The Common Cult

Are people too fanatical about their parenting philosophies? How fanatical is TOO fanatical? Why do parenting style evoke so much emotion? What type of parenting style resonates with you? Listen in this week and we tacking this tough topic and share our own experiences.

Today we are getting cookie crazy! What is the sugary + delicious cousin to comic con? Cookie Con! Today we are telling you all about this delectable event and hobby that draws thousands and makes millions. But is it a cult? Tune in to hear our take!

This week we are discussing a concept we are calling "encourage cults." What made people fall for the likes of Anna Delvey and other recently con artists? What roles to cult leader and celebrity entourages play? Also, what real life entourages can you name? Listen in this week to hear us discuss!

Cultural narratives is buzzy term that's getting thrown around these days. What exactly does it mean and are there some culty aspects to cultural narratives? What's the difference between a cultural and a personal narrative and where do they intertwine? These are just a few of the questions we are getting into in this week's episode. 

Do you have a kid that plays sports? Or perhaps you are an outsider looking in wondering why people will spend thousands of dollars and loads on time on kid's sporting endeavors? Ever seen any questionable behavior at a sporting event and wonder what could motivate someone to act out of character? This week we're tacking the topic of kids sports and asking ourselves if this is something that can dip into culty territory.

Why do people take on new persona's in neighborhood Facebook groups? Are HOAs really necessary? What's the craziest thing you've ever seen go down on NextDoor, and what is landscape bullying??? Who loves the HOA and who doesn't? Listen in to hear us get in IRL and online neighborhood drama!

What's in a name? Ever notice that certain words have connotations even completely out of context? This week we are talking about the importance of language and how certain words can take on connotations AKA "Shibboleth" and how this can play out in culty organizations. 

Listen in this week as we discuss the interesting world of couponers! From the casual coupon consumer to extreme couponing, these are a passionate bunch that love saving money.  

Hello wonderful listeners!  Today is our last episode of 2021!  In this episode we share some personal updates and let you know what's in store for next year!  We also reminisce over our favorite episodes over the last year and share some of our favorite things! 

This week is part two of Megan's incredible story of her experience with The Weigh Down and Remnant Fellowship. Listen in as she continues her story of how she got involved, what she experienced and why she left.

Join us and we have a conversation with Megan Cox about her experience with the Remnant Fellowship.  The Remnant is the cult like group that is the focus of the HBO series "The Weigh Down." Today Megan talks about her experiences, what drew her in, and ultimately, what caused her to break away. You don't want to miss it.

Remember the Satanic Panic of the 90s? What was THAT all about, and is it still alive and well today? Listen in as we share what we thought we knew about Satanic Panic, how it plays out today, and how cult like behavior gets involved. You don't want to miss it!

What color are you? Is it possible to tell anything about a person from the color of their aura? What even IS an aura? Listen in this week as we talk about auras, aura readings, and whether or not we deem it pure fun, problematic, or somewhere in between!

What's your sign? This week we are covering all things astrology! Is it culty or a harmless belief system? Can celestial bodies influence our self actualization? Listen in as we share are honest biases and discuss a brief history of astrology and how it influences our culture today.

We're getting into the October spirit by deep diving all things mystical and occult-adjacent and we're starting with crystals! Can crystals heal your headaches or bring you abundance? Or are they just a sparkly tchotchke with good vibes? Listen in as we talk about the history of crystals and their role in spiritual healing and eastern and western medicine. As usual we ask, is this a little bit culty and how do we feel about it?

When you hear the world "cult" the first words that come to mind for most people are words like weird, scary, and whacky. But there's this saying, "no one ever joins a cult." This is because there's usually some kind of draw like community, meaning, or belonging. Do cults or cult like groups ever offer anything beneficial? This is what we're exploring this week. Enjoy!

The Silent Generation, Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z...these are the generational boxes that we find at the center some meme culture that fuel "culture wars." But are these wars even real? Listen as we break down the characteristics of these generational boxes and discuss our own biases, thoughts, and experiences. We'll ask the question: "Are these labels helpful or harmful?"

You are what you think about. Like attracts like. You have the power to manifest your own reality. Do these phrases sound familiar? Do you resonate with these phrases? Do you think manifesting culture can be problematic? This week we are taking on the topic of "Manifesting Babes" or, more accurately, internet manifesting culture and how it's influenced our own lives, how it's helped us, and how it's influence has played out in negative ways.  We have a LOT of feelings and experiences about and with manifesting, and we hope you'll enjoy our conversation today.

Did you know September is the new January? Next to the beginning of the year, the start of school and the fall season marks the next most popular time to purchase a new planner which means this is the perfect time to talk about planner people!  Are you a planner person? What are the most popular types of planners and why do they have such cult followings? This week, we talk about this, the cult of productivity, our favorite planners, the root of Eryn's distaste for planners and so much more! 

Its back to school time which means it's the perfect time to do a show that's been in our back pocket for a while: high school cliques! Whether you loved or hated high school, the friend groups you were associated with likely shaped your experience. What it is about high school cliques that can feel a little culty? Listen in as we chat about it and spill about our own high school experiences.

In a world where people can be absolutely certain about absolutely everything, we think the culty characteristic of holding tight to certainty is one worthy of discussion. It's time for another "Culty Characteristics" show and this week we are talking about what absolutely certainty means, why it's a culty characteristics, and where it shows up in everyday life and culture.

Join us this week for a very special conversation with author and podcaster, Sarah Bragg. We talk about Sarah's new book, the cult of motherhood, what it means to raise yourself, finding your security and confidence in motherhood, minimizing polling when making decisions, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this special treat of a conversation!

Is Burning Man a cult? What even IS Burning Man? What compels people to go out into the dessert and abandon their sense of reality and self? Listen in this week as we break down Burning Man for you. We share the facts, the hilarity, and decide whether or not this debaucherous festival is a cult. CONTENT WARNING: while there is no explicit language in this episode, there is lots of talk about sex, nudity and drugs so consider yourself warned!

This topic has had documentaries and books written about it's culty activity!  You may or may not have heard of WeWork (and you probably have not heard of Church of the Master Angels), so join Heather and Eryn as they deep dive both in an old episode of their Patreon show Cult Watch!  Heather & Eryn will be back soon with new common cult and true cult content after a couple weeks break!  See you August 5 or join them at www.patreon.com/commoncultpod

Is cancel culture a real issue? What's the difference between cancel culture and holding someone accountable? What does it even MEAN to cancel someone? What's the venn diagram between  cancel culture and common cults? Listen in this week as we work it out.

Today we are chatting with author, blogger, and podcaster Laura Tremaine! In today's conversation we talk about her new book Share Your Stuff, I'll Go First. We talk about the cult of bookstagram and book people and we share books we've read with a cult-like following. We discuss whether or not they were worth the hype. Then, in true Laura Tremaine style, we end our conversation with a list: 10 culty things we've done. This conversation was SO much fun.  Enjoy!

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When you think about something that is not technically a cult but a lot like a cult, fraternities and sororities are right up there in things that light up our cult-o-meters. Full disclosure: we were both a part of sorority! Listen this week as we check our biases and talk about some of the nuance and seriousness of the problematic parts of these organizations. Are fraternities and sororities borderline cults? Listen in and decide!

Is it just us, or does it seems like in our culture entrepreneurship is touted as THE pathway to riches, happiness, and freedom? Listen in this week as we discuss this and the intersection of cults and the glorification of entrepreneurship.

Big Tech has often been accused of promoting a cult like mentality in it's work force, but is it true? On this week's episode we dissect the culty characteristics of the likes of Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and more. They may have cereal bars and bring your teddy bear to work day, but is it worth it? Listen in as we discuss!

This week we're talking about another characteristic of a cult; mind altering behavior.  What do you think of when you hear that term?  Brain washing? Mushrooms?  While it's true that those are some of the methods true cults have used to alter members mental states, mind control and mind altering methods are more prevalent than you may think.  

Are you with me PELOTON!!?? So what IS the deal with Peloton? Is it worth the hype? What is Peloton's secret sauce? Who are the favorites among Peloton's top instructors? Why can't Heather stop laughing at Cody Rigsby and why did Eryn get bleeped more than three times in this episode? Find out all this and more in this week's super fun epode!

What is the intersection between self help and cults?  Why does it seem like personal development is required reading for many MLMs? How does one balance the desire for personal evolution and the nagging feeling that you are not enough when consuming self help? We tackle all these questions and more in today's episode!

Does influencer culture rub you the wrong way, and you can't quite put your finger on why?  Does the fan-girling culture around influencers feel a little culty to you? What is the intersection between influencer culture and cults if any? Are instagram bots taking over the world?  Why is our generation immune to marketing but then we fall under the influence of social media celebrities? These are the questions we're tackling in today's episode!

Friend of the show Leigh Ann Hearn is back with us again to talk group fitness crazes with cult like followings. Listen in as we discuss why Richard Simmons is missing, how Bikram came to popularity and why he fled the county, and whether or not Les Mills has cults within the larger organization. If anything this episode may make you want to get up and move!  

Time for another culty characteristics episode!  Nearly all cults or cult like groups cause shame and guilt either consciously or unconsciously.  Listen in as we unpack this and how shame and guilt shows up in so many facets of life.  

Plant People! Some of the kindest people on the internet and in real life, this niche of enthusiastic hobbyist definitely have their own culture. Join us with week as we chat with Maria from Bloom and Grow Radio about how plant people culture, using plants to reconnect with others in real life, and letting plants help us disconnect from screens.

Welcome to a special episode of Cultwatch, a feature normally reserved for our Patreon members. Today we are giving you an exclusive look into what we do on Cultwatch. Today we are discussing where cults intersect with Rachel Hollis and girl boss culture, the College Admission scandal, Q-aMom and more.

Life Coaching: helpful or harmful? Will it change your life or mess you up? Why do certain types of life coaching feel kind of culty? Listen in this week as we talk to Life Coach professional Kristiina Craven about her journey into this business and why she loved life coaching but sometimes jokes that she is in a cult.  

Chick fil A Moms, Trader Joes Hoes, Costo Fanatics and Taco Bell moms, oh my!  Listen in this week as we discuss Chick Fil A mom valet, people who factor in proximity to Trader Joes when purchasing a home, the mom who had her maternity photos done at Taco Bell and SO much more.  This week we are talking about foods and food stores with cult like followings.

Are MLMs culty? Why do MLMs feel so weird and shady? What are the positive aspects of these organizations? Do they get a bad rap? This week's episode is all about the good, bad and the ugly of MLMs. Eryn has an important perspective as she works with an MLM and Heather adds a dose of respectful cynicism and share some of her wildest experiences with recruitment attempts from other MLM organizations. You guys asked for it!  This week we're serving it up.

In this week's episode we chat with Eryn's husband David Jones about his experience in the Wellness Industry and his views on both Eastern and Western medicine. Are there cults within the wellness industry and are they selling false promises? Listen in as we peel the onion!

It's time for another culty characteristics episode! Join us this week as we talk about how the suppression of doubt within cults is almost always a common characteristics and how it shows up in normal culture as well.  

Be all that you can be. Unlock your potential. Just do it. These are all expressions that can be traced back to the Human Potential Movement. You might know more about this movement that you think as it's affected much of the cultural zeigtgeist. Today we chat about the history of the human potential movement and it's first and modern day leaders. We examine both the positive and the problematic side of the movement. Bonus; we also do a deep dive on why lately we've both grown weary of introspection and deep conversations. 

Are you a Disney person?  Ever wonder what it's like to work at Disney or why someone would choose to go to Disney every month?? Is the world of Walt Disney a cult or is it truly the happiest place on earth? Listen in as ponder these questions.  We chat about those die hard Disney fans, what draws them to the most magical place on earth, and the most zany and expensive things Disney fans do in the name of the mouse.  

This week we are giving you a sneak peek into our very first Patreon episode where Eryn joins a cult!  We also give you guys updates on NXIUM and Dave Ramsey. Listen in this week to get a taste of what it's like over on Patreon.  Come join us on Patreon for the FULL episode where we give you the scoop on Twin Flames, all the culty news updates and Eryn's adventures in a cult!

As Valentine's Day approaches, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about love bombing.  What is it?  How is this tactic used in the context of a cult or cult like groups?  Is love bombing a thing in relationships?  We talk through this and share our personal experiences with love bombing in this week's episode!

Listeners!  We have a treat for you.  Today we are chatting cults with Broadway star, actor and playwright, Justin Collette!  Justin played Dewey in School of Rock and Cupcake on Netflix's Cupcake and Dino.  More recently he has written and will star in a musical...all about cults.  Join us as we have a hilarious + insightful conversation about our mutual obsession with cults.

This week we're chatting vegans....what is veganism? Is it a cult? Are there vegan police? Do people who don't eat meat on Tuesdays get to call themselves a vegan too?  And where does PETA fit in with all this?Join us as we jump down the rabbit hole of veganism!  

This week we're talking about the cult following that Paleo and Whole30, a brand of Paleo, has developed. What started as a tiny corner on the internet has now ballooned into a multi million dollar organization, Whole30 has helped thousands of people lose weight, heal their bodies, discover food intolerances, and find food freedom. But has it become too dogmatic? Is it just another crash diet that has short term gains only for participants to pack back on the pounds? Join us as we discuss our thought as well as the experience of our listeners!