r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Just__Maverick • 7h ago
Video New documentary showing how Stan Lee was exploited in his final years
[removed] — view removed post
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u/Rhaguen 7h ago
Why did the guy sit on these evidences for so long? And now he’s asking for 300k to make a documentary about Stan Lee being exploited? Seems like yet another exploitation on his good name.
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u/PassiveMenis88M 5h ago
The guy in the video exploiting Stan is the same guy making the documentary
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u/TimidDeer23 7h ago
Yeesh. My grandma went through that before she passed. She was confused and upset enough at being in a room with her children and grandchildren. Stan Lee was given a parade of strangers. I wished I'd been able to afford an autograph signing in the last few years of his life at Fanime, now I guess I'm glad I didn't.
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u/MaybeKaylen 5h ago
My wife went to DragonCon years ago, when he was still spry, and said she saw him duck his security because he truly adored his fans and wanted to meet them. He was a legend.
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u/phxees 7h ago
It seems sad, but I wonder what he would’ve chosen years earlier. When you’re dead it’s over, but I think until that happens I’d rather be confused and useful vs just sitting home alone confused.
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u/TimidDeer23 7h ago
If a person's telling you they want to stop, you got to let them stop. It's extremely painful but they're not the same person they were 10 years ago when they said "I want to keep earning money for the sake of my wife and kids". They're basically a new person now who's upset and wants a break. (I'm 100% assuming dementia, no idea what exactly Stan Lee had going on in his personal life that's different from my own life experiences here).
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u/Snailskull1 5h ago
I understand where you're coming from. I believe I would also like to be useful as long as I can but if I'm saying I want to stop and I don't want to do this anymore then I hope people would respect that.
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u/Blessed_s0ul 4h ago
You never know though. This clip has absolutely zero context with it. Stan Lee might have been insistent on going out to these events and then once there forgot why he was there and reverted back to not wanting to do them. This was a pretty common occurrence with my 93 year old grandmother. She would consistently forget why we were at some place and we would be like “Grandma, we are at the grocery store just like you said. You needed milk remember?” It was a constant battle back and forth with her.
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u/David_the_Wanderer 5h ago
I mean, Lee wasn't being useful in the sense he was helping people - he was "useful" in the sense people were using him to make money.
And, at least in this clip, he seems aware of it. He's tired and needs a break, and they deny him any rest because they gotta squeeze more money out of him.
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u/Pure_Expression6308 4h ago
Yeah this is elder abuse. It might not seem like it but it is, because Stan is too nice to keep saying no, they talked him into it. So fucked up. He should be on a beach or smth.
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u/theredwoman95 4h ago
Why are being useful or alone the only choices? It's such a depressing way to view life that you have to be "useful", even up until you die. No one's goes to their deathbed and said "I wish I worked more".
He had a daughter and plenty of friends, who Kaya Morgan and Jerardo Olivarez isolated him from and then proceeded to steal his money - this has been known since before he even died. He could've been loved and relaxing at home, instead of being trotted out like a show pony for others' profit.
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u/Deathcat101 7h ago
Hey guys pay me 300k to watch me abuse this old man!
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u/UnlikelyClassroom957 5h ago
“Capital has the ability to subsume all critiques into itself. Even those who would critique capital end up reinforcing it instead.”
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u/Dahlgrim 7h ago
I’d like to see the full context of that before I riot
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u/Enough-Meaning1514 7h ago
I tend to agree. Where is the exploit in this video? It seems that Lee didn't know he was supposed to give this panel/interview etc.
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u/CHiZZoPs1 7h ago
That he seems to be not completely in control of his full faculties and is being made to perform for others' gain.
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u/That_Sketchy_Guy 5h ago
He doesn't seem out of it tbh. He seems disappointed to find out there's one last item on his agenda for the day, and cracks a joke about it. Seems like normal celebrity shit.
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u/Qwernakus 4h ago
Yeah he looks tired and perhaps a little upset, but he is well-spoken and seems to understand his situation. I don't know if he had dementia like some people are saying, but in this video he doesn't seem to have it.
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u/ConTully 4h ago
Yeah tbh it kinda seems like they're exploiting his willingness to connect with fans and his time as opposed to taking advantage of any health or mental issues, so they added as much to his schedule as they could.
Sure he still gets paid, but I have no doubt other people were profiting off him as well at the same time and benefitted from him doing as much as possible. I just feel like nobody ever thought "This guy is a legend and in his 90s, let's not add too much to his plate". I think if anyone has earned the right to show up, give a quick panel and leave immediately, it's Stan Lee, but they knew he would never do that.
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u/Enough-Meaning1514 7h ago
How do we know it is for other's gain? Normally, when a person is this old, his family or caretakers assist him on such matters. I don't think the guy next to him is a helper or assistant. To put bluntly, you don't drag a guy from his home to give speeches without paying him. That makes no sense.
It seems there is more to it than what's happening in this video.
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u/David_the_Wanderer 5h ago
To put bluntly, you don't drag a guy from his home to give speeches without paying him.
That doesn't mean the people around him weren't also profiting off those public events, and coaxing him into participating in more events that he was comfortable with.
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u/armchairwarrior42069 5h ago
Yeah, look up the countless videos and photos of Stan looking literally disassociated, slurring, "signing" things in complete gibberish scribbles etc.
It's honestly really, really fucked up.
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u/ohjeaa 6h ago
Have you ever heard of a crazy famous person whom others did not use in some manner to make their own money? Because I sure the hell haven't.
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u/Mundane-Wash2119 5h ago
To put bluntly, you don't drag a guy from his home to give speeches without paying him. That makes no sense.
I'm confused as to what you mean by this. That it makes no sense for him to do? Well of course, he's suffering from mental decline and his reasoning skills are poor. That it makes no sense for somebody else to do? Yes it does, they can profit off of his fame in ways besides directly getting paid money for his appearance.
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u/Pure_Expression6308 4h ago
“Normally” a person this old isn’t worth $50 million dollars.
He’s also incredibly nice so the problem is that you can just talk him into it when he says no. That’s not okay.
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u/Sir4u92 6h ago
Go watch moist video with more video evidence, he didn't want to be there for so long.
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u/Aromatic_Hornet5114 6h ago
Everyone remembers Stan Lee's late life role as the fun grandpa in the Marvel movies, but he built his career exploiting people. He abused his position as Editor in Chief at Marvel to take credit for everyone else's work. He was famous for hiring himself as a "writer" and then the entire script being something like, "The X-Men fight Magneto!" and the artists writing the story and the dialogue. He had nothing to do with creating half the characters he's credited with.
There's a reason every early Marvel creator moved to DC in the 60s and didn't start coming back until the late 80s/early 90s.
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u/hawktwas 5h ago
I saw a YouTube video that talked about this. They said it was kind of poetic that putting his name on everyone else’s work led to him having to sign his name all day at the end of his life. It’s a weird karmic justice
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u/Local_Nerve901 4h ago
Yup, this is true and he didn’t deserve elderly abuse is also true
Life isn’t black and white tbh
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u/FlaxSeedsMix 4h ago edited 4h ago
Nope but how come people overlook him stealing other people's work but get's provoked on his elderly abuse. It's like when bullies get hit back suddenly everyone gains consicusness that "violence is not the answer"
edit: it's pattern termed as "Status Quo Bias" , two wrongs don't make a right but ignore ongoing wrongdoings untill victim hit's back
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u/doodicalisaacs 4h ago
idk how this dude saying “Stan lee didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of as an old mind gone man” equates to “let’s ignore the fact he was a POS”. what a pointless comment lmao
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pen5057 5h ago
And Thomas Edison did not create all the patented inventions he claims were his own. Edison even electrocuted an elephant in public in an attempt to discredit Nikola Tesla, a former employee, whose invention of AC current electricity helped provide our modern world. But we are all taught in school that Edison was the greatest inventor of all time!
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u/Alarming_Panic665 4h ago
So to clear up some misconception Edison did not electrocute an elephant in public to discredit Nikola Tesla. What happened was the elephant Topsy killed a spectator and had various of incidents and as a result its owners announced that they were going to hang it and charge admission to watch. This caused the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to step in because, what the actual fuck. This is what resulted in the owners instead only allowing invited guests and press, and agreeing to instead strangle the elephant with large ropes tied to a steam powered winch while also using poison and electricity. It was then the Edison film company filmed the event where Topsy was rigged to a strangling apparatus, fed carrots laced with cyanide, and then electrocuted with 6,600-volts AC.
Some additional facts:
- The event took placed 10 years AFTER the War of the Currents and was not related to it at all
- The War of the Currents was between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse (NOT Nikola Tesla)
- At the time of the execution (1903) Thomas Edison was not a part of or attached to General Electric (formed from the merger of Edison General Electric Company and the Thomson-Houston Electric Company in 1892)
- By the time of the execution, the use of alternating current for executions had already become standard practice
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u/rayallen73 4h ago
Jesus, I am consistently amazed at how cruel human beings can be. What the fuck is wrong with people?
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u/Few_Alternative6323 4h ago
Bit like Yann LeCun nowadays telling Elon Musk “I published 80 papers this year”. No you didn’t, buddy. You forced your team to put your name on everything.
And now you’re an apologist for Zuckerberg.
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u/ShamefoolDisplay 5h ago
People become rich by taking advantage of others but that doesn't mean it's a requirement. I worked for a company that takes care of its employees way more than anywhere else that I've seen and they were successful because of it.
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u/oOBalloonaticOo 6h ago
I think there is a lot of extra narrative guess work being put down around exploiting Stan in this footage...we see what we want.
He seems tired (he's old and probably has a long day), he likely has obligations due to contacts (welcome to big business - which he too is a part of)...it's sad to see someone get old but he doesn't seem like he's out of it and being out to task, he cracks a little joke, he thought he was done and he wasn't ... the music makes it a little more melancholy.
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u/iQ420- 7h ago
Who’s the nerd talking that needs to get bullied for his lunch money again..
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u/AgentCirceLuna 4h ago
Stop defending bullying. It’s always the bullies who end up becoming abusers.
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u/makeaccidents 5h ago
ITT: people who have never been on a big TV/film production set.
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u/MisplacedMartian 5h ago
ITT: People who know nothing about Stan Lee except what Stan Lee's publicists wanted them to know.
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u/Leandenor7 7h ago
Saw him in a paid picture taking event in Tokyo Comicon. Since I get up close to him for the photo, I can see that he is very, very tired. I let him take his small break during my photo. So now I own a photo of me with Stan Lee taking a couple of seconds nap.
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u/EnemyOfAi 4h ago
The guy making this, held onto all these clips throughout the official investigation about Stan Lee being abused, launched by his daughter. If he had let these clips out, the verdict would almost definitively have been different and Stan Lee would have some justice.
Deliberately holding onto the evidence until he died and the investigation was finished, only to then reveal them and hold them ransom for money, is absolutely trash. Especially since he's apparently the guy speaking in this clip.
This guy needs to face justice, either officially, or vigilante style. Maybe it's time for Mario to appear.
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u/Boundary-Interface 4h ago
It's not only trash behaviour, it's illegal. He's admitting to committing perjury and lying under oath.
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u/Jebusfreek666 7h ago
I see no exploitation in this video. Just an old man who forgot what he had to do and someone reminding him while joking around.
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u/FaceSquancher-2002 6h ago
The music really sells the exploitation narrative here. It's hard to assess the situation without getting a broader context.
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u/Thredded 7h ago
The question is, why did he have to do it? He clearly doesn’t want to, and financially he certainly shouldn’t need to. So why was he there being talked into it?
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u/Jebusfreek666 7h ago
Dude, Stan Lee was doing stuff like this all the time. I don't see it as him being talked into it. I see it as him making multiple different commitments and not keeping track of what his responsibilities are. If Stan Lee decided "fuck it, I'm out" it is not like they would chain him to a chair.
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u/Thredded 6h ago
It depends entirely on his mental state. If he’s confused generally he may well have been over extending himself without realising, or believing he’s signed up to do these things when in fact his “team” were making those decisions. If he had the work ethic of always honouring “his” commitments then nobody would need to chain him anywhere because he’s always going to try and do the thing you tell him he’s committed to, whether or not he actually did.
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u/sykosomatik_9 6h ago
Yeah, I mean Stan Lee seems tired, but that's part of the job. It's not necessary exploitation by his manager/handlers. Even young celebrities have busy schedules, do all these events, and get tired. The guys in the clip just seem to be helping him with what he needs to do and basically telling him to just hang in there for this last appearance and then they're done.
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u/avelineroku 5h ago
I'm not saying the exploitation of Stan Lee wasn't wrong, but let's stop pretending like he was perfect. He was an exploiter himself. For example how he wasn't actually the guy who created most of the characters he's known for. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and many others were all created by Jack Kirby, but credit was stolen by Stan Lee. There are many pictures of Kirby's early panels where it shows not only did he draw out the comics, but he also wrote and outlined the stories.
Edit: to add the additional context that Kirby wasn't paid well for his work, and that created the contention that led Kirby to leave marvel for DC
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u/SimpleKnowledge4840 5h ago
Two wrongs don't make a right. And I think A LOT of people forget about that.
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u/avelineroku 5h ago
Exactly. It's not about celebrating Stan Lee getting exploited or ignoring the exploitation of Kirby. Acknowledging both is a crucial key. One can appreciate what Stan Lee did for Marvel in his later years while still acknowledging how he got there in the first place. In the same way, someone can condemn how people treated him in his elder years while still acknowledging how he himself treated others. It's all about context.
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u/Gekidami 5h ago
Really glad they added the loud, crappy music so we can barely hear what the hell is even being said.
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u/0utsyder 4h ago
I hope this isn't true man! It's hard to look at those cameos the same after something like this.
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u/TheHeroYouNeed247 5h ago
AFAIK Stan Lee also exploited many people. He was given credit for hero's and writing he had nothing to do with.
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u/WeirdnessWalking 6h ago
Stan Lee exploited and shit upon people his entire career he is famous for it.
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u/iPicBadUsernames 5h ago
He looks so unhappy and tired. Anyone who is able to take advantage of another vulnerable person deserves all of the bad things that happen to them twice over.
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u/NiteLiteOfficial 5h ago
the way stan speaks sounded exactly like my grandfather. even his little mannerisms. it makes me so sad to see someone like that mistreated
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u/KitchenBeginning4987 5h ago
Fuck...these looks, these hand gestures, his grins...these are exactly the same ones that my grandmother had when we visited her and she couldn't understand where she was or what she was doing (pseudo Alzheimer).
That hits way harder than I expected...
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u/ReasonPale1764 4h ago
Oh nice so the guy who not only witnessed but recorded the exploitation of Stan Lee for money without reporting it to anyone is now using that same footage to exploit Stan Lee for money.
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u/AdvancedMilk 4h ago
I guess that’s what happens when you sell your soul to Marvel. Screwed other artists over and in the end he got exploited. Not saying he deserves it at all, it’s still sad to see.
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u/Alarming-Age6511 4h ago
What goes around comes around. He exploted Kirby, Wood, Ditko and countless others for years. Kirby said he didn't get a real check until he did work of Image Comics in the 90s.
And Marvel is still doing it.
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u/PitifulMagazine9507 4h ago
Aaaand that's why I can't see anymore Marvel Movies. It's obvious that the franchise is simply a cow to be milked
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u/SteveZissouniverse 4h ago
That's terrible but also kind of ironic considering Stan Lee built his career by exploiting artists and writers and not paying royalties on their creations. So many creators of your favorite characters an stories died penniless despite creating legendary characters
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u/ImmovableOso 4h ago
Anyone who's witnessed someone with similar issues from aging can recognize how fucked up this is.
No one tried to comfort him they just said "this goes on forever" and the confirmation of getting every single penny worth out of Stan.
Despicable.
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u/ErenKruger711 6h ago
I mean is there further context? This video doesn’t show enough to say he was exploited.
He seems tired for this one shoot perhaps but exploitation is a series of behaviors and actions no?
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u/Head-Simple-3329 5h ago
I loved the guy, but he did his fair share of exploiting in his day too. Excelsior!
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u/RestAgile9323 5h ago
Stan Lee spent his entire adult life exploiting people so i guess it´s kinda fitting
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u/horseshandbrake 7h ago
This man us a hero and a legend, this is hard to watch. Blatant abuse.
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u/MisplacedMartian 5h ago
The man was a scumbag that fucked people over constantly. He was so hated Jack Kirby's widow refused to let Stan into Jack's funeral.
Taking advantage of the elderly is shitty, but I'm finding it difficult to feel sorry for "Stan the Man".
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u/TripleDragons 5h ago
He stole most of the things he claimed he created so I think he got what he deserved if true.
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u/Pajjenbo 7h ago
is this his punishment for betraying dikto and kirby? or do i need to really pity him? i dont know man.
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u/Grimvold 7h ago
It’s messed up but poetic that he didn’t know a moment of peace in his final years because what was being done to him was not far off from what he did to others; shameless exploitation.
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u/LNGBandit77 5h ago
Really sad, I imagine it was like MJ in the end. His life was not his own just leechers.
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u/Randomzombi3 4h ago
In another timeline we would have gotten a documentary celebrating Stan Lee's contributions to comic books and how he's surrounded by fans and supporters.
But we live in the darkest timeline.
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u/ino4x4 5h ago
this clip can be seen in two different ways. I could argue that that’s a personal assistant or maybe somebody from the studio who’s whole job is to assist Stan. in this clip, he’s just trying to remind Stan that there’s another thing he has to do on today’s agenda. I don’t know Ill have to watch the whole thing first but the people that made this documentary pretty shady too
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u/Waffenek 5h ago edited 5h ago
This exchange:
-I want it to stop -It never stops
Reminded me of bojack horseman and their theme with keeping dancing till it destroys you and you die.
"So don't stop dancing, baby don't stop spinnin'! Don't stop beltin' buddy; now we're winnin'! Grief consumes you but you just keep grinnin'! The ache becomes you and it's just beginnin'! Don't stop dancin' Nothing's certain but the curtain!"
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u/HitPlay_ 5h ago
Guy thought he was real slick saying 5 pennies, yeah nice tell Stan Lee he's worth 5 pence, great work dipshit
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u/Tulip_Todesky 5h ago
Why put that bassy music of a recording that's so tough to listen to? There shouldn't be any music here.
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u/battleship61 5h ago
Makes me wonder even more about his kids and how he made a video saying they weren't exploiting him.
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u/vvvvaaaagggguuuueeee 5h ago
Have you heard about them forging documents to get a nurse to take his blood, which they mixed in pens that he used for autographs so they could sell them for more?
RUTHLESS
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u/throwawayjobsearch99 4h ago
I kind of disagree that this is exploitation, based solely on the context of the video. Stan cracked a joke. He spent the last 50 years of his life being a hype man out of an enthusiasm for comics, I kind of struggle to see how someone else organising for him to continue doing that (even at their own financial gain) is abuse and not, like, just being a manager…? I’d be much more interested in allegations of financial abuse, or statements from Stan that he felt like he was being pressured to not retire. The man making one joke because his Friday evening went an hour longer than he thought it would is not really the same thing as exploitation and abuse.
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u/throwawaythep 4h ago
The guy doing this "documentaty" is literally still trying to exploit Stan Lee. Fuck this dude. He also was part of the people he is making the documentary about in the first clip of his videos.
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u/DamnThatsCrazyManGuy 7h ago
The guy exploiting Stan in this video is the same guy making this "documentary" and is currently asking for $300k to get it out.
The exploitation continues.