Soft White Underbelly

Has anyone discovered this YouTube channel? This guys work is outstanding!! He is literally just recording the stories of marginalized people, so it’s the homeless, prostitutes, addicts, gang-members, and he isn’t limited to where he lives (CA). Many are from skid row in LA, but he also goes NYC, the Appalachians, and many other locations.

The link is for prostitute-gang-banger “Exotic”. Exotic also has “update” videos, many of the stories even have multiple videos.

**Trigger Alert**

Exotic’s story is just so tragic, don’t say I didn’t warn you. This channel is not for wimps, it is the real and raw stories of the poor in America, so many of the videos really are *extremely” disturbing.

It's initially compelling, but ends up feeling unduly exploitative.

This guy's (interviewer's) presence is very apparent. He should just put himself on camera alongside his subject.

I definitely thought that too r1. But for some reason, I still went down the hole. In the interview for Exotic, he was forced to really carry the conversation. If you keep watching, you will see that the director’s heart is good. He really just believes that they are living history and that their stories must be preserved so that we can learn. My hope is that someday, we will have a country that stops throwing people away.

Todd Browning's Freaks recycled. Yawnsville.

**trigger warning**

This one is the most disturbing one of all, I will never forget it. If you have PTSD from abuse, I am so sorry for what you experienced. As a fellow human being, I would not recommend watching these if you have trauma but haven’t done some serious therapy/healing. If you are not grounded, the videos will put you in a dark place. My tolerance for witnessing suffering is extremely high because I am an empath, plus I want their struggles to be preserved and heard.

Also, y’all couldn’t have watched the whole video yet, it’s older than this thread. Watch before commenting, pretty please with sugar on top? 💗

The last one I saw featured a guy with tattoos all over his face. Said that he, basically, lives for free off of the kindness of others. No regrets. Yet has two children he abandoned, congratulated himself for allegedly paying child support to his mother.

Some commenters say: free spirit! Others say: deadbeat!

Frankly, his story is as old as time. No extra value added by this particular interview.

I was molested, and beaten.

What about a fucking "****TRIGGER ALERT**** for those of us triggered by trigger alerts, cunt?

R6, I agree with you that he did all of that. He is just an example of someone not in trauma, and for every person like him on there, there are another ten who can’t even function due to addiction/mental illness. I think I’ve seen about 20 of them now. The value of recording these is that they will represent the condition of America after two years into the pandemic. The scale of how many millions are living in utter desperation is something we’ve actually become numb to, but in the future, historians will talk about how America was in an era similar to (if not worse than) the Great Depression, but almost 100 years later! We are living through something big.

Tragic and disturbing you say? Let me get my popcorn.

Any hot cagemeat types on there? Momma's mussy needs to know.

No, but Touched by a Hobo at R6.

Very interesting video uploaded onto this channel today. Ehab, from an Arab Christian background, was born in Jordan and his family immigrated to Chicagoland (Orland Park area) when he was young. He's now 39 and homeless in Los Angeles and uses Chrystal Meth and Fentanyl. He also admits to selling his body for money. (approx 31min into video) .

From watching many videos on this channel, I've heard some male addicts interviewed on it admit to engaging in sex work (hustling, gay porn etc) at times for drug money but claim to be 100 percent straight otherwise and will often bring up ex-wives/girlfriends/kids. Ehab doesn't mention and of these things so Im not sure if he identifies as gay, straight or bi.

Here's a mughsot of Ehab from when he was younger taken by Chicago Police Dept i found on-line. BTW, I would kill to have hair that thick.

Did she choose the syphilis outbreaks and scars on her face?

OP? Why in the world would you think we want to watch this stuff? My own life is depressing enough without adding this to the mix, thanks.

"We are living through something big."

Gee, ya think?

Agree with R 1. Exploitation. I made the mistake if reading one story but never again.

This asshole is like a wanna be Dr Phil hipster.

I was shocked to see this channel had a video of Mamie, the matriarch of the trashtastic White family as filmed in the Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009). My God she aged decades in a single decade. Remember the mating call of Boone county? 💊

Jesus I couldn’t take more than a few minutes listening to that imbecile “Exotic” speak and struggle to form sentences.

It feels a little exploitative. Mark Laita asks them for juicy details and all. He does pay them. Everyone wants to be seen. Going on the ones I've watched, some of them have never been asked to share their stories and really want to be heard. There's almost an idea of accountability it having some of them could back for follow ups and check in. One sad thing is how predictable the descriptions of chaotic and abusive childhood situations are. Perhaps not surprising to people who know this world. There's some educational potential in it. The comments are always supportive.

Stephan's cute and gay. He's smart and can express himself. His story is a wild, depressing one of drug use in the family.

The guy who interviews is a nasty misogynist though. Often he talks to horrible men and kind of downplays/low key jokes about the horrible stuff they did (sex offenders in particular) yet talks down to women for no reason. I remember a woman interviewed, he asked her if she was a prostitute, she said no, and he responded "you dress like one" (and it wasn't even true). It was completely uncalled for. He got called out in the comments and gave a bullshit excuse like "I was trying to get the truth out of her". What a lying asshole.

[quote] My tolerance for witnessing suffering is extremely high because I am an empath

That’s not what being an empath -if that’s even a real thing- means. OP is obviously low-key getting off on the stories like some type of horror porn but rationalizes and presents it as some type of special ability to feel more than the average person.

I’d almost wager frau but maybe just really nelly.

YES, the man who makes these, and his entire project, has a CREEPY side to it. You have to take what you can around through the side door because the people are fascinating. Small doses, however, for me.

R15 "Here's a mughsot of Ehab from when he was younger taken by Chicago Police Dept i found on-line. BTW, I would kill to have hair that thick."

That may be the most Datalounge comment ever.

"Soft White Underbelly" was the original name of the rock band Blue Öyster Cult.

Mark comes accross as pompous and arrogant. I guess you call him, "douchey". But he does try to help these people. He sets up gofundme accounts for them, but only if they are going to the use the money to get help (rehab, travel back to their families, etc)

I think that people in the non-profit world have made (some) progress in advocating for marginalized people and protecting them from exploitation. I share that value. But I often wonder if in our zeal to protect these extremely vulnerable and traumatized people, if we have failed to truly grasp where our world is today. How do we educate the general public if we don’t have any context? I feel like the average Joe does *not* know what’s going on, and I’m not so sure you can educate people in a better way that just hearing these stories. I see a high value in documenting these trials.

R24, if that is true, please show the receipts with the link to said video. I’ve watched quite a few, I’ve never once heard him talk down to anyone. I’ve also never heard him say anything inappropriate with sex offenders. I have heard him ask leading questions, but I also think his interviewing skills have grown/developed for the better. I don’t worship Mark. His work is not perfect — but look at the totality. He often shoots 10 videos a day, he cranks out 1 - 3 finished videos daily. I believe he has posted 1,700+ videos, he has almost 3mil subscriptions, and now has a beautiful website offering exclusive content. He had a custom camera built that was matched to the proportions of the human body (vertical format, 6 to 1 or something), and he says that the whole reason he started these was for the photograph! That’s why he was in it — he has a passion for photography. You’ll notice that he does the slow pan down the photograph in each interview, that is the only way he can share the photographs in a digital format because they were never designed to be shared on YouTube. Over time, he has come to see the value in the interviews, and gradually invested more and more into that side of the process.

Last but not least, these people love Mark. They see him as an ally who actually sees them and believes that their lives have meaning, no matter what the outcome. Most of them have no one — imagine what it feels like that just one human being will help you with no strings attached (yes, he helps them constantly outside of the fees he pays for interviews). I also believe that the subjects *want* the general public to hear what a nightmare they are living in. So why not let them? This is their lived experience, I fail to see why America should not hear these? I think at some point he could be nominated for a Pulitzer or Nobel or something for the impact of this work.

What I have found really interesting is that every subject who has addiction issues, was sexually abused as a child. Especially the men. It's really fascinating how they all share that trauma.

R33, no idea why you’re blocked from me, but YES!!! That is what is so illuminating!! Not everyone who has experienced trauma becomes an addict — but all addicts have trauma (or the perception of trauma). It really is groundbreaking because these videos literally tell the story of trauma and inter-generational poverty and addiction.

The one that doesn't fit in with the rest of them is the hacker. Yeah, his story is sad in the beginning, but the guy is brilliant and he ended up crazy wealthy.

^ the hacker is one of the best interviews by far.

I watched a bunch of the videos, and felt really sorry for the subjects. But I have to wonder how much they embellish their stories. They are drug addicts and hustlers. I think they do have childhood trauma, etc., but they don’t take responsibility for a lot of their decisions. I like the videos with prostitutes and call girls as subjects.

Stephan's story from R23 made me cry and I never ever cry. I know, MARY!!!

I have empathy for their suffering due to trauma but I get pissed off when I hear most of them have kids! Sometimes they even have their kids being taken care of by grandparents who were the original abusers - I can’t.

[quote] [R24], if that is true, please show the receipts with the link to said video. I’ve watched quite a few, I’ve never once heard him talk down to anyone.

Timestamped below. It's even worse than I remembered.

One of Mark's response in the comments is utter trash :

"Living on the streets as she does, a woman learns to never dress in a way that’ll get her treated badly…that is, unless she’s doing business there. I was simply trying to get at the truth. Sadly, like many Appalachians, Paper Doll has a lot to hide. I did my research beforehand."

She is wearing a normal fucking dress. He could have asked a question about his so-called "research", but instead insulted her, reducing her to have to laugh it off. Asshole.

The video of the inbred hillbilly family still haunts me and I don't scare easily. You must now suffer my pain.

The "pain" was excruciating in this one, r42. I made it through the first 15 minutes.

Yes, just like one of the comments earlier, I could barely tolerate that illiterate Exotic talking about her life.

Imagine the capsule intro from Maury/Jerry Springer/Ricki Lake before they bring out the "guests"

Now imagine that intro extended to 30 minutes. That's pretty much it

You guys, this thread begs for a Larry Flynt — is this art or is it smut? If I’m using the Flynt Formula, then SWU is definitely art.

We have talked about movies/books over the years that were super graphic/adult/sexually exploitive that are actually transcendent. SWU broke through and redefined an entire genre (to me). He took the concept of portraits (remember, he was all about taking their photographs early on). He’s using the concept of “portrait” in a digital medium. I have always despised, and I do mean despise, conceptual art — I was a classically trained fine artist. Mark’s work is the first conceptual art that I can truly appreciate. There is something so raw, so vulnerable about the interviews, that they are on their own level. Haunting.

In this case, Mark took a group of people who are normally shown in one way on media (if ever shown at all), and he defined what it looks like to let them be empowered enough to tell their own stories and reject someone else dictating their narrative. Mark broke through the trashy way marginalized people behave, and instead, he totally humanizes them by giving them the dignity to tell their own story the way they want to tell it.

This fentanyl addict, Zach, whose video was uploaded today,claims he prostitutes himself for money but only to female clients. He says he hooks up with cougars that leave big wads of money on the table for him in the morning when they go out and trust him to stay behind unsupervised in their houses. Sure Jan.

R46, I could not believe that video, I was second guessing his prostitution story the whole time too. How about those murders?!?!!!! Now THAT threw me for a loop, I didn’t imagine that beautiful man was a (forced in prison) murderer. And hearing the brutality, how you are forced to do it or they’ll kill you, and what it felt like as he walked across the long yard toward the victim, who was standing as far across the yard as he could. He said every single man on the yard was nodding at him as he walked toward the victim, they all knew what was coming. All except the victim. He says the victims somehow never ever get tipped off that their number is up. He says he stabbed him 37 times, and basically decapitated him. Absolutely shocking, not what I expected from the child of an elite military commander. I don’t know that there is any coming back from that level of depravity — but I always think that, and I’m always wrong.

The biggest thing I’ve learned from these videos is to stop condemning people. We don’t want to admit that we have a problem with poverty, lack of education, addiction, incarceration, mental illness, gangs, violence, trafficking….because it’s so much easier to call them all monsters and throw them all away. We can’t incarcerate our way out of our homeless problem. We also need to redefine what success looks like for the mentally ill; some do not want off the streets, so then the battle becomes giving them dignity and hygiene and care as much as possible. Helping them not die from their addiction and offering support for all who want it.

[quote]Did she choose the syphilis outbreaks and scars on her face?

She manifested it.

Check out the follow up to “exotic” after Mark gave her thousands of dollars and got her an apartment (!) only to find out she gave all the money to her pimp from the Crips and was using the apartment to house sex toys (MARY!) instead of toys for her children.

This interview where he confronts and shames her (and brings her pimp on camera) is all sorts of fucked up. I’m unclear what he thought would happen just throwing money at a girl who has been prostituting since the age of 13 without putting other forms of support in place. She clearly needed to be in some sort of placement with intensive mental health treatment and relapse prevention etc. Not just some free apartment from a man she can text for money whenever she wants.

Apparently there is a video before this one where she’s “doing great” and mentions Mark is her only friend and they talk at 4AM.

Sad stories like these remind me to focus on the good in my life. No matter how bad my day may get, I know I'll most likely *never* have to jump out of a car at 65 mph. No matter how abusive my own childhood was, I was never pimped out by adults when I was 13.

Throwing money at these deeply damaged people does absolutely nothing to help them. Mark seems to have learned nothing from his own work.

Yes r54 exactly. Money and an apartment does nothing to tackle the serious mental health issues, drug addiction and horrible trauma. It’s disturbingly naive to think you could just give someone as damaged as Asriah (with an extensive prostitution and gang history, not to mention a meth habit) a bunch of money and assume she would suddenly be fine.

And then to make her sit there in front of a camera while he goes on and on about how he tried so hard and she just fucked him over? Not good.

R54, I totally agree. But I also think that many people only arrive at that place through personal experience. Mark is getting real-life lessons in addiction, mental illness, and inter-generational poverty. Even when he fucks it up, like he did with Exotic, there are learnings there for everyone.

I also don’t feel that it is exploitive. Exotic did indeed scam him, why should she be asked tough questions about her lies? I don’t view it as an attack, he was just giving her the facts. Hell, that experience may even help her eventually.

[quote] Soft White Underbelly

Another Anderson Cooper thread?

I watched a number of these about six months back. Mark does seem pretty naive about the nature of addiction and what he's dealing with here. He's got boundary issues.

I think he ought to disable comments. That's one place where I feel it gets creepy (and not just with this channel). Everyone weighing in. Like a reality show. Disable the comments, and let people stew in their juices a bit. Sit with what you just watched and do some reflecting. And if it's so upsetting you need to debrief afterwards, maybe it's not for you.

Mark did make a video entitled "Why You Can't Use Money to Help People." It was posted in December, 2020. Not sure when he confronted "Exotic" about the way she used the money. But it seems like he knew or should have known that drug addicts will, indeed, use money for drugs.

Here's another man who claims he's a male prostitute with woman clients, only. The thumbnail is not flattering. I'm sure DLers would find him attractive (I did).

LA hookers are much more attractive than NY hookers, who all look diseased, dirty, and "mentally challenged."

A social worker told me that the only women who hire sex workers are lesbians and pedophiles, so I don't believe these guys stories about banging cougars for money.

Mark is very handsome and I think quite wealthy

Anyone with a youtube channel is in this for profit. It's why people start one. I'm sure he has good intentions in part, but he also wants money and to make a name for himself. If he was a selfless altruist he would simply upload these and not ask for a goddamned dime. It is definitely good that these people get some sort of voice, society for the most part likes to cast off its victims after creating them.

He puts a lot of time and travel into his videos. I don't see anything wrong with getting paid for that.

Me neither - the situation with Asriah just got out of hand. He will probably be more careful in the future.

Has anyone watched the channel Invisible People? I find that guy to be much more genuine and he doesn't act so stupid during interviews. Mark's interviews are so awkward. He forgets what someone just told him five minutes before. Like someone will tell him they were raped as a child. And then a few minutes later, Mark will say "How was your childhood?" Maybe because LA is so hot he becomes delirious, but he can't seem to keep up sometimes.

Mark spends a great deal of money on this project. He rents a studio, he has top-shelf gear/tools, his photographs are done with his custom camera, he gives his subject a small fee, on and on it goes. It is expensive to produce something of this quality and this volume. He is recording I believe 10 per day! So he truly has given his life over to this project, so whether we agree or not, he believes in it enough that he’s trying to make money so that it becomes self-sustainable. If you value this content, then you understand the need for revenue to continue. He’s doing what most artists do, and that’s called hustling.

Exotic / Asriah is an LA (Figueroa) prostitute. She looks rough in this thumbnail but is actually conventionally pretty and I'll post another video that I think shows that.

This video is a follow-up video. Mark admits, in the video, that he's been giving this woman several hundred to $1,000 per day to "help" her and her children. Mark was also paying her rent. Turns out she had a pimp. Pimp was living in apt. with her (her kids were elsewhere). She was also giving the pimp the $ from Mark.

Even if Mark was well-intended, how is he so dumb to pay someone's rent *plus* several hundred to $1,000 per day in expenses?

Mark is almost crying in the video. The pimp comes on after Asriah / Exotic. Mark ends up feeling sorry for the pimp, it seems.

Mark: either fell in love with this prostitute and tried to save her or is just plain stupid.

Here's the original video where, I think, Mark got completely charmed by this woman and ended up paying her rent and giving her several hundred to $1,000 per day. What a dummy.

Lol R70 yes I posted about that above. I couldn’t believe the stupidity.

I am very familiar with this channel. I followed, particularly, the story of Amanda. A drug addicted prostitute, she had the audience wanting her to get better and kick her habit. The owner of the channel was able to raise a GoFundMe for her and secured the assistance of a professional to help her long term. She kicked it and was on her way to recovery, when she died last year at 25 years old. I guess her body gave up on her. You should follow her journey.

[quote] Lol [R70] yes I posted about that above. I couldn’t believe the stupidity.

Shoot! Sorry, R50 / R71! I didn't catch that. I did watch the video where she was "doing great." The part of the "doing great" video that sounded like BS was where she said she simply stopped doing meth and didn't really miss it. Also, like you said, she had so many deep-seated issues from age 13.

This was truly a head-scratcher. Was Mark having sex with her? Why the hell was he giving her so much money on a daily basis?

I just discovered Soft White Underbelly. It's like watching a train wreck. Sad but often compelling.

The pimps who tattoo the faces of their prostitutes is heartbreaking.

R70 I don’t know but it crossed every boundary and was so inappropriate. Say you’ll pay for her to go to rehab or pay for her to enter some sort of program. But to just rent her an apartment and give her cash constantly??? Wtf!!! In what world would that end well?

Felt bad for her because she is beautiful and those horrible tattoos are all over her face and neck. Wouldn’t be surprised if she turns up dead.

During my life Ive been exposed to the "underbelly" for various reasons more than once.These videos dont even begin to scratch the surface. What always struck me when I interacted with people like this is their complete and utter lack of hope. Even when theyd be "charming" or put on a good front,they were dead inside. Like a dog thts been abused since birth,they just dont have it in them to think they deserve better.

R77 that is so fucking sad. Watching these videos made me remember to consistently have gratitude for my home, food and job.

To think that thousands of people live in skid row is mind-boggling.

Still think some of his subjects seem grateful or even happy to be heard.

I don’t think it’s so terrible that Mark gave her money. Think about it — these people have *real* problems that you can touch, taste, and feel. They need money. So once in a while a do-gooder with the best of intentions gives them money which is used for their drug of choice. So? If this woman had received Mark’s help and actually used the money as discussed and got her into a better place, would you still be ticked off at Mark, hmmmm? I question that.

Having said all that, I’m not saying Mark should be giving them money, I guess my opinion on money causing damage/destruction is that “it depends”. I think it depends on where the person is with addiction, their safety and security, and their basic needs (like housing, food, treatment, employment etc.). It also is better if there is an actual relationship (not romantic!!!) with the person where there is mutual trust and respect, because isn’t that part of what this is all about? We all need to see people with fresh eyes and truly know them; I do believe Mark is indeed trying to be sincere.

At the end of the day, none of us should judge Mark too harshly,

R80 yes and no. Handing over tons of cash to a vulnerable drug-addicted prostitute with gang involvement is a terrible idea.

How dense does someone have to be to realize her problems run deeper than just needing money? It’s idiotic. And if he’s interviewing this population nonstop - he should have more insight. And it sounded like he continued giving her cash even when it became clear something bad was happening.

But good for him for doing these videos.

My family members will sell their stories for $25 and make them as interesting as the "director" and "interviewer" want.

And the only Trigger warning you'll see is a horse kicking the dirt.

R81, but can’t it be both at the same time? I truly doubt Mark thinks that money will solve this! He is always bringing up things like childhood, role models, poverty, education. He knows this is a complex issue, I doubt he expected much to change other than to put out fires. I think he’s just mitigating her stress levels, he was trying to bring some temporary relief to her.

Latest video posting from him is DL catnip-Ex Transgender Woman interview-Brian (Self-identified fem gay male who was coerced to become Trans)

R84, I tried to watch that but the guy was such an airhead it was painful to watch. If he’s an example of West Hollywood culture they can have it.

His story just doesn’t make sense. Someone who wears a $1000 hoodie and supposedly lived as a woman for seven years never got a boob job and only wore a dress five or six times? He was a chronic masturbator and while watching sissy porn convinced himself he was a she?

This interview is crazy. It was uploaded on SWU's YouTube channel last night. NYC Transgender Prostitute-Jamie-So who are these johns who believe they are hiring two (real) female prostitutes and then they turn up and the client learns one of them is this guy made up badly as a trans female. Yet, after these clients see/learn this they say 'what the hell' and go ahead anyway.

That's such a half-ass attempt to look like a woman.

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