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.
Mike Pearl, "THE DAY IT FINALLY HAPPENS" w/ Brian Merchant
AJ Dungo, "IN WAVES" w/ Jamie Brisick
Leslie Jamison, "MAKE IT SCREAM, MAKE IT BURN" w/ Chris Kraus
Shea Serrano w/ Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion
Nick Flynn, "I WILL DESTROY YOU" w/ Kai Carlson-Wee
Nefertiti Austin, "MOTHERHOOD SO WHITE"
R. Zamora Linmark, "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WILDE AT HEART"
Fariha Róisín, "HOW TO CURE A GHOST" w/ Fatimah Asghar
Jen Wang, "STARGAZING"
DRAWING POWER Discussion
Attica Locke, "HEAVEN, MY HOME"
USC PhD Writers of Color
Jacqueline Woodson, "RED AT THE BONE" w/ Kara Brown
Annalee Newitz, "THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE" w/ Sean Carroll
Zenobia Neil, "THE QUEEN OF WARRIORS"
Jess Row, "WHITE FLIGHTS"
Carolina De Robertis, "CANTORAS"
Jennifer Croft, "HOMESICK" w/ Marisa Silver
Mina Javaherbin, "MY GRANDMA AND ME"
Anthony McCann, "SHADOWLANDS" w/ Brian Evenson, "Song for the Unraveling of the World"
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
A Tale of Two Cities
Frankenstein
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends