logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
54m 5s

The Cult of Burning Man

Studio71
About this episode
Strap on your steampunk lewks and get ready to blast off to the dusty, glittery, and undeniably culty alternate universe that is Burning Man—an event explicitly inspired by the New Age fringe religions of the 1970s. ~Join us~ for Amanda and Isa's lol-worthy chat with Em and Christine, hosts of the paranormal-true crime podcast And That's Why We Drink. We're ... Show More
Up next
Aug 19
The Cult of Duolingo
Is it a free language learning app... or a feathered dictator in your pocket? In this episode, Amanda and Chelsea are joined by Zaria Parvez (@zariaparvez), the social media mastermind behind that chaotic green owl, to unpack the potentially culty world of Duolingo. We’re talking ... Show More
55m 32s
Aug 12
The Cult of Digital Marketing Scams (The New MLM)
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of ‘side hustles’ being advertised to you on social media? Feel undue pressure to ‘build passive income,’ even if you aren’t entirely sure what that means, or how to do so? Maybe the siren song of ‘digital assets’ and ‘financial freedom’ gives yo ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 5
The Cult of Labubu
This week, Chelsea, Amanda, and Reese dive headfirst into the wide-eyed, snaggletoothed, pastel-smeared world of Labubu…the culty vinyl toy phenomenon taking over your explore page and possibly your wallet. What started as a mischievous creature from the mind of Hong Kong artist ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
256 - Cult! Cult! Cult! The Aggressive Christianity Mission Training Corps
A very recent Christian militant cult, the Aggressive Christianity Mission Training Corps was founded in the late 1970s by married couple Lila and Jim Green. Lila would later change her name to Deborah, after the biblical prophetess of the God of the Israelites and the only femal ... Show More
2h 55m
Jun 2022
Transcendental Meditation & Cult Intervention with Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly
Want to learn how to levitate? Cult Interventionists and Founders of Cult News 101, Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly, talk about their work with ICSA (the International Cultic Studies Association), how levitation played into their experiences with Transcendental Meditation, early cult ... Show More
1h 18m
Aug 2021
Trailer: Was I In A Cult?
Hosted by Tyler Measom and Liz Iacuzzi, Was I In A Cult? is a documentary-style podcast  featuring far-out, first-hand stories of survivors who unwittingly joined, lived in, and escaped, cults. Using levity and info-tainment, the show humanizes the cultic experience and may leave ... Show More
4m 32s
Feb 2021
Caught Up With Cults
It’s happened to more people than we think. You go to a meeting and end up devoting your life to a cult. Okay maybe not. This week the ladies discuss their thoughts on cults, experiences they’ve had that may be cultish, and explore some cults that have made an impact on society.N ... Show More
50m 42s
Jan 2024
cultish, a talk with amanda montell (revisit) [video]
[video available on spotify] today i present to you, amanda montell: a writer, linguist, and fellow podcast host. amanda has written three books. one of them, the age of magical overthinking, is about to come out. today i want to zoom in on one of our many common interests. she w ... Show More
50m 58s
Sep 2021
262 - The Jehovah's Witnesses: Doomsday Cult
I'm guessing you know of the Jehovah's Witnesses. You've heard of them. Maybe you've noticed their "Kingdom Halls." Maybe they've knocked on your door. But - do you really know anything about them? Before this week, I didn't. Now that I do, I will NEVER look at them the same way ... Show More
2h 47m
Dec 2023
378 - Zombies, White Camps, and Murder: The Story of Lori Vallow
I know - this episode is a long one! I tried to cut as much as I could that didn't feel relevant to tell this tale. I really did! There's just so much juicy stuff. So many strange, STRANGE details. Lori evolved, over the course of her adult life, from a manipulative person who wa ... Show More
3h 13m
Mar 2020
183 - Baba Yaga: OG Witch
Baba Yaga - OG witch and one of the many characters of ancient Slavic folklore. Today we explore Slavic folklore just like we explored Germanic folklore with the Brother's Grimm episode. The peoples of medieval Russia and Eastern Europe loved a good dark tale to teach their kids ... Show More
2h 9m
May 2023
Destiny: Rev. Jim Willis, American Cults, Cabal, Corruptions and Charismatic Leaders
America has spawned hundreds of cults. Charismatic leaders periodically burst into the news for the most awful of reasons. We are awash with stories of brainwashed members’ struggles to leave. Meet the messianic leaders, see the indoctrination and manipulation, look at their beli ... Show More
1h 8m
Apr 2022
290 - Amish Killer Edward Gingerich
Long before he brutally murdered his wife Katie - crushing her head and disemboweling her on March 18th, 1993 - Ed  was really struggling with his mental health. He'd been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia a year earlier. He'd been really sick long before that. He's been batt ... Show More
2h 37m