Infowars and Goop sell the same exact pseudoscientific "wellness" products
Pseudoscientific “wellness” brands on both the far right (Infowars) and the celebrity-lifestyle left (Goop) are shown to be selling many of the same white‑label supplements and products, raising questions about how ideology, marketing, and grift intersect. Commenters debate why such products thrive: from distrust of “big pharma” and failed or inaccessible healthcare, to food culture, convenience, and a broader collapse in trust in institutions and expertise. There is also argument over how much regulation, if any, should apply to supplements and alternative medicine, and whether better healthcare systems would meaningfully reduce demand for these offerings.
Grift, gullibility, and “wellness” products
- Many see Infowars/Goop supplements as classic grifts: deliberately targeting credulous or desperate people and converting “gullibility into profit and influence.”
- Others note this is just continuation of a very old pattern: people love “magic pills” and easy fixes more than lifestyle changes.
- Some push back on the term “pseudoscience” for all supplements, arguing several (e.g., certain herbs, vitamins) have some supporting evidence and that calling everything bogus is ignorant or lazy.
Supplements vs real nutrition and access
- Several commenters are baffled that people will buy expensive pills but “can’t afford” fruits, vegetables, and beans.
- Counterpoints:
- Food deserts and time poverty complicate access to fresh produce.
- Marketing, convenience foods, and changing palates drive people toward processed options.
- Evidence is mixed on whether simply adding supermarkets improves diets or BMI.
- Debate over whether poor diet is mostly about preferences/addiction vs structural constraints and pricing.
Healthcare, regulation, and snake oil
- One view: snake oil thrives because legitimate healthcare is expensive or inaccessible; single-payer could starve this market.
- Others argue:
- Many buyers have insurance or wealth; the driver is distrust of “big pharma” and institutions.
- Pseudoscience is widespread even in countries with universal healthcare.
- US supplement law is criticized for allowing health claims with minimal evidence and “not FDA evaluated” disclaimers.
- Strong disagreement over how tightly to regulate words like “medicine” and health claims on labels.
Politics, culture, and horseshoe theory
- Infowars and Goop are seen as examples of ideological extremes converging on similar wellness grifts (“horseshoe theory”).
- Commenters link this to a broader anti-expert, anti-institution trend on both left and right, driven by powerlessness and desire for “secret knowledge.”
- Others stress that alternative medicine is more about human psychology than any one political or healthcare system.
Branding, marketing, and business model
- Goop’s absurd branding (e.g., provocative candles, “activated” nuts) is viewed as intentional outrage marketing for a specific demographic.
- Infowars/Goop are noted as storefronts reselling the same white‑label products from common manufacturers, similar to many other retailers.
- Some compare this to mainstream supplement pushes (e.g., podcast-promoted powders), arguing the core model—overpriced, over-marketed basics—is widespread.