![]() This penchant for Sears to advertise products we don’t need is not new. He has sponsorships for magnesium supplements to combat stress (a recent review of the evidence characterized the existing studies as “poor” so we can’t really conclude anything at this point) he peddles “pure” deodorant as an alternative to aluminum-containing products (the link between deodorants, aluminum, and disease is false all the way through) and he pushes for “evidence-based” blue-light-blocking glasses while calling those who do not believe in them “science deniers” (blue light blockers don’t really work and if you want to sleep well, you should avoid any bright light before bedtime). These days, Sears, ever the businessman, hawks a variety of supplements and gadgets that typically have no real evidence behind them. (A lot of this was unearthed by Chris Kavanagh for his terrific article on Medium.) A quick look at its “bionetic homeopathics” page should be enough to realize that what Sears mocks in public, he may very well endorse in private. ![]() Sears himself attended a certification program at Journeys of Wisdom. Its courses teach students to harness the energy of their chakras, a spiritual concept not based in fact, as well as promoting the unscientific concepts of “detoxing” and “boosting your immune system.” The founder of this institute, Paul Chek, endorses anti-vaccination rhetoric, and Chek and Sears are reportedly very close friends. He is neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist rather, he is reported as having been a faculty member of the CHEK Institute. His credentials certainly raised my eyebrows. I think we were all caught with our pants down when it was revealed that JP Sears was actually an emotional healing coach. In it, he uses his trademark deadpan delivery to feed us this line: “If you’re ready to have a ravenous appetite for impossible standards and dogmatic feelings of victimization, then let’s get started on what you need to do to become gluten intolerant.” I remember sharing it on social media and wondering if Sears was just a science-minded comedian who had seized upon a great target of derision: the worried well. His 2015 video on “How to Become Gluten Intolerant” now has over 10 million views. JP Sears started to gain popularity a few years ago with his videos parodying the worst excesses of wellness-minded consumers. A wolf in sheep’s clothing for the social media age Distrust is the name of the game, and he does it with comedic flair. It may come as a shock to find out that not only has he become the very thing that he once ridiculed, JP Sears is now using his massive online platforms to discredit public health measures against COVID-19 and to open the door to grand conspiracy theories. ![]() You may remember him from his purple T-shirts, long red hair, and earnest sarcasm. JP Sears made a name for himself by gently mocking essential oils and the unbearable demands made on friends by rule-abiding diet enthusiasts. There is a man on the Internet known for satirizing wellness trends who was recently censored on YouTube for spreading unfounded conspiracy theories.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |