What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .
Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.
Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.
Montell is joined in this Live Crowdcast episode by Owin Pierson. The episode was recorded on June 23, 2021. You can watch the Zoom recording here.
Produced by Maddie Gobbo, Lance Morgan, Natalie Freeman, & Michael Kowaleski.
Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.
Visit https://www.skylightbooks.com/event for future offerings from the Skylight Books Events team.
LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Aimee Bender, "THE BUTTERFLY LAMPSHADE" w/ Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
SKYLIT: Megan Margulies, "MY CAPTAIN AMERICA" w/ Eva Hagberg,
SKYLIT: Erica C. Barnett, "QUITTER" w/ Maer Roshan
SKYLIT: Ahrm Choi Wild & Muriel Leung
SKYLIT: Arthur Nersesian, "THE FIVE BOOKS OF (ROBERT) MOSES" w/ Johnny Temple
SKYLIT: Daniel WK Lee, "ANATOMY OF WANT" w/ Shane Lukas
SKYLIT: Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, "STAGES" w/ Sarah Ruhl
Handsell, Ep. 13, "Eden Hain of JUNIOR HIGH"
SKYLIT: Kristen Millares Young, "SUBDUCTION"
LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Brandy Colbert, "THE VOTING BOOTH" w/ Nina Lacour
Handsell, Ep. 12, "Chris Pine's Good Mask and LAPL's Jennifer Siron"
LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Wayne Koestenbaum, "FIGURE IT OUT" w/ Maggie Nelson
LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Rosalie Knecht, "VERA KELLY IS NOT A MYSTERY" w/ Amy Stewart
LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Tom Rastrelli, "CONFESSIONS OF A GAY PRIEST" w/ Janet Finch
LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Sara Sligar and Amy Jo Burns
LIVE ON ZOOM: "OBJECT LESSONS" Group Reading
LIVE ON ZOOM: Yuri Herrera, "A SILENT FURY" w/ John Gibler
LIVE ON ZOOM: Bethany C. Morrow, "A SONG BELOW WATER" w/ Mark Oshiro
Pedro Jiménez & Matthew Gleeson, "EARTHLY DAYS BY JOSÉ REVUELTAS"
LIVE ON ZOOM: Meredith Talusan, "FAIREST" w/ Amber Tamblyn
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Voice of Mushfik
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Just So Stories
The War of the Worlds
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends