Our society has descended into a sort of ethical madness. Part of the madness, and I know this as an ethics keynote speaker, business ethics consultant and book author, is that otherwise bright people often give over much of their power to charlatans and social media influencers.
With the advent of the computer and cell phone along with the ability to shoot video, otherwise non-qualified, unexceptional people with a “stage presence,” can gather followers – and millions of them. What are their credentials? No one knows, because those who follow them rarely spend the time to critically think.
8 Passengers and the Mommy Vlog Universe
Both Ruby Franke (the creator of 8 Passengers) and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt are being held in jail without bail on 6 counts each of child abuse. They are now claiming they are suffering from “medical issues.” Franke, especially, is allegedly under observations for mental health issues. It would be unethical for me to revel in her misery however, it is a struggle to feel pity for her.
According to NBC News (September 8, 2023) Ruby Franke, the video blogger (Vlogger),
“Rose to fame in 2015 with the now-removed ‘8 Passengers’ YouTube channel, which featured her, her husband, Kevin, and their six children. Four of the six children are minors, who have now been placed under Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services.”
The oldest of Franke’s kids (now in college), had only a one-word response when her mom was carted off to jail – “Finally.”
For Ruby Franke is a serial child abuser. Over two million mommies were hanging onto the tall, blonde’s parenting advise on “8 Passengers” while she was starving her kids, beating her kids, duct taping her kids, making them sleep on bathroom floors and other egregious acts. Her children briefly escaped the abusive situation and complained and neighbors complained to the police for years and nothing was done. Absolutely nothing. Forgive my rage, folks.
What tipped the scales was a 12-year-old who had escaped the house was found severely undernourished, bruised and actually had duct tape marks on the limbs. Child protective services finally (there’s that word again) had no choice but to step-in.
The 8 Passenger business, and that is exactly what it was, was not Franke’s playground alone. She was enabled by Jodi Hildebrandt, another blonde influencer, who actually had a family counseling business.
Let’s establish some ethical points
The first point here is that no matter how the Mommy Vlog universe wants to position itself, the objective is to gain followers to influence; not as an exercise in altruism and human kindness but as a money-making venture. As a business ethics keynote speaker, business ethics consultant and book author, there is no essential difference here between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt and a medical quack, dishonest used car salesperson or a guy selling fake sports memorabilia.
The two women were raking in money by doling out parenting tips without taking any responsibility for their actions. What makes this a particularly anger inducing scam, is the abuse doled out by these “business people.” The children were peripheral, collateral damage.
As an aside that needs to be expressed (and I am hardly alone in this) is the critique that the two mommies were tall, blonde, attractive – and white. Statistics clearly show that Black child abusers are more readily imprisoned than white child abusers. The police and child protective services took their sweet time.
But the abuse, in fact, is two-fold. There are numerous labor laws protecting child actors in addition to approved salary and benefits (residual) ranges. There are no laws protecting the children of the Mommy Vloggers. If, in fact, the latest valuations are correct, 8 Passengers had 2.5 million followers and had a net worth of $2.7 million. This is as an aside to what the family counseling and website of Jodi Hildebrandt was making. The question that is begged here is what were the children making?
What were the children making as their mother bound them with duct tape and withheld their food? It calls for tough laws to regulate the vlogging industry, and that’s exactly what it is.
So far, Franke’s husband claimed he knew nothing about the abuse. Ethically, I will wait and see. The operative in all of this is “see.” I have doubts.
To my readers again a gentle warning. Having a recording device, a website and a platform does not make anyone an expert. This case of fraud and abuse stands as testament to that fact.
