without mark i wouldn’t have been able to cope with the loss of my mother, she’s still alive, but an addict. i stepped away, i have two boys of my own, and i refuse to allow her near them. mark has helped me understand my mom through all of his interviews, mark is doing gods work. our country is in a massive mental health and drug crisis, this is insanely sad. mark has saved lives in so many ways, i don’t even think he realizes it. i have much love and appreciation for this soul ♥️
I understand you. I've had to pull away from my only daughter who is alcoholic and meth user. She is now 52 years old and her children and I are mourning her loss even though she is still alive and dreading the phone call that we know we will one day recieve.
Yep. I am in the same situation as you. My mom barely knows her 2 grandkids, but that is her 'choice' as an addict. I just tell myself to be the mom, that I always wanted mine to be; loving and stable.
Mark's absolute best interview skill is his silence. Most interviewers would jump in with another question as soon as the guest stops speaking. Mark will just keep his mouth shut and that awkward silence turns to gold.
It's so true. If someone is pretty high he tries to keep a momentum but other than that, he just lets them share & it's like we're holding space for them too - it's just a really good thing he's doing.
Absolutely. The most interesting part of the interviews is watching how these poor, broken people work through their thought process and how different it is from yours and mine. Truly fascinating.
One time I did a event rental delivery to Downtown LA and parked in front of a huge luxury high rise. I stepped out of my truck directly into pee all over the curb, a homeless guy jumped into the bed of my truck and acted as if he was part of the loading crew. My client came downstairs to meet us and as I was shoing this homeless man away, my client asked him if he needed a hug and the homeless started crying and embraced him. I'll never forget that.
Been listening to Joe for a while now and SWU for a couple years. Been waiting for this. Homelessness and drug abuse has skyrocketed and the root of the problem lies most times with childhood and absent or abusive parental figures. More needs to be done to encourage young men and women to break generational patterns and Mark has done so much work to accomplish that. I am a DUI Program Administrator and I show his Channel to my Classes often because they all relate to childhood trauma being a source of addictive behaviors. It is helping so much to share this crisis with members of the community! Thanks Mark and Joe.
Give things 10 to 20 years and the homeless population is going to be flooded with former trans types that had their lives destroyed by their fake virtue-signaling parents and or peer pressure.
Yes but it’s an affordable housing crisis especially in California. There are people working full-time and living in their cars because they can’t afford to pay 💰 for housing. I had to leave the SF bay area because of that reason.
God it’s so good to see Mark here. I’ve been a fan of him for YEARS now. And his content has always been massively underrated for what he does. Such a brilliant dude with humbling interview skills.
The most important thing Mark brings to society is clarity regarding realistic expectations about what can be fixed, and what CAN"T. These video's are a direct slap in the face to societies ideological expectations.
I use some of Mark's videos in psychology classes. Most people have no idea what serious mental illness looks like. His videos give a very clear picture.
Moms and dads are so important. Our society tells mothers especially that it's their careers that matter most -- but the work they do raising their children -- even when it feels mundane or unimportant -- couldn't be more valuable.
Interesting that you mention the working mothers, while Mark talked about the 1 percent who had a father in their life. Children need loving and solid adults, and it doesn't even matter if it is the biological parent, it can be a neighbour, so to speak. It is not an opinion either, but a fact.
Two loving nurturing parents to provide examples of positive influences. You can have the dad or the mom be the nurturer the key is for both parents to look into to their children’s eyes and see the reflection of love, kindness and caring staring back at them. You must also teach them that the world can be cold and cruel but teach them resilience to be able to navigate that world.
@@thematriarchy2075 The researach does not bear that out. Children don't just need "loving solid adults," (although obviously that's prefered over total neglect). Whether you believe in God or Darwin, nothing can replace the inate need children have for their biological mother and father.
@@bekahbaker1632 Just look up the research. For a child to grow up as a well grounded person, they need loving adults to raise them, and those adults do not have to be a biological parent or parents.
Children need fathers. Interestingly enough studies show that children raised by just a father vs children raise in a two parent home end up with the same result. So the truth is fathers matter most period. The discipline you get from just the presence of a dad makes all the difference. Nuturing matters but its not what makes a person good for society. Just a fact.
Mark's videos are fantastic. He touched on a key point. The fatherless children are astounding. The breakdown of the family structure causes untold problems.
I was physically and sexually abused in foster homes When I was a little kid and it made me terrified of people. My mom also abused me too, and groomed me to do a lot of stuff that I'm ashamed and so now I'm afraid of women As well But I try to work through it every day. I hope everybody gets through what they're going to as well. I love yall.
So glad to see Mark's work and the poor folks he interviews getting more awareness. Some of them do really break your heart, especially the ones who were terribly abused as children by everyone around them. I hope we learn to set aside our differences and wake up to the severe social issues at hand.
I appreciate his work, but sometimes I do think Mark sometimes gets too caught up with his guests. Like that one prostitute from L.A. who had a large tattoo on her face, seemed like Mark was smitten with her as he went the extra step of trying to 'save' her by giving her money and setting her up with living situation. Unsurprisingly, in a follow up interview, she went right back to the streets. She played Mark as she would have played any other person trying to 'save' her, they are good at talking the talk but in reality they are so engrained in the lifestyle, they have zero desire to ever change.
Lima Jevremovich: you know you're reading this. How did you and Mark (and Adam22) all meet? Why did Amanda die? Why did you lie about her toxicology. PS HI Mark
I was obsessed with his videos until I got burnt out. They're so intense. What hurts the most is wondering what genius was stamped out because of predators. There are millions on the streets. How many would have been the next Stephen Hawking, André Segovia, or Michaelangelo? I guess we'll never know.
The one thing about Mark that stands out is you can tell in his interviews is he has a caring heart for the people he interviews. I've seen him time and again give folks money for lunch and even got one woman a motel room for the night. My favorite segment of his is the Whittakers from West Virginia. Mark acknowledges all the family members amd treats them like human beings. Mark you deserve more than what you get credit for. Bless you brother
I've been watching Soft White Underbelly for awhile now. Nice to see Mark show up on JRE. There's so much on the channel I can relate to from the aspect of loving people who could fit right in. It's a different perspective and helps with empathy. I'm rooting for those souls.
He's hired bot farms to post positive comments about him and give then 100's of upvotes. Click on the channel Come Fast To Get Into My Body" you couldn't make this shit up..
I worked with a lot of homeless men in an ER in NYC (the entrance to a men’s shelter was directly across the street from our hospital). And he is right, there are layers of multifaceted dysfunction for a lot of these guys - childhood sexual trauma, abandonment, mental illness, drug abuse, minimal education. I left the situation with the overall sense that by the time they hit 20, the dye is cast and any systemic attempt to rehabilitate them is prohibitively expensive and moreover unlikely to work. Our culture is failing a lot of young kids, but once they become adults they just shuffle from shelter to jail to hospitals to the streets and back again. I cannot begin to fathom what an effective systemic solution would need to entail.
I had a roommate who was neglected as a child and I befriended them of course since we lived together. They’re great and kind but over time I realised there is so many skills and social concepts they just weren’t taught as a child and I realised even when explaining things to them it’s impossible to catch up to societal “norms” as an adult. Thankfully that friend never had issues like addiction but they do run into misunderstandings a lot with peers which hurts them. I came to understand these things as quirks to a friend, certainly doesn’t make them less worthy. So even when there is no addiction or homelessness involved, like Mark said, the damage is done as a child. These people will never fit into the cookie cutter norms of society. And they don’t have to! But it puts so many obstacles in their way when they cannot grasp concepts and societies rules. What starts as a misunderstanding can so quickly escalate and the person with the trauma sadly ends up the victim again oftentimes.
Are you still friends with them. I was abused by my mother as a child. People at church knew the teachers knew because I told them. No one believed me they couldn't believe a woman would do such thing. So I quit telling. But the abuse ends with me. Me and my sister are the only two left . When we die the curse ends.
All the things Mark talked about completely mirror what I saw over 2 years as the overnight Social Worker in the emergency department of a community hospital. As I tell people, the “trifecta” of hopelessness is the homeless person w/ an addiction and an underlying psychotic disorder.
"when i first went down there to really try to help them i was doing 8 interviews a day" = "When things really started becoming profitable". These people have no intentions of helping, it's just a side effect of their own greed. People like this are part of the problem and it's so sad people can be manipulated to see otherwise. Another quote mins later: "How am I supposed to help them I'm doing 8 interviews a day". He buys his own BS, know better. This guy was a photographer that found out he could manipulate the poor for profit. SHAME ON HIM.
Thank You, Joe, for having Mark Laita on your show. It was a great, insightful interview. I love Mark's work and benevolence regarding the Soft, White Underbelly. 💙
You do know what that term refers to right??? Churchill used it to describe a optimal point of attack. So, is he attacking society or the creature it creates? 🤔
@@ronl.4524 Yes, I am aware what it means. It's all about Vulnerability. I wouldn't look at it as a "point of attack!" Is that what u r really getting out of this interview? Did U watch it in its entirety? He's creating awareness to dysfunctional family systems, parenting, and trauma. He's shedding light on horrific situations. I'm not sure why U R confused. He is not exploiting, particularly when they have given permission to be interviewed. He has helped many of them. Change comes from within. Period.
I have watched nearly all of Marks videos. It is truly a REALITY CHECK. Not entertainment, a lesson on why bad parenting and absentee fathers is an epidemic in America
Anyone who really understands knows the importance of Mark’s work and that his heart has always been in the right place.. stories need to be told and he has put in the hours to make some of the most compelling stories available to learn from. Thank you Mark and Joe from someone who’s been to the edge and back.
@@jeremym1288 I think he said the main thing is to keep kids safe from violence and sexual abuse so they don’t grow up needing to use drugs to escape from their traumatic childhood.
I've worked in homelessness, now working with high risk youth, everything mark says is 100% true, I came across his series a couple years back, me and my colleagues would be this is just lje our experiences. It's a world of its own, that is unseen and hard to understand if you're not amongst it.
@@growmiegreenthumb8025 No it's crazy that you're trying to shame me for my job. I started as a volunteer at a shelter run by a 'not for profit' because i wanted to help people, then they offered me a job, at the time I needed a job, I took the job.
How is working to help people who are homeless just making money off them? Are you saying nobody should be a social worker, or child protection or family violence support worker because they get paid a wage to do it?
@@growmiegreenthumb8025almost everyone has a job where you are involved in bad things and making money off people who dont know how to handle money, we live in a capitalist society, what do you expect? I worked as a cleaner in a factory where they told me they built "binoculars", every single wall in that factory had a picture of a soldier or tank, they didnt make your everyday binoculars they made scopes for guns and for other military purposes. I had already signed a contract and i needed money. It was terrible but it was during corona and i made sure the toilets and everything else was clean. Everything has its negatives and positives.
@@BigBodyBiggolo we all need money to survive, or we'd be the very people we are trying to support, in a hollywood movie type of world sure I'd help these very same people without pay, but that's just not realistic or sustainable, unless I was born into money, or won the lottery which have neither. It's also not the type of job either that you can do where you put yourself first or with a, 'what can I make out if this' type of job, if it is you won't last, there are far easier better paying jobs. And your totally right, every job has its positives and negatives, Also if someone wants to find a negative about you or your job they can, but maybe they need to look at themselves first.
It really comes down to not having kids unless you seriously want to raise them. Nothing drives me crazy like men having kids from 6 baby mamas. They should be forced to have their tubes tied after two. They are creating walking time bombs.
You know I have been watching Mark’s channel now for a few years and everyone loves to speak on how he is exploiting all these individuals and talking out of their asses but they don’t want to find a solution. I think he does absolute phenomenal work. People don’t want to see that there is an actual problem and he straight up puts a magnifying glass on it so it cannot be ignored. People don’t like the ugly truth when it’s thrown in their face. I’d love to meet him. I’ll back him any day and I’ve told tons of people to watch his hard work. Thank you for having him on your platform Joe! You are both outstanding, hard working men. I love your channel I am always telling everyone to check out you! Hell I even wrote you in for presidency 😂😂😂 love the things and outlooks you have to say. So tired of people turning a blind eye to the problems of the world in hope that it will just go away. We have to be about it to change it!😊
I lived with a family from 2013 to 2017 and got to see first hand how addiction to meth with particular family members ruled there life, I realized no amount of money was going to fix the problem, that it had to come from the individual wanting to change their life. I loved them and cared , helped out as much as I could but realized I was enabling to certain extent , and in the process it was effecting me and eventually I moved out and had to look after my own well being. To this day, 2 of the family members are still indulging and it's tragic.
Mark says he’s helped maybe 4-5 out of 5000! No he’s helped hundreds maybe thousands posting these cases and the viewers are the ones being helped!! So give yourself lots of credit Mark Laita! You’re golden!!
Joe, it was the Cecil Hotel and the woman was Elisha Lam. She didn't get abandoned by her family. She lived and worked in Canada. She went on vacation to San Diego, then to L.A. then on to Northern California to visit friends. .
When it comes to addicts - it takes an addict to reach another addict. Marc is doing noble and admirable work. I can tell mark has never been one and that's totally fine, he should bring someone with him who was once in the grips of addiction who is now sober to help. Much respect to all those trying to help and do the next right thing
Love Soft White Underbelly. He does AMAZING work and those stories need to be told. A lot of those people were abused and have issues....we need to protect our kids.
Happy to say I survived a stay at Cecil Hotel and walked Skid Row at 2am. Had no idea what I was getting myself in to, or the history but I held my chin high, looked everyone straight in their eyes, and survived the visit. Intuition is a strong guardian I tell ya!
I have been following mark’s channel for awhile now. I’m so glad you had him on the show! His channel is seriously eye opening. Mark isn’t wrong, they all have the same things in common unfortunately 😢
I have been subbed to Mark’s channel for years, he’s doing alot by telling these people’s stories, mostly they just get ignored, which is very sad to me, this is a very complicated problem obviously
I love your work man! I was a horrible drug addict of a person and you are doing the right thing. For that moment you helped do things for each one of those. Thanks for all you donate
@@clydez1234 Bullshit. This guy made tons of money before he started "SWU." Mark is the real deal. He gives back to the people he interviews and his message is important.
can't always blame the fathers. After learning much of what happens in divorce court, sometimes the mothers actively try to block fathers who want to be involved and poison the children with lies. More and more of these stories are coming out.
Hi Joe & Mark, Just a heads up that senior citizens like me are becoming the fastest demographic of homeless. Me: San Francisco Bay Area native, 61, no drugs/drink/crimes, A's college, paralegal at SF Bay Area law offices, priced out of rental market. I moved to Fresno, Ca, to get another degree from Fresno State and for the cheaper cost of housing. My "to do list" was detailed by epileptic seizures, hospitalizations, and no immediate Social Security disability income (a 3-20 yr battle, starting off with rejections for most of us). I have stayed in dangerous shelters, along with women gang members, women who have been in and out of jails and prisons, and women with severe substance abuse disorders and mental illnesses. There was also the senior law-abiding crowd like me, brought down by medical conditions, a lack of affordable housing, and a lack of income. Our crowd was law-abiding, educated (even if only high school), and had work histories. We ALL had our prescription medications stolen. We were screamed at by abusive, uncaring staff. Treated like errant children. I have worked for top law firms, changed Calif law for high risk crime victims, testified before a Calif State Senate Committee, landed major media attention for the law, and I am Fresno, CA's "free auditor" (and every level of govnt). Grades? F's!!! I had to use my law ofc conservatorship skills to get a homeless schizophrenic Hispanic veteran off the sts (out here for 4 yrs), stable on all meds, housed, fed, disability $. He even has a part-time job! I will post a list later of things you can give homeless people: 0 degree sleeping bags (about $55 on Amazon), pop up tents, hygeine kits. As for me and other law-abiding homeless folks with medical problems, help with: a daily cup of coffee, weekly or every 10 days laundry, paying my storage locker (essentially an extra closet, dresser drawers, kitchen cupboards, bathroom shelves, garage storage, ofc storage) at $300 per quarter (3 months) would be a great help. Auto ins, registration, gas, repairs, and extra food and water would be nice. (Water is life on the sts. Personal care cleaning wipes like Prevail are a close second.) Regards, Michaela
I was really happy to hear how the four people out of the 5000 interviews had fixed themselves up by their own efforts and motivation. As a victim of sexual and physical abuse, I have spent thousands of dollars on professional help, and in the end, I have had to come to terms with any problems by addressing the issues inside myself, and it has been my own efforts to confront my own messed up issues and change things by my own efforts. Self motivation and intent to be honest with oneself are the keys to making personal changes that actually work. No one else is going to do it for me. Pain of the present is the motivating factor.
RIP AMANDA!! THAT WAS WRONG WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!! I REALLY DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS DUDE. HE LAUGHS AT HORRIBLE EVENTS, HE FAVORITE STORIES OF HORRIBLE EVENTS ARE .. I JUST DONT KNOW THAT'S ALL IMA SAY. LIKE I SAID RIP AMANDA THAT WAS SHADY WHAT HAPPENED TO HER
Mark is a rare person…. A very rare person… he’s like a diamond. He’s so creative, charismatic, and smart. His intuition is absolutely insane! He’s dodged bad situations but keeps going back. He’s a very interesting person with AMAZING social skills. He can sit with anyone and talk. He’s amazingly talented.
I am an recovering cocain and Crack addict. I had to walk away from my twin girls father who seems to me like he WILL NEVER walk away from his addiction. I am a survivor of childhood trauma and sexual abuse. I refused to have my kids exposed to that. It iw possible to get clean. And find a light at the end of such deep despair and darkness. I just hope that his help doesn't enable addicts. I feel at times it does.
This dude has such contempt and condescension in his voice when talking about the homeless who gave him his career. The story of Amanda Rabb and how he played a huge part in what led to her death is bonechilling. Exploitative af
Frfr. I got thought vibe. Glad it wasn't just me after reading all the comments. I watched random SWU underbelly one day and it was obviously a follow up video on a young woman who was in a gang Asriah, I believe was her name. He did most of the talking IMO and apparently he'd invested a lot of money into her. He got her a place was giving her sometimes over a $1k a day if she asked. That was eye opening to me then but now combined with his statements in this clip, I definitely am starting to feel some type of away about this guy. Who is Amanda? I'll try a Google search. EDIT: just reading up on Amanda that's shady af.
I didn't have a great childhood and knew it wasn't right so I completely changed the cycle when I became pregnant for my son. First thing I did was got rid of my son's father because he was abusive to me and I wasn't going to have that happen to me while I was pregnant or after plus maybe he would be abusive to my son and that is something I could never allow so I raised my son happily alown and my long term relationship started with permission from my son because he really liked the guy it started when my son was 13yrs old and lasted for 10yrs. He was a great man that was great to me and my son. You have to want to change the cycle for a better life for you and your child because that child comes first
Mark Laita is awesome. Capturing lives and understanding lives people really live in all the graphic detail. A huge psychosociological experiment is encased in his work.
Ultimately, what Mark says, is deeply distressing. He talks about peeling away the layers of homelessness. After homelessness, drug abuse. Drug abuse, then mental illness. Mental illness, then abuse as a child. And even after paying perhaps hundreds of thousands per person, there is zero guarantee that some individuals will be helped.
Not every addict was a pos before they became homeless. Some people just go through such tough times and in trying to cope they find themselves in a downward spiral. Also not everyone who's homeless is an addict. Just like every addict isn't homeless.
This is an interesting topic. I've recently found myself homeless. I'm not on drugs. I'm an Army veteran. While it may be easy to sit still and stay homeless forever, I've managed to find work and I get up every morning at 5 AM, 6 days of the week. Within the next couple of weeks I'll have enough saved up to get a place to rent for myself. Every day I have to remind myself, I'm homeless not hopeless. I hope that someone else in a similar situation reads this comment. Keep your head up and don't lose focus of the goal. It's up to you to change your situation, if you do nothing then nothing will change.
That’s the message I got from watching these films. Childhood trauma is a huge problem, and it’s a generational cycle. You can also tell these interviews in the last three years really got to him.
@@kazbah1217 Fortunately they seem to have moved into neutering and spaying themselves at unsustainable rates just for the fake virtue-signaling points now. The downside seems to be that normal functioning people are too scared/apathetic to stop them from doing it to their kids too.
I was born a crack baby ie my mom was using during her pregnancy. Grow up around alot of drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Seeing all this at a young age put so much fear in me that I knew I could never live my life like this. Sometimes your childhood environment works as a reverse role model if you're lucky. Not all of us are born with this outlook, so I definitely count myself as lucky and never take for granted that I "survived" my childhood.
And yet, I grew up in a neighborhood where abuse of friends and neighbors was happening all the time and the topic of daily conversation of oh did you hear about such and such. Yet, the majority of people now grown up who went through this, did not let it ruin their lives. They got little jobs which grew into bigger and bigger jobs, some saved like squirrels until they changed their lives. It's a small percentage that get broken and give in to despair and self loathing and that drives them to drink and drugs. Imagine if most people did not bend but break. This country would be a land of zombies.
I was an addict, dad put me in rehab. I was clean for 6 months and go back to being a junky for 18 months.. And yeah, you realize one day, you are worth more than that. You want a house, and a car, and a family.. He is 100% correct, the only person that can help you is you
Keep grinding! I got sick and tired of being sick and tired and decided to get clean and sober about 11 years ago. Honestly, for the first 2 years I was just going through the motions and learning to live a new life. One day it just clicked. To be different we must do different. FIRST we have to learn HOW to do different and then implement these changes in our daily lives. This takes time. Take that time. Make time for yourself and your recovery. You ARE worth it. Be patient with yourself. You’re worth the efforts, I promise. I hope you find happiness. Many of us get clean/sober and are still bored and miserable. Love yourself..and do it guilt free❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💪🏽one day at a time
It's all about the individual wanting to change, and that's the hardest part. Some do not ever experience this epiphany. Addiction is pure evil, not the individual but the drugs, alcohol and dopamine hits themselves (gambling, sex, etc.). We need to focus on the soul and not the variables.
Soft White Underbelly is one of the most inspirational, emotional, insightful, aware, and informational channel on the internet to date. Mark is an amazing soul for what he is doing.
@@ericcarpenter3006 he pays these people in either food, money, resources. he's basically giving them work, which nobody else will, to hear their stories, which a lot of them seem to enjoy his genuine interest in their lives. as he said, all photography has an exploitative element. what he's doing isn't hurting anyone, it's showing the world what we rarely get to see in the homeless population of america.
@@ColoRadoSNOWrideri used to watch him a lot. what exactly does he say to them? i recall liking mark quite a lot. i’d listen to it like an audiobook while im busy doing something else usually
My parents were a disaster, I still don’t know how I made it out alive. Once in awhile I become them and I stop and regroup. Self awareness is something I learned later in life that helped me survive.
Amen I agree I also had an insane childhood finally getting out married at 17 I had my first son I was still a child and then all that hurt and pain came in and hit me I couldn’t love my son without letting go of my own pain because I didn’t know how to love myself and I made a decision I wasn’t going to repeat the insane cycle and allow my children to be hurt in the process I prayed gave it to God did a lot of self accountability I can say my oldest is almost 16 I have three boys and I have given them a life without ever knowing how ugly mine was they will always be first because that’s what love is to me ✌🏼
@@andrealynell89 sounds like you have been through a lot and come out better for it. If I may disagree slightly, God first and everyone else including mate and children second. This way God protects you and yours.
Yikes... Mark is sort of everything wrong with the approach towards the problem. This was rough to watch. I watch his channel, and thought he was much more empathic, but damn... he's just a white guy making money off homeless people's pain and taking advantage of the situation to demonize them and make their situation worse. There are so many success stories and so many orgs doing great work pulling people out from the underclass. He talks about them as if they are incapable of doing anything. That's not the case, they are traumatized individuals who are suffering from the lack of access to resources, safety, and the knowledge/connections to upward mobility. The majority of people are making it out of homelessness, but there are significant gaps in the system which (intentionally) fail to catch groups of people who we have historically dehumanized, in particular people with mental illnesses. Just look at the battle over police reform and the need to change how we approach mental health crises. Mark is a white boy with means, privilege, and access to plenty of resources. He erroneously conflates and reduces the complexity of homelessness as "self-worth". It's not "self-worth" that someone doesn't know how to do their taxes, have access to laundered clothes, barber, shower, etc for a job interview, or the healthcare to treat their debilitation. Its $$$.
i see Mark isn’t making as much money as he used to. Thats good. He basically was/ is making money off of the homeless/ the drug addicts and the prostitutes while he goes home and enjoys the luxuries that he got from doing that. the Amanda Rabb story is still not forgotten.
There was abuse in my childhood so when I had children I was aggressively protective of my kids. My now adult daughter was in a car with 4 of her friends and talking about things that had happened to them in childhood, some funny some sad. My daughter called me the next day and said that she was the only one in that car that wasn't sexually assaulted when she was a child. Both of us cried about it and wondered why all of this happens and why it's almost acceptable for this to happen to any child
Seriously, I feel like I defied the odds on that respect. When I got older, in college, I realized how prevalent it was. I really felt like I dodged a bullet. But I listened to both my grandmas and my Mom. They protected me & informed me. I'm so grateful for that. I'm trying to do the same with my own 2 girls. 👍
People that take advantage of and ruin a child's Innocence are the worst kind of monsters there are in this world. It happens more than people realize..
@@matthewp5472 sometimes the people closest to you (whether family or friends) are not who you think the are. I say this from experience.. Sometimes they're the people you would least expect. People should also realize that it's not just men that prey on children.
I hate how this guy feels like he has to justify and explain what he's doing. He's not exploiting these people. He's bringing awareness to them in a constructive way.
At first I watched a few of this guys videos, then it became apparent that he simply looks for people to film and exploit. He makes it seem as if his work is altruistic and a service to the public, a warning about what's out there, the grimy or the better, as if all his topics were new. All he does is tacitly point a finger but instead of a finger he uses a camera. It's more self-serving than anything else. Just listen to the judgmental nature in which he referres to the people that he interviews. He's obviously looking down on them. And that's telling because you realize that, he's not looking for any of these folks redeeming social qualities. He wants to point out the freaks. He worked in advertising, lives in a wealthy enclave and makes a small fortune slumming to find down and out people who participate in risky sex and drug behavior so he can film their sad, salacious and lured stories on video? His "work" is a dictionary definition of the word ex·ploi·ta·tion. Interestingly, your not likely to see any of the people he videotapes appearing on Joe Rogan show. He made it on the show off these people's backs...TRUTH Simply ask yourself..who's actually benefiting from his videos?
Freaks that you wouldn't know existed if it wasn't for work like his. What a misguided conclusion and you spent all that time typing that and even had to edit it. If you think you can do a better job of educating people of the reality that exists out there for individuals who live in the shadows, show us :) This is educational, to think that Mark does this to solely exploit people is a gaffe and you probably feel offended by the stories that are shared because you relate to them. Fuck off, respectively.
Quite obvious from your response, you reveal yourself to be nothing more than a simple follower. Get a dictionary.. look up the meaning of the word "Exploited". More importantly - try to understand its meaning within the context of my comments. Here, I've made easy for you. "ex·ploit verb /ikˈsploit/ make full use of and derive benefit from" Ask yourself, what POSITIVE benefit do these people derive from his work? Don't you see why this self professed, rich marketing executive goes out of his way to find the hurt among us to point his finger and camera at? Answer: just to seduce the mass of sad and simple little SHEEP like YOU. This way you can all feed off the new display of fresh blood and guts each episode. Whatever dignity these people may have, is stripped away in full view for all the WORLD to see. It's a NEW YEAR. So wise up to the vultures. It's not what they say, it's what they do. And..lastly, my very simple friend, don't talk about it (CHANGE) be about it... BITCH😉 I wish you Peace and holdout hope for you to gain a better understanding of the needs of our Brothers & Sisters and the human nature of man 🙂
@@Realloulow Do you think you're edgy or something calling people sheep 🤣🤣Again, with the long response that is horribly put together, I'd like to share a quote with you, "....what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." You seem like a victim of something and I feel sorry for you.
Mark exploits people experiencing homelessness & drug addiction. One person he exploited the most was Amanda rabb, who was resistant against aura virtual reality rehab treatment, she died in the care of his referral. #justiceforamandarabb
I don’t know, I guess this guy is doing good things, but just by cutting Joe off on his story like two or three times shows a little bit about his character. Every time Joe was telling the story, this guy would just start talking about something else. I actually wanted to hear Joe’s story about the girl who looked paranoid but this guy fucked it all up
Because he cant keep his mask on for too long without letting it slip. Mark is NOT what he pretends to be. Ask his ex-wife. Better yet, ask Amanda Raab. Oh wait, you cant. Shes dead now. Amanda Raab was a repeat "guest" of Mark. Mark brought in a "professional" to help Amanda - Lima Jevremovich. Lima proceded to get a court ordered conservatorship over Amanda. Forced her into an inpatient treatment "facility" that Jevremovich is directly (financially) associated with. Amanda Raab died there. Lima lied about toxicology reports. Lima's also Bam Margera's medical proxy and has a court ordered conservatorship over him. How's he doing? Laita has supported Lima Jevremovich the entire way. Mark Laita is NOT what he seems.
When I watched his series on the Whittaker family in WV…I was never the same again. They lived in the most messed up situation I’ve ever seen. Yet you could tell they were happy in their own way and cared for each other despite the crippling disabilities and insane living conditions. I will never again be ungrateful for anything my life.
As someone who was on the skid row and down in Venice beach, I have never heard someone from outside homelessness speak so much honesty and truth. Rebecca (one of his intervieweees) was a friend of mine and to see how far she’s gone from us starting in the same place and to hear marks testimony on homelessness, I feel so incredibly lucky and proud of myself for getting out of that.
Its a shame Joe only focussed on the ones who can ‘barely communicate’ and missed out the EPIC ONES such as the divorce lawyer talking about love and marriage. Was one of the BEST interviews on any show, and should be watched by everyone. Charisma and wisdom galore!
Well despite the fact that some of them are inspirational, in reality most of them are very poorly functioning individuals. Then you realize that a lot of them are molded by the systems we have in place and lack thereof.
What's Mark's relationship w Lima Jevremovich? Also, how did one of Mark's repeat subjects, Amanda Raab, end up dead after treatment with Lima's "accredited" treatment facility? Just questions...
That makes so much sense. Your self worth is such a huge factor in recovery. I quite drugs because I had kids. I refused to be a low life and live on the streets. My life was no longer about me it was about my children. It was the best thing I've ever done. 15years later and I haven't looked back. But I had enough self worth to change my life. Not everyone does. I never had a father growing up and I would be damned if my children didn't have a father growing up. I broke the cycle and I can't tell you how happy I am now.
Same. The only thing that had the power to get me sober was my children. I wasn't going to live with my children being teens or adults and saying " my dad was drunk my whole childhood." I wasn't going to live with that. It was do or die.
It’s crazy when someone you discovered 2 years ago makes it onto the Rogan podcast. Very happy for Mark he puts in a lot of hard work and dedication to provide so many interviews.
Ive been following soft white underbelly since the early 2000's when he came to Philly(where I live) and checked out Kensington Ave here.. I was a junkie on there street back then, and I was sitting in a methadone clinic when a buddy of mine came up to me and told me he was in a video... turned out to be Mark and SWU.. followed him ever since. Its been part of my strength to stay off the street and stay clean.
"Always treat people with respect, because you don't know what they've been through" my father's wise words. Lucky are we who had loving parents. We were told no matter what happens to hold our heads up high and to stand tall. Love builds that inner strength.
I think that is the biggest message of Mark's channel. The real huge elephant in the room is a lack of family values...a lack of cultural values in the US that inculcates a desire to provide first and foremost for one's family. Almost every video I have watched on his channel the kids were abused by their parents.
If you ever need an example of the way privileged and wealthy Americans see those less fortunate is this guy laughing over horrendous deaths. Maybe the same can be said for all Americans and their relative indifference to someone dying through tragic preventable circumstances as it's so commomplace. An epidemic of gun violence makes alot but not all numb to the loss of life.
I love Mark and his channel but this podcast left me with thinking Mark is extremely into himself and kept having to bring up how he’s better than everyone he interviews. He also talks about some of them like they’re not human and are simply characters he’s producing for.
It’s fascinating to see how desensitized Mark is compared to Joe. It’s like every story is a knife to Joes stomach, but Mark has heard and seen it all. His brain is almost rewired. Pretty telling for the community that actually lives this stuff
Which is weird because usually Joe just blames the homeless problem on Democrats or people being lazy. Hopefully he learned something from this but we'll see
@@AustinKoleCarlisleAmericas materialistic, capitalistic/economic driven society is a hunting like culture, it’s no surprise many people do not want to be apart of it.
@@AustinKoleCarlisle yeah it's just such a clueless statement. As if all cities don't have the same problems. But you know it is funny places like Alabama don't have homeless problems.. why? Poor red states use The money the federal government gives them to build housing for their homeless lol great system. And the best part is that money comes from states like California and New York! But keep blaming all problems on "Democrat cities" (fun fact most cities lean left) and not the corporate duopoly. You're welcome for the free education
@@user-nj1zu2nf1x Well when Democrats claim they’re the party that wants to help those less fortunate and you see places like skid row under 100% Democratic Party control it makes you wonder wtf are they doing because places like skid row shouldn’t exist but they do
I've watched a lot of Mark's videos and they are heartbreaking. A lot of these folks are extraordinary people because they are still living, engaging, and personable even after enduring hideous crimes and extensive abuse, neglect, and loneliness - from their own families. What a broken world we live in. Mark thanks for showing us their pain. Not for entertainment but as a reminder to be kind to everyone that crosses our paths even when we think they don't deserve it. I think the best and most inspiring video I've seen is the man who had his face shot off by a shot gun during the commission of a crime where he was just a by-stander. He had every reason to be bitter but the man has hope, was amazingly kind, and intelligent.
I used to be homeless ... and ya I come from an abusive household luckily I got out and I have a job now. but it's not just druggies etc, they all have a story.
Well realistically its 99.9% druggies for whatever reason, I mean I say that because that is an issue that needs further attention and effort. Not to just judge some random street sleeping somebody; I believe that drugs keep them there! Without the drive to go back for drugs what the fuck else would you ever go back for? Yeah to help others well you can't do that until you are drug bulletproof and like I said, time and effort. Patience and not expecting a miracle.
As a former addict, having been clean from opiates for 26 years… Everything in this interview is absolutely true. Having to change your entire identity is not easy. Being an addict and 24 hour day job. The first thing you think about in the morning is where am I going to get my dope, if you can just turn all that energy into being a different person you can get clean believe me it's nobody's job but your own I did it without any help after 15 years of being an addict. Nobody can blame anybody else or rely on anybody else for their sobriety, except for themselves. How dare anybody ever ask why doesn't he help?
@@SimonDelaney1974 honestly, some people's disease is so bad, that they just cannot get better; unfortunately. It doesnt mean that dont want to get better. They just did not want to (maybe) early enough or relapsed too many times and their bodies/brains just cannot survive their relapses. I am not better or worse than any other addict on the planet. I just followed through and by the grace of God stayed sober because i did the right things long enough.... i dont mean to sound superior. Addiction is a life threatening disease. Period.
Am I the only one who listened to this whole podcast and thought it was mark patting himself on the back for the whole 2 and a half hours. Personally I think he’s taking advantage of vulnerable people to make profit. Maybe I’ve just picked it up wrong but it definitely didn’t sit right with me
@@PanAfricanCommunalist he’s said at one point. Sometimes he says to himself get a job when speaking to them. He then says he understands addiction. Well clearly you don’t buddy if you are speaking about vulnerable people like that
My dad was an alcoholic i love him for teaching me what not to be as an adult. One thing I will give that man, he always blamed himself and knew only he could fix him. R.I.P Dad
That hit hard. Me and my father went rounds over his drinking. He always apologized. At the end our relationship was the best it had ever been and I would not cha.ge it for the world. I miss my dad. R.I.P POPS
Your father taught you the greatest life lesson ever, by blaming himself, and not making excuses or blaming others. That lesson is why you chose to go a different path. This is why fathers are important.
Why is no one talking about how conceited this man comes off? He talks about his wealth and how so loved by the pimp community and how he has no vices what so ever. For someone who’s spent years watching his channel, I just expected a greater sense of empathy and compassion. I’m really disappointed because I’ve been watching his channel for years. Mark almost mocks how he drives from bel air to skid row every day and how hes considered “Santa”. It’s gross tbh. I expected a much humbler, kinder, more relatable man
