Tony Robbins--Gettin' the Edge

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I've been pretty fascinated with the Tony Robbins infomercials that have been running on late-night TV here for the last few months. The guy promises TOTAL SUCCESS in every area of my life. Quite a claim. He almost makes you believe it though--what he's really selling, I suppose, is his own insane charisma.

So my question is--have any ILX0rs ever "gotten the edge" themselves? Thoughts? Experiences? Was your life improved or ruined?

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link

My favourite part in the informercial, by the way, is when he's lecturing a bunch of doctors and nurses, and he says "You people know the power of a minute. A minute can mean life or death." Everyone nods.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link

Slutsky have you seen Shallow Hal (it is entirely forgiveable, perhaps even admirable, if you haven't)?

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:01 (twenty years ago) link

No, I haven't, but he cameos in it, right? Did you see it?

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:03 (twenty years ago) link

I did the program.
It was pretty good, I got rich and successful, eventually moreso than Tony even. Then he started coming around all the time, wanting to know if I would "indian leg wrestle" with him. You've seen the guy's jaw, imagine his feet.
It was just fucking gross. Eventually, I had to give everything up, change my name and move to Canada and take this shitty job at a newspaper just to get the big fuckin' freak off my jock.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:04 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.soulmaterelationships.com/relationships/recomm7.jpg
PHEAR MY TEETH, MORTALS!

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:29 (twenty years ago) link

Slutsky: yes, and it's a good example of a wink-wink cameo that makes Robbins appear to be able to laugh at himself, while not actually satirizing his own activities (which are in dire need of satirizing, or even condemning) with any bite at all.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:41 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, I heard it described as an "un-ironic" cameo. I guess that's what that meant.

Actually, I'm working on something right now that sort of satirizes that type of thing, which partially explains my interest.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:46 (twenty years ago) link

Supposedly if you attend one of his hi-energy seminars he uses his mind-control powers to make you think you need certain super-premium, not-on-tv materials that are just outrageously expensive, like $150 for a thin book or $200 for a DVD, etc. And people buy it. Just seeing this thread was an uncomfortable (re-)revelation that I have known ppl who've tried this! As with anything like this, the person is really "pumped" for about 2 weeks, annoys everyone, then the program is quickly abandoned or forgotten (for obvious reasons).

― Aaron A., Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:54 (twenty years ago) link

That's what I figured--that the program was some sort of energy-infusion/ego-pump-up.

But Quincy Jones testifies to its power!

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 18:00 (twenty years ago) link

btw, Tony Robbins products are the perfect example of something you should try to buy on Ebay for deeeeeep discounts off retail price.

― Aaron A., Wednesday, 14 May 2003 18:05 (twenty years ago) link

That is so tempting. Off to Ebay.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 18:41 (twenty years ago) link

He is not evil. He is not the devil. He will hypnotize you with his teeth.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 18:43 (twenty years ago) link

No, I don't see much humor in this honestly. Well, I do I suppose, but getting rich by selling people false fantasies of instant success seems awfully mendacious and cynical.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 18:53 (twenty years ago) link

I'd say I'm more fascinated than amused by his phenomenon--but there is always some humour in outright charlatanry.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 18:57 (twenty years ago) link

I don't see what's fascinating about it; it's just hucksterism. He's a 21st century snake oil salesman. And he doesn't even bother to have good musical guests on his show.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:06 (twenty years ago) link

Hello! Quincy Jones!

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:11 (twenty years ago) link

And I find Tony Robbins to be fascinating in the same way that anyone with that level of charisma is fascinating--huckster, dictator, whatever.

Now I'm not defending the guy, nor did I start this thread to take cheap shots at people who buy into his program. Sure it's easy to call him a "21st century snake oil salesman"--but the guy has the ability to rouse people like crazy, which is a rare and interesting trait.

Also, those teeth.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:16 (twenty years ago) link

it's like I was a fly whose wings were ripped off. Thanks to Tony, I can now fly around and burn my ex-girlfriend with my noxious saliva.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:23 (twenty years ago) link

Also what I find interesting is what Robbins is selling is not so much a specific product as himself--his personal magnetism, his (apparent) wild self-confidence, his crazy financial success. This is the essence of the pitch-person, of course, but rarely do you see it done so baldly.

I guess this is par for the course for motivational speakers, though.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 19:31 (twenty years ago) link

I can't wait for the Penn And Teller "Bullshit" show to get around to Robbins.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 15 May 2003 05:14 (twenty years ago) link

Being only 5'5", I was quite excited to see one of Robbins' books is called 'Awaken the Giant Within'. I must read it sometime.

― robster (robster), Thursday, 15 May 2003 05:27 (twenty years ago) link

ten months pass...

Bump this shit.

I always feel inspired after seeing his infomercials. Granted, usually I am drunk or high and go on to eat some nachos and fall asleep. Today I am thinking a roast beef sandwich. I will make that sandwich and I will eat it. It will give me momentum, who knows what I'll make tommorrow when I take it to yet another level. Ravioli is not out of the question.

Oh and the best part of the infomercial is when he cries on the beach talking to a very large crowd of people. So classic!

Question: doesn't it look like he got a teeth reduction?

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Monday, 5 April 2004 05:57 (twenty years ago) link

he still disgusts me

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 5 April 2004 06:05 (twenty years ago) link

I was channel surfing and I saw him pitching something on Home Shopping and he looked messed up - like he'd come off a coke bender messed up. He also had a weird thing on his lip. He sounded fine though. I changed the channel as I suspect that he uses some kind of hypnosis and I didn't want to buy his book or whatever.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 5 April 2004 06:44 (twenty years ago) link

i still find him intriguing!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 5 April 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago) link

Did I say Ebay? I think I meant P2P!

― Aaron A., Monday, 5 April 2004 14:04 (twenty years ago) link

Bill Clinton is a fan, which says something and probably not good.

― earlnash, Monday, 5 April 2004 14:59 (twenty years ago) link

it says something bad about bill clinton, very bad

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 5 April 2004 17:25 (twenty years ago) link

When I watch the infomercial and see Tony do the Judo chop through the planks of wood, I just want to stand up and cheer.

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Monday, 5 April 2004 18:14 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.stud.u-szeged.hu/Biro.Gergely.1/amazonia/New%20Dawn.JPG

― Dada, Monday, 5 April 2004 18:18 (twenty years ago) link

five years pass...

I found a book of his remaindered for two bucks and I started skimming it and then I bought it and now I am sucked in and am in the cult and getting the edge! Reading him means not looking at him.

It's not a scam as much as it's just peak-performance motivational stuff -- how to convince your mind and muscles to do things that help you instead of hinder you, that kind of thing. I was expecting something more cultish, but it's more like Flow theory with some secular Sri Chimnoy thrown in.

― Eazy, Tuesday, 19 May 2009 04:24 (fourteen years ago) link

You all can come swim in my pool in Santa Monica when I get rich.

― Eazy, Tuesday, 19 May 2009 04:24 (fourteen years ago) link

seven years pass...

Dozens burned walking on hot coals at motivational Tony Robbins seminar

― brimstead, Friday, 24 June 2016 18:50 (seven years ago) link

Posting this to the not-an-Onion-story thread.

― dinnerboat, Friday, 24 June 2016 20:20 (seven years ago) link

two years pass...

Of course.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janebradley/tony-robbins-self-help-secrets

I mean, when your LAWYERS are saying this about you:

“He was ’never intentionally naked’ in front of staff, his lawyers said in a letter. ‘To the extent that he may have been unclothed at various times...Mr. Robbins has no recollection.’”

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 17 May 2019 15:58 (four years ago) link

Four more come forward. Robbins claims that he is a "better human being than I was in my twenties and thirties" (which is what all of these creeps say)

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiejmbaker/four-more-women-accuse-tony-robbins-of-sexual-misconduct

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 23 May 2019 20:48 (four years ago) link

Seriously, fuck this guy.

New: footage shows self-help guru Tony Robbins using the n-word repeatedly and describing how he responded to a skeptical female participant by getting “in her face” and kissing her. https://t.co/u8EQFi4zr3
— Heidi Blake (@HeidilBlake) May 23, 2019

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:06 (four years ago) link

wait hold up tony robbins is a scumbag??????

― cheese canopy (map), Friday, 24 May 2019 00:06 (four years ago) link

isn't this guy like a cult leader scam artist guy?

― Trϵϵship, Friday, 24 May 2019 02:51 (four years ago) link

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