomb!💣
This hits the spot! I used to watch Don's commercials back in the 1990's. Television was much more limited in content back then.
Just a random thought; I wonder if cable television channels should be held accountable for some of these infomercial scams? I know it's freedom of speech, but when something is so obviously fiction and being stated as fact, and possibly obviously illegal, they could just refuse the ad money.
You mean actually behave in a moralistic way? What a concept!
@@BrisLS1
These TV stations sell that time because they're too cheap to pay producers to create shows for those slots & they don't want to pay big fees for even old reruns in that daypart.
As long as they run the disclaimer before the broadcast, (and nothing glaringly illegal is being promoted) they feel no other obligation.
Thank you so much for responding to my request...Unless this video was prompted by someone else's request... In which case thanks anyway! I'm impressed with how much info you gleaned about him. You definitely exceeded my expectations.
Great video Dr. Grande! People who devote their lives to scamming and deceiving other people, don't really get any sympathy from me.
On a side note, I'm so happy to see that little cactus in this video! I was getting worried that he may be in cactus heaven because I haven't seen him in a while! 😊🌵💗
The subtle humor is what gets me 😆
Tony Robbins has got away with this for years. Crime does pay. The guy in this video was just too unstable to make it work.
Tony Robbins to his credit wasn't ever selling ways to "get rich quick" or work from home schemes. His shtick was being a motivational speaker which oddly enough has been applauded by many for years and was never on any type of watch lists.
Not a fan but its info you can look up.
@@JaymeSplendid Jayme, you may need to do a little further research. He’s been smashing the get rich quick schemes over the last few years. This is very easy to look up.
jut like Darman among others
Tony robbins is no lapre but they are both great salesmen
Your closing sentence is always the best part, Grande
So cute!👾
No really!
BRILLIANT !!! So much out of this segment !
You always win a gold seal award in my world! Thoroughly enjoying your analysis on the varying subject matters! Please do keep them coming! ⭐️
PT Barnum clone. Is it odd that a narcissist would commit suicide?
Fraud, schemes, scams, creepy. Another case of the dangerous narc. Just act "happy" & you can fool people. Thanks Dr G😊🧡🧡
Goodness , you are hard working! Great for us.
Dear Dr G. fantastic analysis.
Dr. Grande,
The way the victims like Lapre reminds me of gambling addiction. ALMOST winning gives a pleasurable high, which is remembered. So losing, rather than feeling bag or even neutral, feels good
Dr. Grande, I appreciate your hard work ethic and the abundance of logic and reasoning. It never surprises me what some people are willing to do for money. Sad that people are scammed like this classic example. Thank you 🤔❤🇺🇸
I'm glad you addressed Donald Lapre. Good Stuff. I remember Lapre's infomercials and (at least to me) it was immediately obvious that he was full of it. He clearly was targeting folks with poor math skills. Still, something about his delivery was unusual enough to keep us watching even though his products were clearly BS. For one, he had a subtle tendency to reset, re-angle, and re-greet the viewer in the middle of a sales pitch. He would frequently re-engage the viewer almost mid sentence. It was as if his sheer enthusiasm was impacting his attention span. He coasted on a crescendo of glee that almost superseded the absurdity of his product. I can remember staying tuned for a few minutes just to analyze his quirkiness and whether or not it was by design. He probably could have been a very successful salesman of legit products, but apparently his narcissism, grandiosity and impatience got in the way. I don't think MDD adequately explains his personality, he seemed bipolar 2 with ADHD and delusional disorder. Maybe he was a little coke fried at the end and just couldn't cope with any dose of reality.
love your show !! great insight
I don't like people like him. It's such a shame we always have to be on the look out for scams.
.....Thanks Dr. Grande. I always look forward to your videos.
Right before this video I got a call saying I won a TV or something. After telling them I wasn't interested and not to call me again the guy said "Why? Do you think this is a scam or because you didn't sign up?" Umm BOTH! 🙄
Speaking of scams... my 25 calls a day from people worried about my car warranty expiration are now concerned that I REALLY need to buy a timeshare . Bless their hearts.
U should tho. They mean u well!!!@@sheilagravely5621
You got it. The Gold Seal of Approval!!! Rock on, doc. Rock on.
Hi Doc!!!
I'm a big fan. All the best from Portugal!!!
Ah! Another member of the international fan club!🙏
Empathy is a gift? I never thought of it like that. Thank you for the fresh perspective.
*Empathy is a gift! To an empath though, empathy **_can be_** a curse.*
@@Griselda_Puppy yes you’re right…it can be both 😌
I’d like to hear your opinion about Orin and Orson West’s disappearance and their parent’s explanation.
*YES, PLEASE!!! These poor sweet boys deserve as much light shed on their case as possible! Please, please do a video on them @Dr. Todd Grande*
@@Griselda_Puppy I agree
Haha. I'm able to feel Dr. G. 's pain even on my most painful days. 😆 Just kidding. I would speculate, Lapre might have been type two Bipolar. This isn't justification, just meant as explanation for his lifestyle. The fact that he later killed himself shows a lack of inner freedom that people with this condition (or any other serious health condition) have to face. Thanks to Dr. Pink for his analysis and good health to everyone in the Grande community.
In the pink is another way of saying healthy! Good one!
@@bthomson 😊... the better! I didn't know this, thank you very much!
Mrs. R - you're very welcome!
I bought into one of his businesses when I. graduated from college, thinking it might lead to something. It did not lead to anything, but it was a great learning experience:)
Dr Grande deserves a gold seal reward!!
wow -- very interesting Dr, Grande :)
Great video
I like this vid. Good insight..
Kids, remember... less murder is always a good thing, there is no such thing as a magic money tree, and consuming too much Alcohol can lead to being Falsely accused of murder.
Or as we have seen too many times for really murdering someone!
Love your vids
A very succinct analyses.
After OG episodes of SNL were over on Comedy Central at around 3 or 4 AM, the infomercials started and Don Lapre was always one of them. I was in elementary school and loved staying up late in the summer and I remember knowing all the infomercials were scams, but still found them intriguing. Don Lapre seemed likable and had a charisma, but that's part of the shtick.
Up for 15:00 - almost 600 views. Congrats on your success, Doc 👍🏼
It is so very well deserved!
Yep, another Gold Seal Award-worthy video by Dr. Grande 🏆
I’m from AZ Tempe, Phoenix those scams were huge out there. Especially work from home scams.
I remember seeing Lapre's ads. Then later I saw Lapre responding to criticism in a TV show interview saying that the company running those ads had coopted control of his identity and once he recorded the ads with the best of intentions he had no control over them and their ongoing use of his infomercials. He claimed he had no association with that company and no power to stop them. What a piece of work.
Back in the 90s, Don helped me fall asleep late nights listening to his infomercials.
Thanks, Doc.
Even as a teen watching his commercials, you could tell he was sleazy, and that it was some kind of scam.
Yeah! If you had even half a brain!✂👁🗨💤🙄
@@bthomson As a teen I had less than half a brain, judging by all the dumb shit I did, so yeah, pretty obvious :D
I remember this guy and forgot all about him. I was shocked to find out about his suicide but then again part of me isn't so surprised as something about him always seemed a little off. His excessive enthusiasm somehow always struck me as forced and fake. I don't condone his actions of course but part of me has empathy for him and feels for him because I know first-hand what deep depression can make a person do.
Doc, you touched on some of the factors of con jobs towards the end…. Please would you consider doing some full episodes on avoiding con jobs and con artists - using your unique view on the psychological factors attributing to 1. How the actual con is put together (bad maths etc), 2. Types of personalities that do this 3. What factors attract us to participating and if there are personality traits that make us more perceptible to this 4. How to avoid them!
Along the lines of the ‘Women attracted to killers’ episode that you did two years ago….
Your very practical and educational take on how our brains work is truly helpful and as a very early subscriber of yours a big thank you for your hard work and dedication in making a channel that could have been just drama, into something that is so much more than entertainment.
I can tell you there isn't a certain personality type that can be taken in by a con. Anyone can. That's why con artists are successful. Con artists know what their target is looking for..that's another reason. . People who get taken in by a con artist are looking for something specific, something special to them. The person or persons doing the conning zone in on that. That's why they can be very successful at their cons. The ones doing the con are looking for an easy way to get something they want...usually money.
I saw this guy and his 'tiny classified ads' all the time growing up and admittedly was intrigued. It's interesting to learn what that was all about, thanks.
I met this guy at a Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale in 1992. He was really nice, personable, and you could tell self-confident. Sad greed took over. I felt bad for him when he committed suicide. At least his battles with his demons were over.
Dunno if greed took over: he was probably a knobhead even when you met him.
@@eadweard. Superficial charm is sometimes mistaken for actual human decency, but there is a difference between being nice and being good. Anyone can be charming for 5 minutes, but integrity in the long haul isn't as common.
@@eadweard.
"Knobhead" 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you!
Thank you Dr. Grande🙏🏽👚🌵 it is a scary thought to consider that the “con artist” has to believe in their own infallibility. His hubris was his undoing.
Lovely vocabulary!
Dr. Grande, I don't know whether is possible to mention some question, because your analyses are always great and sometimes there is nothing additional, at least. Only to write: ,,Agree and great." You covered all...
Thank you, Dr. Grande.
Love the shirt DR, G.
Eileen UK. Thank you 🙏 you DR. Grande for another excellent video this guy was nothing but a scammer your analysis and the DV part was also excellent and very well said thank you 🙏. I look forward to your videos every day take care 👍💙⭐️
Dr. Grande, have you ever speculated on Billy Mays? Just a suggestion. Thanks for the videos.
Very easy to be kind to others when feeling good/having a good day.. Not so easy when not having a good day.
I remember those "tiny classified ads"
I know it's old news, but I'd love to hear your analysis on the Duke University lacrosse team incident
Great idea. The lapse of time would make it more dispassionate. How do people believe in things that have no basis? Always important to know.
Seems like Lapre was driving "The Crazy Train"...with no shortage of passenger willing to jump onboard.
Hi Maureen! Always great comments!
@@bthomson Aw thank you.
Todd ❤️ Todd ❤️ Todd
I think the cacti are trying to give me a specific analysis and opinion.
It’s just so delightful to come home after a busy autumnal day and find your content waiting for me. Thank you, would you like a cuddle under my blanket with me, I swear I’m not prickly.
More flirting!
Why would such a brilliant marketer not engage in a legitimate business?
I bought his package and made a ton of money. Don Lapre is a legend.
Great video and lesson for people who are attracted to get rich quick schemes. Thanks Dr Grande you are an amazing man.
Used to watch the Don Lapre infomercial all night long back in 1993!!!
I * loved * those
Don Lapre days
❤🔥❤😭❤😭❤😭❤😍❤👏💪
My little alarm bell keeps going off every time you post a new video. I'm patiently waiting for you to do a case on Karen Ristevsi. I'm particularly interested in your analysis of her daughter, Sarah. I'm hoping you've heard of the case.. 😬
He really created a lot of stress in Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson's marriage, wait that was Dupree
🤦🏼♀️ *Total dad joke lol* 👎🏼😂
So funny to hear a seasoned professional like Dr Grande use the words creepy and magic money tree, hilarious 😂
I am pleasantly surprised, most of Dr. grand stories don’t have a happy ending like this one.
Pleeeaaassseee, Dr Grande, can you look at the case of Recardo and Therian Wimbush and their son Recardo Wimbush Jr (and his nine siblings) from Georgia? Therian, the mother, is just...crazy. I don't know what else to call her. She represented herself in court and her cross examination of the children was ridiculous. Those poor children. Please look into this case when you have time. Thank you.
I totally remember when Saturday Night Live spoofed Don Lapre.
10:08 there it is! I was waiting for it.
great video, informative and reminded me to take my daily vitamin :)
Cute ( no really!)
when I think of someone being overly optimistic, I remember Phoebe on Friends, when someone makes a normal statement and she's all, "Stop being so negative!"
Thank you.
He already made millions scamming people with his mail order infomercial. Yet it was not enough money for him.
Self inflicted injury to his groin... in an apparent suicide? That's the first time I've heard that. Was he *trying* to die as painful a death as possible?
I would give anything to have this guys moxie. My career and living depends on me selling myself/my talent before i ever step foot on stage, but it's hard to balance confidence without coming off like this guy