Is Mary Kay Cosmetics a Cult?

leavingwt

Is Mary Kay Cosmetics a Cult? If so, is it destructive?

There were several JWs in my area that were very successful Mary Kay Cosmetics dealers. One earned the pink cadillac reward. Recently, I learned that one of my non-JW cousins is a dealer.

What is your opinion?

Here is one examination of this topic that I found on the web.

Mary Kay and Cults Part I

http://www.pinktruth.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109&Itemid=58

Part II

http://www.pinktruth.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110:comparing-mary-kay-to-a-cult-part-2&catid=36:religion-a-spirituality&Itemid=58

Part III

http://www.pinktruth.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=111&Itemid=58

Elsewhere

Mary Kay is borderline cult.

Amway is 100% cult.

JWoods

All the multi-level sales organizations have a certain quasi-religious structure.

I have read numerous references to Amway as being another example.

For what it is worth, here in Dallas Mary Kay Co. has generally had a good business reputation.

keyser soze

I believe them to be under the influence of Satan.

As noted, MLM's employ many cult like qualities. I have a relative associated with one and see much the same thing. The business can do now wrong and all negative information comes from apostates disgruntled former employees and satan corrupt business people protecting their money.

Speaking as an accountant, it is my opinion that MLM's are following a fundamentally dishonest business model. It simply isn't possible for most people to make any real money at one. My analysis of the available financial information (there is a reason that these things are not pubically held corporations) is that most of the profit they are always taking about is generated by sales of sales materials and getting the followers to shuck out big bucks to go the pep rallies. Or sometimes not so big bucks. You charge 1000 people $10 each to attend a local event that costs $500 bucks to put on, and you can pocket some nice change.

undercover

MLMs are cult-like. A non-JW acquaintance was in an MLM and he invited me to join. I didn't know it was an MLM but I actually liked the product, it seemed like a good thing at a good price...so I expressed interest.

I lucked out a bit. He gave me credentials to a meeting that was meant for people who had already signed up. So I was still a Bible Study who was allowed to go to a Pioneer Meeting, so to speak.

Anyhoo...I was there for 2 hours and the entire time was spent on how to gain new 'associates' to join. How to get your friends, family, neighbors to sign up. Not one minute was spent on the benefits of the product or how to sell it. I left not knowing anymore about the product than I did going in. I ran far away from that deal.

Here's the scary part...as I sat there in that meeting, I felt like I was at the Kingdom Hall. There were similarities that kind of struck a nerve. It made me uncomfortable...uneasy. I was still an active dub at the time, though not reaching out at the time. The next meeting at the hall was the Ministry School/Service Meeting and I was nervous the entire time. My mind kept going back to the MLM meeting and how repulsed I was by that. I was shaken. Why was I so quick to hate the MLM, but yet I was sitting there in the KH accepting it as 'the truth'... I know now, but at the time it really did a mindfuck on me.

mrsjones5

It's cult-like but you can have more fun, make money and get jewelry and prizes on top of that. I tried it but I'm just not a sales/mlm type person but Seminar (the big MK convention in Dallas) was the bomb and so much fun. It made a DC look like a convention for zombies.

doublelife

I know so many jws who work for MLMs. Avon, Pampered Chef, Scentsy. There are some others but I can't remember the names.