Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Tell us if you found a gem or a piece of shit, and who peddled it

Moderator: Dux

User avatar

Topic author
Turdacious
Lifetime IGer
Posts: 21341
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:54 am
Location: Upon the eternal throne of the great Republic of Turdistan

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Turdacious »

Netflix documentary about the Bikram yoga guru, his history, and allegations of sexual assault and harassment. Apparently he raped several women; was abusive toward women, gays, and minorities; and fled the country after losing a civil suit-- but the fitness cult continues and appears to be going strong. Watchable despite mostly consisting of chicks talking and a vague soap opera vibe.

The big weakness is what it leaves out-- the woman who won the civil suit against him (his former legal counsel) now runs the business and gets all the revenue from it.
"Liberalism is arbitrarily selective in its choice of whose dignity to champion." Adrian Vermeule

User avatar

Grandpa's Spells
Lifetime IGer
Posts: 11559
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:08 pm

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Grandpa's Spells »

Is there revenue? The local Bikram places have all dropped the association since "Rapey Yoga" doesn't make a great franchise model.
One of the downsides of the Internet is that it allows like-minded people to form communities, and sometimes those communities are stupid.

User avatar

Topic author
Turdacious
Lifetime IGer
Posts: 21341
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:54 am
Location: Upon the eternal throne of the great Republic of Turdistan

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Turdacious »

Grandpa's Spells wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 10:49 pm Is there revenue? The local Bikram places have all dropped the association since "Rapey Yoga" doesn't make a great franchise model.
I assume so, there are still several bikram studios near me. Most of the people interviewed made choices that choices that seemed foolish from the outside (which I guess a lot of rape victims/cult members do), but they struck me as credible victims except for the lawyer who runs things now. It seemed like she was spinning things and leaving a lot out.
"Liberalism is arbitrarily selective in its choice of whose dignity to champion." Adrian Vermeule

User avatar

Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Fat Cat »

Yoga preys on the gullibility and white guilt of Westerners.

EDIT: to correct spelling of "prey".
Last edited by Fat Cat on Thu May 07, 2020 5:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

Kazuya Mishima
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 6394
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:11 pm

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Kazuya Mishima »

This was a great documentary. The book by Benjamin Lorr about Bikram is also great.

User avatar

Kazuya Mishima
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 6394
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:11 pm

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Kazuya Mishima »

Fat Cat wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 11:30 pm Yoga prays on the gullibility and white guilt of Westerners.
Deracinated middlebrow hicks, imo.


JohnDoe
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 293
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 6:35 pm

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by JohnDoe »


User avatar

Topic author
Turdacious
Lifetime IGer
Posts: 21341
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:54 am
Location: Upon the eternal throne of the great Republic of Turdistan

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Turdacious »


Mike Judge was really ahead of the curve.
"Liberalism is arbitrarily selective in its choice of whose dignity to champion." Adrian Vermeule

User avatar

Bram
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8247
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:38 am

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Bram »

Kazuya Mishima wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:16 pm This was a great documentary. The book by Benjamin Lorr about Bikram is also great.
Agree with both the above. The book was surprising in that it discusses at length the benefits of the Bikram practice for the author and others he encountered, and the insanity of Bikram....and did it in a way that was refreshingly devoid of new age bullshit cliches.
"An adventurer comes back and tells you what they did, while an explorer comes back and tells you what they learned."


Ripe Turd
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 473
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:34 pm

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Ripe Turd »

I'm usually against ad hominem arguments, but I don't picture someone who has self-respect follow this man as "health" or "fitness" model.

Image
Hanglow Joe wrote: Why do you need a program? Showing up a 1/2 hour a day and doing what you're doing is great. Try it for 4-6 weeks, you're not going to get dick cancer by not following a program.

User avatar

Bram
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8247
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:38 am

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Bram »

The man was in good shape when he was young

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... gYegQIARBJ

EDIT: how do you post a picture?

Image
Last edited by Bram on Thu May 07, 2020 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"An adventurer comes back and tells you what they did, while an explorer comes back and tells you what they learned."

User avatar

Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Fat Cat »

Image
Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Fat Cat »

1. Copy the image location, paste it in here.

2. Highlight the image location.

3. Hit the button in the full editor that looks like a photo and says insert image when you highlight it.

4. It helps to have a space between the image address and the image brackets like so: Image

5. Hit preview to make sure it works.

6. Hit post.
Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

Bram
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8247
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:38 am

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Bram »

Thanks FC!
"An adventurer comes back and tells you what they did, while an explorer comes back and tells you what they learned."


motherjuggs&speed
Top
Posts: 1680
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2019 6:08 am

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by motherjuggs&speed »

I have never encountered anyone with a haircut that screams Asshole who was not a huge one.

User avatar

Bram
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8247
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:38 am

Re: Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Post by Bram »

Although I don't disagree with that metric, his haircut seems fairly typical of any fitness person from whenever that was taken.

He does have an arrogant looking expression though.
"An adventurer comes back and tells you what they did, while an explorer comes back and tells you what they learned."

Post Reply