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Tanner Glass said:
I agree with most of what you're saying, but I think Philly D intentionally tries to hide his net worth to keep up his "I'm just a youtube guy" persona. I mean, just watch one of his "Philip DeFranco Shows" in 2018.

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Does this look like someone who is worth $100m+ starting a news network or someone who is still trying to appear to be a small time YouTuber. Or even if you think he's only worth $5m. Where he shoots, how he dresses, how he speaks, and how he acts are all conveying a persona. There's a couch and star wars action figures in his studio despite the fact that much smaller youtubers have much more professional spaces. He comes across as likeable to his fans and youtube friends; to a point where hundreds of them went out and shilled for BetterHelp with the smallest push.

Being unassuming is a thing that he does (I think) intentionally. It is disarming and lowers the guard of a lot of people in a large way. Letting himself be underestimated is almost certainly a tactic for him and right now it very much seems like he's using his "nice guy" persona to try and get heat off of BetterHelp and will easily succeed in the eyes of most people.

Considering how much money his persona has earned him, I don't see why he would stop now.
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I wholeheartily agree he tries to come off disarming. That is a typical thing in branding that either comes naturally (steve jobs wearing cheap turtleneck sweaters, Elon Musk smoking a blunt on Joe Roegan) or is manufactured (See that whole BP excuse campaign for Deep Water Horizon). I know very well, that someone like DeFraudo would go for such a thing.

And yeah, thats why people take his bait, that he still is the funny youtubey newsman and not some cold mogul. What I cannot see is, why he would squander his investment potential if he had bigger capital. He would be able to buy massive real estate, stock options and would not keep his operation as small, unless rogue rocket and his 20+ employees are just a front, something to divert your attention. He could easily start a running operation or buy one, fill it with 100 harvard graduates and go from there.
 
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Spectre_06 said:
Also, keep in mind that a lot of YouTubers were unaware that their own affiliate links had connections to PhillyD,
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I'm not up to the hip new trends... I get that an affiliate link ties the person shilling a product out to the person buying it. Like the betterhelp.com/phil or whatever directly tied Phil with anyone who used his link to sign up. But how did other people's affiliate link get tied to Phil? And what does that mean? How did it get tied to someone in a way that they weren't even aware?? Fishy.
 
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BH could be violating the American Psychological Association's Code of Ethics: https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/

3.05 Multiple Relationships (Can't have a person they are specifically in a business relationship with as a client)
3.08 Exploitative Relationships
Psychologists do not exploit persons over whom they have supervisory, evaluative or other authority such as clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, and employees (See also Standards 3.05, Multiple Relationships; 6.04, Fees and Financial Arrangements; 6.05, Barter with Clients/Patients
6.05 Barter with Clients/Patients
Barter is the acceptance of goods, services, or other nonmonetary remuneration from clients/patients in return for psychological services. Psychologists may barter only if (1) it is not clinically contraindicated, and (2) the resulting arrangement is not exploitative. (See also Standards 3.05, Multiple Relationships, and 6.04, Fees and Financial Arrangements.)

Essentially, according to the APA the arrangement where BetterHelp offers "therapy" to youtubers in exchange for a glowing review of how they use it themselves online, as well as a sponsorship or business partnership, is unethical and violates their code.
 
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Lysenko said:
BH could be violating the American Psychological Association's Code of Ethics: https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/

3.05 Multiple Relationships (Can't have a person they are specifically in a business relationship with as a client)
3.08 Exploitative Relationships
Psychologists do not exploit persons over whom they have supervisory, evaluative or other authority such as clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, and employees (See also Standards 3.05, Multiple Relationships; 6.04, Fees and Financial Arrangements; 6.05, Barter with Clients/Patients
6.05 Barter with Clients/Patients
Barter is the acceptance of goods, services, or other nonmonetary remuneration from clients/patients in return for psychological services. Psychologists may barter only if (1) it is not clinically contraindicated, and (2) the resulting arrangement is not exploitative. (See also Standards 3.05, Multiple Relationships, and 6.04, Fees and Financial Arrangements.)

Essentially, according to the APA the arrangement where BetterHelp offers "therapy" to youtubers in exchange for a glowing review of how they use it themselves online, as well as a sponsorship or business partnership, is unethical and violates their code.
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This is something I was sure would come up. I've been saying in threads elsewhere that even if (very big "if") BetterHelp isn't doing anything illegal, they're most definitely violating some code of conduct or guidelines for professional therapists. If the Federal government doesn't shred them for HIPAA violations for their lackadaisical treatment of protected health information, state agencies and licensing boards are going to shut them down for grievous ethics violations.
 
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Tanner Glass said:
1200px-Philip_DeFranco_in_studio.png


Does this look like someone who is worth $100m+ starting a news network or someone who is still trying to appear to be a small time YouTuber.
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Look how smooth and wrinkle free his skin is though and the lack of grey hairs. His face looks like a teenager's.

He's probably buying gallons of embryonic stem cells from Planned Parenthood's baby butchery online shop and mainlining that shit in between videos.

I'm not saying he literally eats babies but he metaphorically eats babies.
 
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Spectre_06 said:
That is where the legal issues come up. If PhillyD withheld this information and people can prove it, the FTC may look at him as a big fish to go after, because the FTC loves hitting larger groups to show how much they actually "care". He's the YouTube equivalent of a household name, he has money, he's been in the business for years, and he should know better. He has all the makings of a terrific target.
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i don't know if it will be of any legal consequence (and i'm not optimistic about it either) but it's really kind of astonishing that he didn't disclose any of this info until he was forced to by people talking about the issue. i suspect though that YTers individual brand managers might also be responsible for not doing due diligence.

Manly-Chicken said:
Unfortunately, this is how I see it happening:

Everyone online will become aware of how Betterhelp is a scam, but none of the big YouTubers will lose any clout because there's too many massive ones involved.
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Yeah i'm pretty disheartened by the like-dislike raito of all the properly big videos promoting betterhelp. even phillyd's apology videos dont look any different from his usual ones. it's like fans of these huge youtubers legit think they can do no wrong, so it'll probably get cast as a fringe group of slanderous detractors casting shade on BH without knowing "the full story".

Manly-Chicken said:
Kids don't care if Hila and Ethan shilled a fake therapy website, as long as they keep making wacky videos about vaping they'll watch em.
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they don't really do that anymore do they? they mostly just do that lame ass podcast.

PortsideDave said:
You tuber Depression to Expression also a Betterhelp shill is mad. Very mad about people calling better help what it is: a scam.

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From the description:

Betterhelp IS A REVOLUTIONARY product and I think it's incredible. I've used it personally and haven't received any negative reviews for people who used my affiliate link. However, the Terms of Service is alarming to me and I need to pause this sponsorship for now. Betterhelp will be releasing a statement soon about this entire "scam." Depending on the change in their Terms of Service, I will consider having them as a future sponsor.​

so of course this guy's fans are all dummies who think he can do no wrong, but in the video he legit claims that once he was approached with the deal, he "did his homework", meaning that he "used the product", and of course it was great for him. but obviously "doing homework" means reading the fucking TOS, which he obviously didn't.

I guess people like him are trying to disavow betterhelp for "technical" reasons, like "oh this paragraph in the TOS is kind of alarming so i'm gonna disable affiliate links but it's still the best product ever guys!" this way they don't have to lose any credibility by admitting it's a scam and rather only "have to" disavow it temporarily while betterhelp fixes some minor problem.
 
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Durenduren said:
Because it is mental health day, shill writer and sjw extraordinare Jenna Moreci made a video about writing mental illness and lo and below she too takes the betterscam sponsor.

And keeps forcing her underaged audience to Phillip's shitty video.

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The legal jargon bit is STILL a copout. If you, as a business, do the required tests to ensure everyone is licensed and certified, why the fuck would you need legal jargon to say you don't? Why put the testing and certificate verification on the client? And then BetterHelp claims that 1) they aren't a valid substitute for real life help and that they are only a substitute while 2) having all their shilling youtubers say that they are an alternative to real life help cuz they're cheaper. You can't have it both ways.

There would have been so many better ways to write this. "While BetterHelp does request proof of valid license and certification of their therapists, we also rely on you, the Client, to do your due diligence in assuring the person you talk to is valid. Please report any suspicious communication/individuals immediately to _______". This informs people that, yes, they do their own checking, but that they also rely on the client to do their own verifications.

They likely wrote their T&C this way to prevent any and all liability for the inevitable suicide of a client who was using their app. They also 100% thought no one would read the T&C to stop this shitty jargon. And they were right...for a while.

In addition, Phil is giving BetterHelp WEEKS to get their shit together before he goes and interviews them. Basically, giving them enough time to cover their own asses. Phil will likely find absolutely nothing wrong with BetterHelp because, surprise, in the weeks it has taken him and his "independent reporter" to get there, they've cleaned up their act and have put up a solid front.
 
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PortsideDave said:
You tuber Depression to Expression also a Betterhelp shill is mad. Very mad about people calling better help what it is: a scam.

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This motherfucker pisses me off with his pity attempts.

Motherfucker, in 2007 I hit rock bottom. I was stationed in Okinawa, had been working 16-hour days for two weeks straight. I had relationship troubles at home, and my entire support system was on the other side of the fucking globe. My ass had just been put on limited duty following a surgery in which the docs fucked up and I could barely run more than half a mile before I was in agonizing pain in my lower back. I was down, I had no energy for anything at the end of the day. One day, my NCOs decided to make me the scapegoat for some fuck-up of theirs, I don't remember what it was. That entire day I had sergeants who didn't know the truth down my throat, SNCOs up my fucking ass, and I legitimately, when I got home and was told, "Get ready to be buffing the halls all goddamn night" that I had no energy. I legitimately had the thought of ending it. And that fucking terrified me. I went right away to see the base chaplain, who walked with me to see the IDC at BAS. I went into inpatient right then and there, because the depression I had hidden for so long and never managed to learn to cope with had manifested.

It took a few days, but my company commander--a man I respect to this day and it helps his daughter and I are best friends, the one who convinced me to become an officer--sat down across from me while I was in there. "Lance corporal," he says, "you have two options. You can quit now, get out with a medical discharge and have all your benefits. But you'd have quit, and you'd have failed yourself. The other option is to get better and continue working like you have been. The choice is yours."

I ended up doing six more years after that lovely little pep talk, getting out as an O-2 (and now I'm an O-3), because I got help for myself.

I've been at the bottom, or what feels like the bottom to me. I have been there and it sucks. But to say that I don't give a shit because I'm criticizing you without knowing who I am and trying to chastise me because I "don't know" who you are or where you've been is hypocritical as fucking shit, and these fuckers playing on sympathy to try to hide their own fuck-ups is enough to get me riled up and ready to kick some ass.

/endrant
 
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