Susan Powter on Surviving the 90's:The Fitness Empire That Changed Everything

In the early 90’s, at the height of the infomercial craze, Susan Powter’s “Stop the Insanity” program of weight loss and nutrition was worth $276 million, equal to over half a billion dollars today. A new documentary from filmmaker Zeberiah Newman entitled “Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter” (available Dec. 9 on Apple TV, Prime Video, and other platforms) examines what happened to the motivational icon after walking away from fame. Susan joins me to talk about the origins of “Stop the Insanity”; falling into poverty and struggling to make ends meet; making a horrible deal with producers, which left her fighting for control of her own name; and how much of her identity was wrapped up into that spiky blond buzzcut.

00:00 Melissa Rivers Remembers “Stop the Insanity” & Wonders Where Susan Powter Went
00:31 How Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter Got Made (Zebariah Newman & Jamie Lee Curtis)
03:17 Susan Powter’s Marriage Collapse: Single Mom in Garland, Texas & the Real Story Behind Stop the Insanity
06:28 From Stripper to Dallas Fitness Star: How Susan Powter Built Her Aerobics Studio Empire
08:35 The Contract That Cost Susan Powter $276 Million & the “I Own You” Betrayal
15:54 Raising Three Boys While Famous: Susan Powter on 90s Infomercial Fame & Sports Mom Drama
23:05 How the Stop the Insanity Infomercial Broke TV Rules, Went Huge & Got an SNL Parody
34:32 Ten Years in a Welfare Motel: Susan Powter, Joan Rivers’ WWJD & a Hopeful Comeback in Finding Susan Powter


#susanpowter #findingsusanpowter #stoptheinsanity

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Melissa Rivers is the go-to, award-winning host for all things fashion and pop culture, as well as a reality TV star, an actress, and an executive producer. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including Red Carpet Ready, The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation, Joan Rivers Confidential, and Lies My Mother Told Me.

Melissa is perhaps best known as an architect and creator of the modern Red Carpet Event brand through her countless interviews and appearances as a co-host on E! Television, including the globally recognized and iconic hit series, “Fashion Police.” A philanthropist and advocate, Melissa ardently supports a number of charitable causes, including Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Our House Grief Support Center, and Center For The Art of Performance UCLA.