The Dark Side Of 50 Industries That Hide Behind A Glossy Exterior

Reddit users reveal the disturbing realities hidden behind glamorous industries.

Damjan

• Published in Community
• October 24, 2024

Many jobs can look appealing from the outside, often offering enticing benefits or seemingly straightforward tasks. However, as with many things in life, looks can be deceiving.

The reality of some industries is often more complex and, in some cases, even dark and disturbing. While they may appear lucrative or glamorous, they hide problematic practices and challenges that can leave those involved disillusioned or exploited.

Recently, this hidden truth was uncovered unexpectedly in a Reddit thread. When a user asked, "What industry is a lot more dark and sinister than most people realize?" thousands of individuals weighed in with their experiences and observations.

The responses shed light on the darker aspects of various fields that many might not expect. The answers ranged from high-profile industries to everyday jobs, each revealing a darker side that most of the public remains unaware of.

While every industry has its share of challenges, some are more complex than they appear outside. Whether it's the exploitation of workers, ethical concerns, or the emotional toll specific jobs can take, it's clear that not all careers are as glamorous or rewarding as they may seem at first.

The stories shared by individuals on Reddit offer a sobering reminder that it’s essential to look beyond the surface and consider the hidden realities of any job before pursuing it. These revelations show that an industry's true nature often becomes apparent to those working within it. For many, discovering these darker aspects can be a rude awakening.

Some things are kept secret...

Child modeling and talent shows.

Politics.

"However dark you think it is, it’s a LOT darker."

Church.

Social media.

"They use the same strategies that casinos do to game human psychology."

Nursing homes.

"F*****g nursing homes.

I didn’t think the worst part of ems would be learning how most nursing homes in my area treat their patients.

But it is. By **far**."

Baby food.

"The s**t nestle pulled in Africa is despicable."

Gambling.

"However sinister you think it is... it's more than that."

Aquarium industry.

"This will get buried but the Aquarium industry is awful. The amount of death and fish we just throw away would shock you. On top of that so many shops sell fish to people who are not setup properly to take care of the animal."

The Art Industry.

"Paintings that look like a 5 year old made it that sell for $10 million are really just money laundering schemes, tax avoidance schemes and insurance scams."

Charity sector.

"Surprised I’ve not seen charity sector. Funding fraud, mistreatment and underpayment of staff and focusing more on PR than actually doing anything of substance are commonplace."

Healthcare, especially the role of large pharmaceutical companies.

"Healthcare, particularly big pharma. Look up the Merck scandal with Vioxx. Merck fabricated a journal to hide the side effects of Vioxx, which was actually responsible for causing tens of thousands of heart attacks. Big pharma ultimately cares about money, not health."

Flower shop.

"I thought working at a local flower shop would be rosy and idyllic until I was told to upsell grieving widows on already overpriced casket sprays."

The elder care sector, along with the broader care industry.

Academia.

"Abuse. Exploiting young ambitious people. Nepotism. inefficient allocation of resources."

CPS/Foster Care Systems.

Health insurance.

"The moment you use them they are no longer profiting. Stay healthy or die. Nothing in-between."

MLM’s.

" Toxic industry disguised as “career independence” that preys on vulnerable people."

Higher Education.

"It's become all about the dollars. Colleges took a major financial hit over the COVID years. To make up deficits, they're doing some very shady s**t to get enrollment and retention back up to fill seats and collect money."

Horse racing.

The beauty industry.

" You think it’s all glam and glowing skin? Nah, it’s basically a battlefield where innocent pores are tortured by overpriced serums, and your self-esteem is held hostage by Photoshop and airbrushing. They sell us a fantasy, and we’re out here spending half our paychecks chasing it. And don’t even get me started on those “miracle” products—they're just expensive lies in cute packaging!"

Casinos.

"They setup the facade that everybody is having a great time. But they are experts in psychological manipulation and are taking advantage of every move you make. Reality is fundamentally manipulated at every turn. Truly dark and sinister."

Sales.

"I'd say Sales, such as call centers and cold calling. Nothing worse than being told to hit KPIs and targets just to sell people s**t they don't want, sometimes forcefully, under the threat of loosing your job. Been there, never doing it again, no matter how desperate. Such an unethical practice when you think about it."

Fast fashion.

Non-profits.

Banana republic companies.

"Chiquita Banana and any of the banana republic companies. These are companies that essentially bought entire countries in central America. Bought, paid for, and own all of the local utility companies, and they control the government. They're all behind a lot of assassinations to control these countries and keep them company owned."

Finance.

"I'm going to say Finance but not for the reason most people think. I work in trading, and my colleagues are some of the smartest people on the planet. Former chemists, physicists, virologists, aerospace engineers, statisticians, materials scientists, and etc. They all get burnt out barely able to keep their research going and being for grant money, then they get recruited into financial firms to do the same kind of work they enjoy but get paid 10x or even 100x. They don't have to deal with customers, and they see direct indicators of the quality of their work.

Finance takes people who could be changing the world for the better, and once they cross the event horizon there's no going back. The other half of the problem is how difficult it is to get funding for research to improve the world, but finance is the black hole from which there is no escape."

Advertising.

Childcare.

The Tomato industry.

"I went to a lecture for extra credit in college on the history of the tomato. I was expecting to hear how people used it and where people started growing them and what not. What I got was essentially a full season of the sopranos. Extortion, m*rder, blackmail, vandalism, you name it...the tomato industry was rife with the worst s**t."

Wherever people are involved.

Modeling.

Cruise Lines.

"Man overboard tech exists that would drastically reduce the number of lives lost at sea but it comes at a cost. The large cruise line I worked at wouldn't even consider it unless a competitor did it first. It will never be implemented."

Dog shelters.

"There’s a lot of people that breed dogs without knowing what they’re doing, and just doing it to make money. Dogs are born with illnesses and disabilities so get ditched and left behind, ending up in a dog shelter.

Here it’s filled with dogs still “too healthy” to pass away but “too weak” to live. If we wouldn’t take care of them they wouldn’t survive for a day. If you ever want to get a dog, please get one from a GOOD shelter. Know what you’re getting, but please don’t go find a cheep breeder."

Medical devices.

Real estate.

"I'm a copywriter for a US real estate corporation and cant wait to get the f**k away from them. Disgusting industry. But right now i need to pay my bills."

Temp agencies who provide housing.

Jewelry.

Call center.

Window cleaners and roof builders.

"They are run like mob organisations. If anyone would be stupid enough to start a window cleaning or roofing business, they can count on actual bombs, arson, intimidation and violence. The businesses that run the show have their own terfs and tresspassing will result in getting a bomb in your mailbox. It's not even a joke."

Every industry.

"Probably all of them. Every industry I ever came across tries to do the minimum required (effort/social/sustainability) to make the most (money) for themselves.

Food industry: race to the bottom for least amount of proper ingredients in their products. Pharmaceutical industry: maximize profits to the point a part of the customers go into bankruptcy. Tech industry: longevity of products just a little longer than warranty. I can go on and on."

The towing / tow truck industry.

"The towing / tow truck industry, at least here in Toronto where it is very territorial and well connected."

The video game industry.

The Art World.

Music Industry.

Rehab.

Hospitality.

Gambling.

Shipping industry.

"Shipping industry, along with many different commodities. Oh you got a vessel to take your purchased cargo from some third world s**thole? Gotta bribe the port staff or your vessel gets delayed indefinitely. Or the port staff simply siphons your bunker fuel while docked and sells it back to you lmao.

You sold a cargo basis certain specifications with a lab doing independent testing upon discharge to determine the exact specs for payment settlement? Guess who’s bribing that lab?

For the US market, there are many addictives that are prohibited from being added to gasoline to improve its octane rating as they are deemed too polluting to the environment. But many US gasoline blenders buy large volumes of them anyway. Why? For selling into the Latin American market."

Investment/Banking.

Film and TV production.

The Reddit thread reminds us that not all jobs are as great as they seem from the outside. What looks like a perfect career can sometimes come with problems like unfair treatment, unethical practices, or emotional stress.

It’s essential to dig deeper and understand the real challenges of a job before taking it on. People can make better career decisions and avoid unpleasant surprises by being aware of these hidden issues.

Damjan