February 2, 2021 • 50 mins
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.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to you Down, a production of Shonda Land Audio
and partnership with I Heart Radio. I mean, but some
pyramid schemes are good, like depending on what you like.
Like I love Central know I love would be an
essential oil car. Don't know I would. I got somebody
got dag on to sexual oils and I don't feel
like I got God. I feel like I got blessed.
(00:20):
How much money have you given to the essential um?
You know, I don't count it, you know, because a lot?
What up? What up? What up? What up? Everybody? Welcome
back to you Down a podcast were for Funny Honey,
(00:43):
come together to talk about what's going on in the culture.
I'm Yasmin Money Watkins, I'm Mommy A A four OK,
I'm Ashley and don't she But with our powers combined,
Captain Planet rings to the center we are. I don't
know if that's a Captain Planet sound, but I'm sorry, definitely,
(01:06):
that's definitely the Captain. We're all almost with the daughters.
What's up, y'all? That was our fans and today we're
asking are you down with cults? We've all heard stories
(01:29):
about cults and the ways they are able to control
the lives of their members in extreme ways, from the
mass suicides of the People's Temple to the raj Niche
to Nexium. The exploration is right. The exploration of cults
in the mainstream has revealed several things, but mostly that
in times of increased vulnerability, people are more susceptible to
(01:52):
joining cults and extreme groups. Today, we want to explore
the concept of what defines a cult, how people find
themselves trapped in them, and also share some of our
own experiences as members or recruits of groups we think
could qualify as cults. But before we get into that,
let's check in with the ladies. How are you all
(02:14):
doing this week? What are you loving? What are you hating?
Give it to me. I'm feeling good. What I'm loving
right now is that they have Tibetan sound bows on YouTube.
So I just have been blasted at one hundred and
it's like cascading through my house and it's like I'm
giving myself a sound bath, and I love how my
(02:35):
cats react to it because they're all like, what's that sound?
And I'm like, it's called peace. It's called peace of mind.
So I love that you listen to sound baths like
it's music, like I've come to your house and I'm like,
why do I feel like I'm in the wilderness right now?
Like what, what's the witch about to come and say
something to me? And it's like, no, I'm just trying
(02:56):
to be peaceful ash like the cats are like, no,
they prefer city girls. I mean, because y'all know I
got extremes, so ultimate peace or ultimate turn up? Yeah,
I like it. You know what I'm loving, and what
I am usually loving is YouTube. But y'all, I'm learning
(03:17):
so much. I'm constantly falling into these pockets of information
that I don't know if I'll ever use the fact
that water filtracing systems use an Allison socket, But I
have that knowledge. Now what I know? I'm like, what
a different language? Well, you know, y'all know, I'm trying
(03:38):
to build a tiny home, so I have to learn
these things of you know, how to how to build.
So dope, I can't wait till like, oh my goodness,
and O D sleepover. You're whiting people over to my
tiny house. I'm like, I haven't even had d sleep
over any of our places yet, right, But as she's tidy,
(04:01):
home is the place to be it will be, but
it will be tiny, so exclusive this week. I really
really love oysters, like specifically Kumamoto oysters. It's like the
one thing I've missed the most in quarantine, and I
tried to go to Whole Food till I get some,
but it's not the same thing as like going to
(04:23):
a restaurant and like having it all just the horse
rash sauce and like the special sauce. I tried to
convince we had oysters at my wedding, and I tried
to convince one of my friends to bring some of
the special sauce with her because in France they don't
have the same sauce. It's truly a love that I have. Mommy,
I know you share my love of oysters. Yes, and
(04:46):
my mouth is watering as you're talking. Actually, I'm trying
to imagine what kind of sauce. There's a spy maalible
you could do. I think it's called broad Street Oyster
broad Street, and they have like a drive through window
but it's actually like like oyster beef. Well, I got
a lobster roll, but it's called oyster oyster bra straight,
So I'm I'm assuming they have oysters too. I just
(05:06):
drive through oysters. Yeah, I mean, but it's not like
fast food. It's like you drive through disturbing McDonald sells oysters. Now,
oh yeah. It literally just heard from a love into
a deep disdain. Oh man, imagining oysters from McDonald's, you'll
stomach getting messed up. And you can't be nobody but yourself, yourself, yourself,
(05:33):
in the words of Shakira. This week, I'm loving I've
been reading a lot lately and I read this book
called A Princess in Fury by Alyssa Cole. It was
recommended to me, and it's basically like a Cinderella story,
(05:53):
but I don't want to ruin the story. But I
think this is on the synopsis, so this isn't ruining it.
But it's like this girl, girl is an orphan, and
she has worked her way up to be in grad
school and like doing great in grad school and keeps
getting emails from like an African person being like you
are betrothed to the king and send me your social
(06:14):
Security card and whatever, like you know, those scam emails.
But it's true, and I'll leave it at that. Her parents,
What a great what a horrible retelling of what a
premise like, is this sam emails are actually real? I know,
and it okay, I didn't realize it was a steamy romance,
(06:36):
like happening upon reading a book and realizing it's a
romance novel. Yes, and it's so good. I was like,
maybe I like romance novel. I mean the way they
described she felt his link m novels are underrated. That
(06:57):
was my first form of porn to you. Actually. But
also those um they had some hood ones like the
Coldest Winter ever and like down oh, they had precious yes,
really what was that other one? There was one really
popular one that was fly Girl. Oh, my girl was good.
(07:23):
I need to go read my mom's bookshelf because she
got all the black her nerves. Okay, those were like
in the cut, like stuff was going down, like you
didn't want your mom to see that. I remember being
in seventh grade. I went to a book reading and
it was mildly a romance novel, but they've read the
most erotic part. And my mom was like, oh, you
want that book because I'm waiting in line hard. Yes
(07:48):
I do. I'm glad you all understand because I was like, well,
jam when I just didn't know, and then it happened,
so I didn't like too much. I just imagine your
Johnny being like, whoa damn well, I'm I'm ready to
(08:10):
get into our main commo this week, where we're asking
are you down with cults? Before you jump to thinking
hell Na, check yourself boo. Because a cult is described
as a group or social movement with a shared commitment
to something the group find special or an extreme devotion
to object, movement or person. Sounds like a popular group bind,
(08:36):
no custom be just you might want to get your
gear together just talking about were we love how fellow
bago I'm more of a Rihanna girl, I was actually
(08:58):
okay over you and folks are getting got more than
ever I mean Q And on next um American patriotism.
So how do people find themselves in a situation they
never thought they'd be in? And stands the exploitation, sexual abuse,
(09:18):
isolation and manipulation can occult be a safe haven for
folks trying to better themselves or find community. We're going
to dive into it all after a quick break. Welcome back. Oh,
(09:43):
let's get into our maintopic this week. Cults. So we
have any of you guys been in occult. Has anyone
tried to recruit you to a cult? Define cult? I'm
just kidding. I definitely feel like aspects of the Catholic Church,
our culty, like not the part that I participated in,
(10:06):
but as a whole. Hell yeah. I mean I feel
like a group can get a little cult. I mean
we were all at UCB and I was like dec
and I was like, not that us be as a cult,
but it becomes clickish and very much like we all
are into a same thing. And it wasn't toxic like
(10:27):
a cult. We weren't worshiping anything. But there are moments
when I think like I'm a part of this. I'm
drinking the juice. I'm sipping the juice all day. It
depends on if you sip that juice or not. I think, yeah,
that I literally have never thought about UCB in that way.
And I'm like, that's like the running joke of UCB,
(10:50):
so spending ten years trying to get on the team,
dedicated it is that thing of like community. Though I
was actually thinking about that the other day, just how
like if you hear there was a guy from UCB
who's sick right now, and everyone's rallying to raise money
for him, and I was like, wow, that's crazy that
it's people taking classes doing shows. But it also is
(11:12):
a foundation of community in l A. Going to our
shows that Wednesday was a huge part of my life
and like getting to see other human beings in the isolation. Yeah,
most of my friends came from doing comedy at UCB. So,
but I think that's how people get sucked in the
cults a lot of the times, because I mean, if
(11:34):
you think about it, a lot of times people just
want other like minded, healthy people. They want to heal,
they want to grow, and then they start worshiping a
man's toes, you know what I mean, Like it just
switched like self improvement to its real quick. That reminds
me of a story of this church in Ghana, and
(11:55):
I mean Africa and religion is or we could do
a whole episode because people are so dust spread, so
they like we're saying, really give their all. This man
was happening. People drink excreations as a part of their
spiritual whatever like that, Like what what would it take
(12:19):
for my job? I think like something that we have
to acknowledge while we talk about like the extreme level
that cults can get to is that they don't start there.
You know, like you come in and it's just all about, hey,
you want to feel better about your life. And honestly,
I looked at things like Nexium and like that self
(12:40):
help and they were really implementing things that really help
people do out. And then some strange stuff comes in Brandon.
But I mean, it is a slippery slope because I
remember one of the churches that I grew up in
being like, if people don't come through the doors of
this church, then they are not saved. And like I
was like trying to get my mom to be like, Mom,
(13:01):
you have to come to this church that I was
like going to with my dad at the time, and
it's like she's like, I'm fine. I mean, y'all know,
I was showing up to school with a Bible, and
you know what I remembered about a girl who I
wanted to get saved. Her name was Raven, and she
told me she was an atheist, and I was just
like taking it back because I had never met someone
(13:21):
who said they were atheists out loud. And then she
ended up on a Jerry Springer show for an episode,
but she wasn't her name, but she wasn't raving on
the show. So then I was like, oh, Jerry Springer,
y'all lying? But she a producer on the show or no,
she was, she was a guest. She was like with
her girlfriend. It was a whole mess. It's a whole mess.
But any that's neither here nor you're serious, like you
(13:51):
did a little cul to she get a little controlling.
The behavior just gets a little erratic. Um like that
whole story that I did not have to tell you
all that are now in shakira. But why do you
think people join cults for those reasons? Community? Self improvement
or good Insider dot com what sorry you see that's
(14:16):
We're gonna get to that later because I think that's
what your coat would be. But insider dot com named
the top reasons that people join colts, and it was
they want to better themselves professionally or personally, they want
to feel community, or they just went through something death,
extreme failure. You know, they're just vulnerable. And I think
(14:36):
like either it's a combination of like not being curious
enough when things arise and you're like that, I don't
know if that's yeah, like following your intuition, your gut
is gonna tell you something is iffy. But sometimes people
can't speak up or they're already like their identities tied
in because some people are born into them. I mean
(14:59):
scientist to say yeah literally, was about to say Elizabeth Moss,
she's a scientologist, and not to say that that's a call.
It's considered a religion, but it's on that line of
some people consider it a call. Some people because well, vox,
that vox that you send over here, I think he's
sent it over. It's a documentary that you can see
(15:19):
on Netflix thirty minutes called Cults Explained. Yes. So that episode,
something that stuck out to me was it said that
a cult plus time equals religion. So you know, I
think about scientology and like, it's not that crazy if
we add time to it. Because if we took away
(15:41):
time from a lot of religions, now Christianity, you would
be like people I always like with all this Q
and on Mambo Jumbo, I'm like, Okay, y'all, I believe
in the Good Lord and say we're as why did
I do a Southern accident? But I feel like that's
that would get through to them better. Um, but like,
come on, what are you talking about? Okay? Wait, So
(16:05):
I just listened to something about this and it was
talking about I don't remember the exact group, so it
was like Israelites, Jews, and Hebrews. Back in that time,
they said that certain people were drinking blood and eating
being pedophiles, and just exactly what qu and I are saying.
It's not something that's new, like the belief that people
are high up people are pedophiles and that people are
(16:27):
drinking blood. People blame that on the witches back in
the seventeen hundreds. And then before that I watched this
this theology thing. It really explained that these beliefs are
not new. It's like a thing that comes back every
couple hundred years, like human behavior always pits somebody in
that position of like these are these extremist people, but
(16:48):
you're actually the extremist. Yes, wild. The part that annoys
me the most is bringing Christianity into it. I read
a really cool thing that was like, how would you
just lived today? He would be hanging out with everybody.
Jesus would get shot by the cops. Okay, well that
(17:09):
I see it. I think that either way he needs
the same fate, right, that's the modern story. Yeah, I
think Jesus would be hanging out with the regular folks,
and I think that is why, you know, Jesus ended
up being crucified. It's because they were like, who is
this guy who with this ego, who can just help
people and hang out with regular folks. If he's Jesus,
(17:32):
then why is he hanging out with regular folks? You know?
So I get, you know that part of it. But
the way people will co opt a thing and turn
it into a thing is when it turns into accult
and it gets unhealthy and scary. I mean, look at
the damn white supremacists, the terrorists in this country. I
(17:54):
feel like it's like the cult of America. Low key,
like the uh, pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality,
or like this myth that like America is a fair country,
and you know, we just gobble that ship up. We're like, yeah,
fly the flag of freedom. It's like, nah, that's that's
(18:18):
not a real The only thing I gobbled up is turkey. Yeah.
So I don't know, let me tell you right now,
but why do you think cults are considered bad? I mean,
I will never forget as a child, like how many
news stories do you remember, like oh, j John Benay,
(18:38):
you know the Clinton like impeachment. But I remember when
the Heaven's Gate people killed themselves because I remember those
Nike shoes. Have you seen the image of them. They
all wore jumpsuits and these nikes that are extremely hard
to find right now. Late in bed took something and
(18:59):
die because they believed a comment Hailbop was like kind
of crash into the world and they were gonna they
knew that they were gonna know, excuse me, they were
going to be taken to that comment and the rest
of us were dumb and left here. I was just
gonna say, I remember Jonestown, don't drink the kool Ai.
I didn't even know what that was. I didn't know
(19:20):
it was like a rap lyric before I knew it
was actual cult. But my introduction to what a cult
is is death. A belief is a thought that we
think over and over and over again. And they thought
that belief about that comment so much that they genuinely
believed that they were going to kill themselves and end
up on some random ship. Like it's just literally if
(19:43):
everybody is drinking the same cool a then somebody's got
to be grounded. You always need a voice of reason.
Even in comedy you need a voice of reason, and
a cult you need a voice of reason. I feel
like a voice of reason and a cult is not
gonna be a voice of reason because they are working
from a place of control. Although a girl in um
(20:05):
Wild Wild Country, what was her name? I feel like
Sheila was that voice of reason. Sheila was a ride
or die and she wrote Sheila, Sheila was a ride
or die until she was like, my gut feel wrong
about this ship, but this don't feel right and kill
people and she was going hard. But I think that
(20:29):
that speaks to like what it kind of takes is
like questioning this thing that has become your identity. That's
really hard to do. And she had to be like
everything I love believe in exists. All my friends are
gonna not be cool with me after I do this,
and she did it anyway, And I think that's you
know why people stay so long, because it's hard to
(20:51):
make that jump when it's your entire world. I mean
even with like Mormonism, which some people would say that
isn't a cult, but the strict rules on how your
life is supposed to be in everything. That's when I
get into like, oh this is crossing that spring right,
(21:11):
and they all end up as meth heads and yes,
because they're like this is the world. It's like death
and destruction and drugs and overdoses and ship You're like, no, okay, okay,
I'm going to come back to the fold. No shade
to the Amish folks, I hear they're very happy. Yeah right.
I think what makes cults bed is when it becomes
(21:32):
toxic and or you aren't a self aware anymore, like
you're only following once everybody's on the same page of
like not being in it starts you have a leader
who's sour, and it's so hard because human beings are
so flawed. I mean, look at a tiger king. You
know they were in the minimal followers for sure. Yeah,
(21:56):
it's such a specific world of tight our lovers and
every least lovers you know in the mess. Like y'all
said earlier, that scolt, Like, I like what you're saying
about the leader, Kira, because I think that that is
like a big indicator of how occult is going to be.
(22:17):
I think it's only as sinister as the leader is.
It's just like when you become a leader and you
have power, you it's easy to abuse it if you
haven't found them, you know, your Jesus like humbleness. Yeah,
I got caught obviously. We all have in like some
of these docks. But a lot of straight white men
were like, come have sex with me indefinitely, and like,
(22:41):
dedicate yourself to me there in that thing that we're
branding his initials on these women. And I'm just like,
straight white men really be doing the most sometimes. And
let me tell you, ain't no dig that good that
I'm betting the same guy dang on initials. That's when
you know it's all mental at that point, because lord,
it ain't no way. He's not even you know, he's retired.
(23:03):
He's not even eating, to say, everybody every night. So
I don't know what when you talk about branding, though,
what's the line? Because I'm in a sorority, yas man,
you are in the same. I don't know any delta
who's branded that true assist called the police if that's
the case. Dudes, Yes, a lot of male Greeks are branded,
(23:25):
and it's like a right of a tattoo a brand too,
because I know a few with some elephants and some
some I don't think you're supposed to tattoo, at least
with the elephant. Well, my point is that even in
a sorority, there's so many levels of sanity. I'm just
gonna say it right here on you down there are
(23:46):
people who take a sororiity for what it is, like
we're saying before, actually like the community and the networking
in those aspects, and then it gets on another level
of freaking old heads coming back to school and joking
girls who don't know their name, like are you serious?
Your whole lawyer, doctor, whatever, But you're able to get
(24:10):
on this level of I personally don't think that it's necessary.
But that's a very controversial take, and I'm sure people
aren't gonna like that I said it, but I still
love you so ours. It's true though you're like, what
are you doing here? Like what is the flexing? Feeling powerful?
(24:31):
That's what they're doing, trying to feel power. That's the
leader that you're talking about, Like it comes from the
top down. If you think I should exude power over
someone to teach them something like there are other ways
to teach people than like, And don't get me wrong,
I do think like the process of like growing in
a sorority and all of that is beautiful and great,
(24:51):
but I do believe that a lot of people take
it to a level that it doesn't need to be at.
And you know, one reason people are able to manipulate
people so much is because when you're putting somebody in
a godlike position, in that position of power, but not
seeing that you can find God within yourself in seeking
(25:12):
all of that, that spirituality and growth that you're trying
to get from another person rather than digging deep. And
a lot of people they don't know how to, or
they haven't ever been told, like it's too hard to.
It's like if we are reflection of whatever belief you
believe in most of the time it is saying we're
made in His image, or you know, there is a
(25:32):
God within us, or whatever you believe. I think says
celebrities drink babies blood. I don't know if they are
hearing about they believe, so what they think is going
on that is pretty wild. But yeah, I did hear that,
and I was like, WHOA, not me? So wrong? Kevin
(25:56):
Kevin Spacey though, right, yeah, but there's some in there.
There are few, but yeah, I think like seeking all
of the validation and love and godlike feelings from someone
else rather than from yourself creates a person who gets
wrapped up in a cult. Thinking about that, Like in
(26:17):
the vox Dock it was talking about sort of how
YouTube personas or like kind of self help people become powerful.
Like I really love Abraham Hicks, you know what I mean,
But like her name was one of the people on there,
and I'm like, no, but she says things that I
really like, and I remember, it's my god, you guys,
it's so crazy. So once my mom took me to
(26:40):
this convention center thing and there's I don't even remember
his name, but this guy was supposed to be speaking,
a spiritual healer of some sort, white guy with long hair,
and he got to the stage and literally just stood
there looking out at people. Literally just stood there and
people paid hell of money. I mean, my mom was like,
(27:02):
do you want a ticket? I'll bring you to an
extra ticket. And I love you, mom. I know you're
not probably listening to this episode, but I was just like,
what is happening here? People literally just paid all this
money to see this man stand I was looking around, like,
what is happening? He's just standing there? Yeah. I mean
I think it's easy to look at other people's cults
and be like that's crazy. But in a sense, a
(27:25):
cult is just like a devotion to something or you know,
and usually other people think it's strange. But I know
how the people devoted to Beyonce or to like you said, UCB.
We like, we all have something that we're that we
get caught up in. Yeah, that we get caught up in.
And I think it's a good cult to vote. Let's
(27:46):
not go there. I mean, you got to be able
to question everything that you love, honestly, you gotta be
able to look at it and make sure you're not
holding on to it as a part of your identity
that you can't question us. I think about like, and
this is a question that I've been sitting with around
consumerism and all this other stuff, but like what is
(28:07):
mine and what's being sold to me? Like what do
you genuinely like or are attracted to or versus what
do you feel you've been told exactly you've been conditioned
to like everything that you like I know pretty much
weird beings that are products of our experience, environment, condition,
(28:29):
Like everything has been sold to you, and I think
it's like you have to do that healing that we're
talking about. What is trauma? What is society's view? What
is being put upon you? And you know, I'm in
the beginning of my spiritual awaking and it is you
gotta look at some dark stuff. Get that wakey wakey?
(28:52):
Why do you look over there like you got something
slick to say? No, I say, I asked you getting
a wakey wakey? Nothing. I mean been I've been pretty woke,
but now I'm doing terror and love all that. Like, So,
if you guys were in a cult, yes, what cult
do you think you would be in? Well, y'all already
(29:12):
no one. I can't wait to talk about this sex
cult so you can join and existing one. I feel
like most cults have some aspect of sex to it.
I just feel like of all the reasons, I especially
remember watching The Wild Wild Country, and I'm like, that
actually doesn't sound so bad. Like they seem all like
(29:34):
they're having a good time. That's appealing. I feel like
so many people are repressed in their lives and aren't
able to be honest, so they go to the extreme
of like, well, in this cult, we can do anything.
I just feel like that would be m Yeah, you
can have sex with anyone you want to, but you
can never see any of your family again. You got
(29:54):
to give him every bit of money you ever. It
sounds like a great enjoyed good I say. I mean
that would be probably the best part about being an occult.
I mean unless, well, you know, that's like an experience
I probably will never experience in my adult life that
(30:16):
I know of. I don't know when I'm gonna be
just having sex with all of my sister friends, you
know what I mean. Like I would definitely not be
in attendance for that. No. No, if you I mean,
if you're interested, give me a ring. But you know, like, oh,
I'm just going to hook up with this person today
and we're all very fluid and open and everything's hot
(30:38):
hot hot, like you know, I just think what it
would smell like, and that's probably rude, but I just
don't think I could do it. Yeah, I think that
I don't want to. I don't want to spend anyone
just light a candle. Oh yeah, perfect. I feel like
minus the sex part because that would not attract me.
(31:02):
But like a nexium type like bettering yourself, leveling up,
trying to push yourself to the next, Like I could
totally get caught up in some ship like that. Yeah,
I think so too. Mine would be some kind of
self help. I think about like Tony Robbins even his following,
and I'm like, oh, it would be so nice to
(31:22):
just hear him speak. But it does very much look
like a cult like Weekend. I think it's how extreme
you get, y'all. Know. I love Abraham Hicks as well.
I've been to two of her live tapings where she
talks says Abraham esther talks as Abraham. It's a whole lot, y'all.
But I genuinely feel like I do get something out
of it, and I don't feel like I'm worshiping Abraham
(31:46):
Hicks or I like I listened to the message. I
take the parts that apply to my life and I
use those. So I think you can discern what you're
coming there to get versus like devoting your life as
if this person is a living god. Yeah. So cults,
(32:07):
I guess are not inherently bad, like if you don't
if you can get out alive and you don't drink
the koolate, thank you. I also think a lot of
people just need work these days and can get into
(32:29):
stuff like that, like the health juices and shakes and
blah blah blahs, and are always like, oh, I have
a million dollar business, And I'm like, do you though,
what's the t or lit life? Her? Oh my gosh,
we have you been pitched so many times? I will
never forget. This woman was like, so, I've been selling it,
(32:52):
and she was from Minnesota, had at the thickest accent
and was like, I've been telling it and getting extra
in common. We have amazing flavors like cookies and cream.
And then I just remember her saying cookies and cream
and I was like, there's absolutely no way in hell
that I buy this. Those pyramid schemes can come for
you quick. Pyramids schemes are good, like depending on what
(33:15):
you love, Like I love sentil know I love would
be an essential oil, you know I would. I got
so many got d to sexual oils. And I don't
feel like I got God. I feel like I got
blessed um that the universe is looking out for me
and now I'm even more connected to my How much
money have you given to the essential um? You know?
(33:38):
I don't count it, you know because a lot because
it's not money. When it's not money, it's energy, and
money is nothing but an energy exchange for something that
I need for myself. So that can run out essentially,
so I have to refill it consistently. But that is
(34:01):
liking football a cult or like the Dallas Cowboys a
colt um. Like the fact that is a great point
because the way my dad acts when the Vikings are
playing is not crazy normal all sports lovers they act nut.
What about bad bitches? Are bad bitches? A cold? It's
(34:22):
like a like unspoken like bad bitches link up that
whole movement of I could never I wish I could.
The sound of like nails clattering against each other and
like by city girls playing background. Yes, also broke naked?
(34:46):
Is that desire now? Pussy? First off, rap is funny.
If you don't listen to trashy rap and laugh out loud,
then you waunch a business. Then you're missing out on
a grid, You're missing out an experience. It is so funny.
It is and is or music genres because they really
(35:08):
are the cult of big Booties, and like I feel
like a lot of we are a cult. Yeah, we
are called Oh praise mom, so big. It's just so big.
All right, you guys, Let's play a quick little game.
It's called which one is a cult. So I'm just
(35:31):
gonna rapid fire a few names, and you guys tell
me which one is the cult and which one is not? Yeah? Alright, god, okay, done,
you're ready? Yes, I think first question Sulivanians or Opus Invictus.
Which one is the cult? That's tough because I don't
(35:55):
know descriptions. I don't know anything. They both sound like them.
Sounds like yeah, no, no, I'm turned off by won't
get something. Looks like when I think of Opus Invictus,
I think of like a Greek character or something, you know,
and Achilles ankle type on a journey, Yeah, hero's journey
(36:19):
the Heros. So final answer, yeah, I'm gonna say yeah.
The correct answer is Sullivanians, which was a therapy group
who doesn't love therapy led by Saliby Newton turned communal
living community and sex cult and the Upper West Side
of Manhattan. Damn, that is how you people exactly. That's
(36:45):
so true, they help. They don't want to get all
that money. They just do random stuff disposable income. The
teachings hold that traditional family ties with a root cause
of mental illness and espoused a non monogamous lifestyle. Damn,
patients were often encouraged to severed ties with their families.
So that's also a cult like thing. When they're like,
(37:06):
you got cut off the family, Like you try, did
your mother just say to you she doesn't support ill.
But see how it's a slippery do therapy and they
say you blame your parents, and that's every therapy, and
then you blame me your parents and you're mad at
them and the evil alone, and now you're stuck in
(37:27):
toes and the evil. That okay. Second question, people of
the Most High or the Branch Davidians. Absolutely yeah people
sounds like a hippie, dippy Jesus Christ superstar on a mountain.
(37:48):
I could get got by people of the Most High
because I'm like, hell, yeah, the most maybe if I
was high. Well, the answer is the Branch Davidians, led
by a guy named David Koresh. The group of a
hundred people moved to a small compound outside of Waco,
(38:10):
Texas teachings that allowed men to marry multiple women oh
as young as aged ten. They had a fifty one
day standoff with the FBI, resulting in the death of
people that all the Waco people. Yeah, can't we say Waco.
(38:30):
I would have been like, oh, I know that's a cult. Wow,
how dare you branch Davidians? How did you get got
by called the branch Davidians? Like that? Okay, last question, guys,
the Children of God or the Interspatial Revival Fellowship? Oh,
(38:53):
oh my god? Both of them sound I'm going to
inter spatial because that reminds me of hail about. I
think the Children of God is the Children of God
is one of sound like children of the Corns? Sound like? Right?
I do feel like I've heard of Children of God. Well, yeah,
(39:14):
it does not familiar. But also you are a child
of God? Heard it? Well? You guys are right? The
answers Children of God a k a. The Family Uh.
They were established in the late sixties by guy named
David Berg, a traveling preacher. They believed in free love
that reportedly involved female members recruiting with sex, sometimes known
(39:38):
as flirty fishing, telling you everything is a driving motivating
factor for many UH survivors. Sage oh man um, Yeah,
kids did not farewell here. Some of who grew up
in the Children of God include Rose McGowan and Joaquin Phoenix.
(40:00):
Oh yes, I do remember hearing that. Joaquin and River
r I they were raised in some And you know
what Rose McGowan is. She she got a lot going on.
And I know, oh she was in the wine Steine.
I think she took a lot of that flaw. Yeah,
(40:21):
but she was, Yeah, she she lost a lot. And
I met her once and she was like very much
like I'm going to take down the man. I had
no clue what she was talking about. This was before
me too, and she was like, oh you wait on it,
you wait. The whole time she talking to you. The
first conversation we had, she was just like on something
(40:42):
like yeah, but also let me tell you what I'm
about to do, like kind of vibe. And I was like,
I don't know what you're about to do. What I'm
not here, I don't I don't know. You like the
kids get sucked up to it, and like seeing the
Jim Jones one where like parents killed their kids, like
(41:04):
I saw a dead dog in there. Too. I'm like,
come on, y'all, like it's just also bad. Like can
we help somebody now after a bad send us a letter.
If you're in a call you need help, but get now,
send us signal. Are you leaving to Beaver? Alright, guys,
(41:29):
we're gonna take a quick little break. The RP and
Welcome Back colts were a little bit dark, but it
is time for us to give a listener some advice.
(41:51):
So Ashley what she got for us. Today's letter reads,
Dear o D I listened to your dating episode and
have recently gotten back on the apps and have stopped
using COVID as a reason to not safely meet new people.
I finally matched with this guy who looked cool, and
we ended up going out on a date. He was
(42:13):
really late and texted me that he would pay. Okay,
things were looking good. The date was awkward but fine
until the bill came. I didn't reach for my wallet
like I usually do, and he gave me a strange look.
So I said, I'm not reaching for my wallet because
you said you would pay. He said no. I said,
I was late, not pay but it's fine. Oh date
(42:38):
goes worse. I felt like a piece of ship because
I thought this guy liked me enough to want to
spend forty dollars on some appetizers. Needless to say, that
was the first and last date. Am I wrong for
wanting this man to treat me like a queen? Should
I have paid for half the bill? Are my standards
too high? And is this why I'm single? Thanks? Signed
(43:02):
treat her like a lady girl. Let me first off
to you, But you are not wrong. Like no first date.
Even if it was a miscommunication, I still wouldn't have
needed that text for me to assume that on the
first day you're paying for it. Um, maybe we end
(43:24):
a few dates you know I'm paying, or if you
know money is very tight, then you need to say
that before we go on the state because it's I know,
what kind of fucking excuse men? What kind of panty dryer?
I ain't got no money. We don't have to go
Dutch on this Like, I'm not going to this damn date.
(43:48):
It depends on how old you are and what you
want out of your life. But yeah, you're right, because
I would not the date that doesn't include money. Four
course neal, but forty ain't even a four course chillised
and he was late. Um, I maybe old school. I
(44:11):
remember I got in an argument with one of my
friends to shout out to Mackenzie about this because she
would be like no, Like every time I would be like,
I want guys to pay for me, she was like
very like, that's so backwards and stuff until she got
in a long term relationship with a man who can
afford to pay for more than her, and then she
did admit that she understands why I said that before,
(44:35):
and that's not in every case. But I do come
from a I guess I'm a traditionalist in the way
that I do want a guy to pay for me.
And it's tough too when I mean, this is clearly
a head of sexual relationship, but it is a fine
line even with like dating queer, Like when you're dating
a woman and you're a woman and you're like, who's
paying for this? But how does that go? Or yes, split?
(44:56):
Or if I haven't, I'm like, oh, I want to
do this nice thing. Um, in my mind, even and
queer relationships had a real relationships. Big bank take little bank,
so you know, I mean, I haven't been a big
bank yet where I've been put in that situation where
I'm like, oh, I'm about to happen. Oh, actually I
(45:16):
have been, and I was about to step up to
the plate, but he didn't want to date me. So,
um see in that case, wouldn't it be equal bank?
See equal bank and share half had. Yeah, but I
have to spend This is my logic, the amount of
money I spend as a lady on my hair, on
(45:36):
all the ship. And that's a choice. Obviously. I just
feel like, especially if on a date like and I
really get ready, that I already spent two hundred dollars
probably on myself. As I'm saying this, I sound so
I don't know what I mean. No, I have a
receipt right here. It says being a girl lashes rows
(45:57):
thirty five South Brawl, Indian hay three fifty Brazilian wax
fifty five ga lords, sat and bonnet twenty dollars, manicred
jael seventy dollars, petticred jail forty dollars. This appointment two
hundred dollars total, not fifty. So unless that dinner is
not hundred and fifty dollars than you're paying for it
(46:18):
on the first day, is that your what kind of routine?
That's my weekly routine? Do not mines? I get lashes on,
lashes on lashes, curius stay, lash might fly away. I
(46:39):
think it's all like treat her like a lady. If
you wanted to be treated like a queen and have
a man paid for you, then find that man you
know and don't settle. You know, it's not so bad
to be single. Um, you ain't found the right one yet,
don't just pick anybody. Maybe get COVID tested before y'all
link up, because that sounds you had a meal and
(47:00):
you didn't even know and the risk was not will
safely meet new people safely? But you know, yeah, cod
that's safe at the very least. I definitely feel like
this is a what do I want? Situation? And if
you're going on dates and there's a time where at
least I've been through it where it's like I'm going
(47:22):
on dates to go on dates, But then when you
get to a certain point of knowing yourself, it's like, oh,
I already see that this person is not the kind
of person that I say that I want, So why
am I doing this? So maybe just gauge that a
little more. What you actually want and if the person
doesn't align, sure this date suck, you don't need to
(47:43):
go again, which it sounds like you're not um, But
don't be hard on yourself. Self compassion is a very
hard thing to achieve, and I think this is just
you showing yourself compassion and there's nothing wrong with that, truly.
I agree. Help that helps. Treat it like a a
d And you know, I hope listeners too that you
guys learned something about cults and how to do that
(48:07):
self care to make sure you don't get wrapped up
and drinking cooling. Do you know I just realized I
am in a cult, the gleek cult. I'm a gleek.
What's a gleek? Is that when you like spray spit
a gleek geek? Oh yes, it's also that, but it's
(48:28):
a geek who likes the show cleek. That's what they
call we call ourselves, not they own it. UM. Just
wondering if that jogged anything that you actually are a
cult member of for yourself, like fixing up buses or
beyond beyond Just call me up, you just call me
(48:48):
a I'm a single individual giving nobody money but myself alight, y'all.
We appreciate you tuning in. Remember to share and review
our podcast. We want to know what you think. We
want to hang out with you too, Yes, and come
peaky with us on our social media were at Obama's
(49:11):
Other Daughters on Instagram at o d improv on Twitter
and on Facebook at Obama's at like waters. If you
need something funds, well you know someone who does. Send
us your letters, your smoke signals, your pigeons. You need
that d podcast at gmail dot com or send the
pigeon to Yas in his house at sending pigeons directly
(49:35):
to Ashley. Don't say no, damnige Oh my god, in
a great I have a cult. It's an anti bird cult.
We'll see you next week by week by burbs were
(49:59):
harmed in the This episode, Yet You Down is a
production of Shawndland Audio and partnership with I Heart Radio.
For more podcasts from Shawndland Audio, visit the I Heart
Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
(50:22):
favorite show
Welcome to you Down, a production of Shonda Land Audio
and partnership with I Heart Radio. I mean, but some
pyramid schemes are good, like depending on what you like.
Like I love Central know I love would be an
essential oil car. Don't know I would. I got somebody
got dag on to sexual oils and I don't feel
like I got God. I feel like I got blessed.
(00:20):
How much money have you given to the essential um?
You know, I don't count it, you know, because a lot?
What up? What up? What up? What up? Everybody? Welcome
back to you Down a podcast were for Funny Honey,
(00:43):
come together to talk about what's going on in the culture.
I'm Yasmin Money Watkins, I'm Mommy A A four OK,
I'm Ashley and don't she But with our powers combined,
Captain Planet rings to the center we are. I don't
know if that's a Captain Planet sound, but I'm sorry, definitely,
(01:06):
that's definitely the Captain. We're all almost with the daughters.
What's up, y'all? That was our fans and today we're
asking are you down with cults? We've all heard stories
(01:29):
about cults and the ways they are able to control
the lives of their members in extreme ways, from the
mass suicides of the People's Temple to the raj Niche
to Nexium. The exploration is right. The exploration of cults
in the mainstream has revealed several things, but mostly that
in times of increased vulnerability, people are more susceptible to
(01:52):
joining cults and extreme groups. Today, we want to explore
the concept of what defines a cult, how people find
themselves trapped in them, and also share some of our
own experiences as members or recruits of groups we think
could qualify as cults. But before we get into that,
let's check in with the ladies. How are you all
(02:14):
doing this week? What are you loving? What are you hating?
Give it to me. I'm feeling good. What I'm loving
right now is that they have Tibetan sound bows on YouTube.
So I just have been blasted at one hundred and
it's like cascading through my house and it's like I'm
giving myself a sound bath, and I love how my
(02:35):
cats react to it because they're all like, what's that sound?
And I'm like, it's called peace. It's called peace of mind.
So I love that you listen to sound baths like
it's music, like I've come to your house and I'm like,
why do I feel like I'm in the wilderness right now?
Like what, what's the witch about to come and say
something to me? And it's like, no, I'm just trying
(02:56):
to be peaceful ash like the cats are like, no,
they prefer city girls. I mean, because y'all know I
got extremes, so ultimate peace or ultimate turn up? Yeah,
I like it. You know what I'm loving, and what
I am usually loving is YouTube. But y'all, I'm learning
(03:17):
so much. I'm constantly falling into these pockets of information
that I don't know if I'll ever use the fact
that water filtracing systems use an Allison socket, But I
have that knowledge. Now what I know? I'm like, what
a different language? Well, you know, y'all know, I'm trying
(03:38):
to build a tiny home, so I have to learn
these things of you know, how to how to build.
So dope, I can't wait till like, oh my goodness,
and O D sleepover. You're whiting people over to my
tiny house. I'm like, I haven't even had d sleep
over any of our places yet, right, But as she's tidy,
(04:01):
home is the place to be it will be, but
it will be tiny, so exclusive this week. I really
really love oysters, like specifically Kumamoto oysters. It's like the
one thing I've missed the most in quarantine, and I
tried to go to Whole Food till I get some,
but it's not the same thing as like going to
(04:23):
a restaurant and like having it all just the horse
rash sauce and like the special sauce. I tried to
convince we had oysters at my wedding, and I tried
to convince one of my friends to bring some of
the special sauce with her because in France they don't
have the same sauce. It's truly a love that I have. Mommy,
I know you share my love of oysters. Yes, and
(04:46):
my mouth is watering as you're talking. Actually, I'm trying
to imagine what kind of sauce. There's a spy maalible
you could do. I think it's called broad Street Oyster
broad Street, and they have like a drive through window
but it's actually like like oyster beef. Well, I got
a lobster roll, but it's called oyster oyster bra straight,
So I'm I'm assuming they have oysters too. I just
(05:06):
drive through oysters. Yeah, I mean, but it's not like
fast food. It's like you drive through disturbing McDonald sells oysters. Now,
oh yeah. It literally just heard from a love into
a deep disdain. Oh man, imagining oysters from McDonald's, you'll
stomach getting messed up. And you can't be nobody but yourself, yourself, yourself,
(05:33):
in the words of Shakira. This week, I'm loving I've
been reading a lot lately and I read this book
called A Princess in Fury by Alyssa Cole. It was
recommended to me, and it's basically like a Cinderella story,
(05:53):
but I don't want to ruin the story. But I
think this is on the synopsis, so this isn't ruining it.
But it's like this girl, girl is an orphan, and
she has worked her way up to be in grad
school and like doing great in grad school and keeps
getting emails from like an African person being like you
are betrothed to the king and send me your social
(06:14):
Security card and whatever, like you know, those scam emails.
But it's true, and I'll leave it at that. Her parents,
What a great what a horrible retelling of what a
premise like, is this sam emails are actually real? I know,
and it okay, I didn't realize it was a steamy romance,
(06:36):
like happening upon reading a book and realizing it's a
romance novel. Yes, and it's so good. I was like,
maybe I like romance novel. I mean the way they
described she felt his link m novels are underrated. That
(06:57):
was my first form of porn to you. Actually. But
also those um they had some hood ones like the
Coldest Winter ever and like down oh, they had precious yes,
really what was that other one? There was one really
popular one that was fly Girl. Oh, my girl was good.
(07:23):
I need to go read my mom's bookshelf because she
got all the black her nerves. Okay, those were like
in the cut, like stuff was going down, like you
didn't want your mom to see that. I remember being
in seventh grade. I went to a book reading and
it was mildly a romance novel, but they've read the
most erotic part. And my mom was like, oh, you
want that book because I'm waiting in line hard. Yes
(07:48):
I do. I'm glad you all understand because I was like, well,
jam when I just didn't know, and then it happened,
so I didn't like too much. I just imagine your
Johnny being like, whoa damn well, I'm I'm ready to
(08:10):
get into our main commo this week, where we're asking
are you down with cults? Before you jump to thinking
hell Na, check yourself boo. Because a cult is described
as a group or social movement with a shared commitment
to something the group find special or an extreme devotion
to object, movement or person. Sounds like a popular group bind,
(08:36):
no custom be just you might want to get your
gear together just talking about were we love how fellow
bago I'm more of a Rihanna girl, I was actually
(08:58):
okay over you and folks are getting got more than
ever I mean Q And on next um American patriotism.
So how do people find themselves in a situation they
never thought they'd be in? And stands the exploitation, sexual abuse,
(09:18):
isolation and manipulation can occult be a safe haven for
folks trying to better themselves or find community. We're going
to dive into it all after a quick break. Welcome back. Oh,
(09:43):
let's get into our maintopic this week. Cults. So we
have any of you guys been in occult. Has anyone
tried to recruit you to a cult? Define cult? I'm
just kidding. I definitely feel like aspects of the Catholic Church,
our culty, like not the part that I participated in,
(10:06):
but as a whole. Hell yeah. I mean I feel
like a group can get a little cult. I mean
we were all at UCB and I was like dec
and I was like, not that us be as a cult,
but it becomes clickish and very much like we all
are into a same thing. And it wasn't toxic like
(10:27):
a cult. We weren't worshiping anything. But there are moments
when I think like I'm a part of this. I'm
drinking the juice. I'm sipping the juice all day. It
depends on if you sip that juice or not. I think, yeah,
that I literally have never thought about UCB in that way.
And I'm like, that's like the running joke of UCB,
(10:50):
so spending ten years trying to get on the team,
dedicated it is that thing of like community. Though I
was actually thinking about that the other day, just how
like if you hear there was a guy from UCB
who's sick right now, and everyone's rallying to raise money
for him, and I was like, wow, that's crazy that
it's people taking classes doing shows. But it also is
(11:12):
a foundation of community in l A. Going to our
shows that Wednesday was a huge part of my life
and like getting to see other human beings in the isolation. Yeah,
most of my friends came from doing comedy at UCB. So,
but I think that's how people get sucked in the
cults a lot of the times, because I mean, if
(11:34):
you think about it, a lot of times people just
want other like minded, healthy people. They want to heal,
they want to grow, and then they start worshiping a
man's toes, you know what I mean, Like it just
switched like self improvement to its real quick. That reminds
me of a story of this church in Ghana, and
(11:55):
I mean Africa and religion is or we could do
a whole episode because people are so dust spread, so
they like we're saying, really give their all. This man
was happening. People drink excreations as a part of their
spiritual whatever like that, Like what what would it take
(12:19):
for my job? I think like something that we have
to acknowledge while we talk about like the extreme level
that cults can get to is that they don't start there.
You know, like you come in and it's just all about, hey,
you want to feel better about your life. And honestly,
I looked at things like Nexium and like that self
(12:40):
help and they were really implementing things that really help
people do out. And then some strange stuff comes in Brandon.
But I mean, it is a slippery slope because I
remember one of the churches that I grew up in
being like, if people don't come through the doors of
this church, then they are not saved. And like I
was like trying to get my mom to be like, Mom,
(13:01):
you have to come to this church that I was
like going to with my dad at the time, and
it's like she's like, I'm fine. I mean, y'all know,
I was showing up to school with a Bible, and
you know what I remembered about a girl who I
wanted to get saved. Her name was Raven, and she
told me she was an atheist, and I was just
like taking it back because I had never met someone
(13:21):
who said they were atheists out loud. And then she
ended up on a Jerry Springer show for an episode,
but she wasn't her name, but she wasn't raving on
the show. So then I was like, oh, Jerry Springer,
y'all lying? But she a producer on the show or no,
she was, she was a guest. She was like with
her girlfriend. It was a whole mess. It's a whole mess.
But any that's neither here nor you're serious, like you
(13:51):
did a little cul to she get a little controlling.
The behavior just gets a little erratic. Um like that
whole story that I did not have to tell you
all that are now in shakira. But why do you
think people join cults for those reasons? Community? Self improvement
or good Insider dot com what sorry you see that's
(14:16):
We're gonna get to that later because I think that's
what your coat would be. But insider dot com named
the top reasons that people join colts, and it was
they want to better themselves professionally or personally, they want
to feel community, or they just went through something death,
extreme failure. You know, they're just vulnerable. And I think
(14:36):
like either it's a combination of like not being curious
enough when things arise and you're like that, I don't
know if that's yeah, like following your intuition, your gut
is gonna tell you something is iffy. But sometimes people
can't speak up or they're already like their identities tied
in because some people are born into them. I mean
(14:59):
scientist to say yeah literally, was about to say Elizabeth Moss,
she's a scientologist, and not to say that that's a call.
It's considered a religion, but it's on that line of
some people consider it a call. Some people because well, vox,
that vox that you send over here, I think he's
sent it over. It's a documentary that you can see
(15:19):
on Netflix thirty minutes called Cults Explained. Yes. So that episode,
something that stuck out to me was it said that
a cult plus time equals religion. So you know, I
think about scientology and like, it's not that crazy if
we add time to it. Because if we took away
(15:41):
time from a lot of religions, now Christianity, you would
be like people I always like with all this Q
and on Mambo Jumbo, I'm like, Okay, y'all, I believe
in the Good Lord and say we're as why did
I do a Southern accident? But I feel like that's
that would get through to them better. Um, but like,
come on, what are you talking about? Okay? Wait, So
(16:05):
I just listened to something about this and it was
talking about I don't remember the exact group, so it
was like Israelites, Jews, and Hebrews. Back in that time,
they said that certain people were drinking blood and eating
being pedophiles, and just exactly what qu and I are saying.
It's not something that's new, like the belief that people
are high up people are pedophiles and that people are
(16:27):
drinking blood. People blame that on the witches back in
the seventeen hundreds. And then before that I watched this
this theology thing. It really explained that these beliefs are
not new. It's like a thing that comes back every
couple hundred years, like human behavior always pits somebody in
that position of like these are these extremist people, but
(16:48):
you're actually the extremist. Yes, wild. The part that annoys
me the most is bringing Christianity into it. I read
a really cool thing that was like, how would you
just lived today? He would be hanging out with everybody.
Jesus would get shot by the cops. Okay, well that
(17:09):
I see it. I think that either way he needs
the same fate, right, that's the modern story. Yeah, I
think Jesus would be hanging out with the regular folks,
and I think that is why, you know, Jesus ended
up being crucified. It's because they were like, who is
this guy who with this ego, who can just help
people and hang out with regular folks. If he's Jesus,
(17:32):
then why is he hanging out with regular folks? You know?
So I get, you know that part of it. But
the way people will co opt a thing and turn
it into a thing is when it turns into accult
and it gets unhealthy and scary. I mean, look at
the damn white supremacists, the terrorists in this country. I
(17:54):
feel like it's like the cult of America. Low key,
like the uh, pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality,
or like this myth that like America is a fair country,
and you know, we just gobble that ship up. We're like, yeah,
fly the flag of freedom. It's like, nah, that's that's
(18:18):
not a real The only thing I gobbled up is turkey. Yeah.
So I don't know, let me tell you right now,
but why do you think cults are considered bad? I mean,
I will never forget as a child, like how many
news stories do you remember, like oh, j John Benay,
(18:38):
you know the Clinton like impeachment. But I remember when
the Heaven's Gate people killed themselves because I remember those
Nike shoes. Have you seen the image of them. They
all wore jumpsuits and these nikes that are extremely hard
to find right now. Late in bed took something and
(18:59):
die because they believed a comment Hailbop was like kind
of crash into the world and they were gonna they
knew that they were gonna know, excuse me, they were
going to be taken to that comment and the rest
of us were dumb and left here. I was just
gonna say, I remember Jonestown, don't drink the kool Ai.
I didn't even know what that was. I didn't know
(19:20):
it was like a rap lyric before I knew it
was actual cult. But my introduction to what a cult
is is death. A belief is a thought that we
think over and over and over again. And they thought
that belief about that comment so much that they genuinely
believed that they were going to kill themselves and end
up on some random ship. Like it's just literally if
(19:43):
everybody is drinking the same cool a then somebody's got
to be grounded. You always need a voice of reason.
Even in comedy you need a voice of reason, and
a cult you need a voice of reason. I feel
like a voice of reason and a cult is not
gonna be a voice of reason because they are working
from a place of control. Although a girl in um
(20:05):
Wild Wild Country, what was her name? I feel like
Sheila was that voice of reason. Sheila was a ride
or die and she wrote Sheila, Sheila was a ride
or die until she was like, my gut feel wrong
about this ship, but this don't feel right and kill
people and she was going hard. But I think that
(20:29):
that speaks to like what it kind of takes is
like questioning this thing that has become your identity. That's
really hard to do. And she had to be like
everything I love believe in exists. All my friends are
gonna not be cool with me after I do this,
and she did it anyway, And I think that's you
know why people stay so long, because it's hard to
(20:51):
make that jump when it's your entire world. I mean
even with like Mormonism, which some people would say that
isn't a cult, but the strict rules on how your
life is supposed to be in everything. That's when I
get into like, oh this is crossing that spring right,
(21:11):
and they all end up as meth heads and yes,
because they're like this is the world. It's like death
and destruction and drugs and overdoses and ship You're like, no, okay, okay,
I'm going to come back to the fold. No shade
to the Amish folks, I hear they're very happy. Yeah right.
I think what makes cults bed is when it becomes
(21:32):
toxic and or you aren't a self aware anymore, like
you're only following once everybody's on the same page of
like not being in it starts you have a leader
who's sour, and it's so hard because human beings are
so flawed. I mean, look at a tiger king. You
know they were in the minimal followers for sure. Yeah,
(21:56):
it's such a specific world of tight our lovers and
every least lovers you know in the mess. Like y'all
said earlier, that scolt, Like, I like what you're saying
about the leader, Kira, because I think that that is
like a big indicator of how occult is going to be.
(22:17):
I think it's only as sinister as the leader is.
It's just like when you become a leader and you
have power, you it's easy to abuse it if you
haven't found them, you know, your Jesus like humbleness. Yeah,
I got caught obviously. We all have in like some
of these docks. But a lot of straight white men
were like, come have sex with me indefinitely, and like,
(22:41):
dedicate yourself to me there in that thing that we're
branding his initials on these women. And I'm just like,
straight white men really be doing the most sometimes. And
let me tell you, ain't no dig that good that
I'm betting the same guy dang on initials. That's when
you know it's all mental at that point, because lord,
it ain't no way. He's not even you know, he's retired.
(23:03):
He's not even eating, to say, everybody every night. So
I don't know what when you talk about branding, though,
what's the line? Because I'm in a sorority, yas man,
you are in the same. I don't know any delta
who's branded that true assist called the police if that's
the case. Dudes, Yes, a lot of male Greeks are branded,
(23:25):
and it's like a right of a tattoo a brand too,
because I know a few with some elephants and some
some I don't think you're supposed to tattoo, at least
with the elephant. Well, my point is that even in
a sorority, there's so many levels of sanity. I'm just
gonna say it right here on you down there are
(23:46):
people who take a sororiity for what it is, like
we're saying before, actually like the community and the networking
in those aspects, and then it gets on another level
of freaking old heads coming back to school and joking
girls who don't know their name, like are you serious?
Your whole lawyer, doctor, whatever, But you're able to get
(24:10):
on this level of I personally don't think that it's necessary.
But that's a very controversial take, and I'm sure people
aren't gonna like that I said it, but I still
love you so ours. It's true though you're like, what
are you doing here? Like what is the flexing? Feeling powerful?
(24:31):
That's what they're doing, trying to feel power. That's the
leader that you're talking about, Like it comes from the
top down. If you think I should exude power over
someone to teach them something like there are other ways
to teach people than like, And don't get me wrong,
I do think like the process of like growing in
a sorority and all of that is beautiful and great,
(24:51):
but I do believe that a lot of people take
it to a level that it doesn't need to be at.
And you know, one reason people are able to manipulate
people so much is because when you're putting somebody in
a godlike position, in that position of power, but not
seeing that you can find God within yourself in seeking
(25:12):
all of that, that spirituality and growth that you're trying
to get from another person rather than digging deep. And
a lot of people they don't know how to, or
they haven't ever been told, like it's too hard to.
It's like if we are reflection of whatever belief you
believe in most of the time it is saying we're
made in His image, or you know, there is a
(25:32):
God within us, or whatever you believe. I think says
celebrities drink babies blood. I don't know if they are
hearing about they believe, so what they think is going
on that is pretty wild. But yeah, I did hear that,
and I was like, WHOA, not me? So wrong? Kevin
(25:56):
Kevin Spacey though, right, yeah, but there's some in there.
There are few, but yeah, I think like seeking all
of the validation and love and godlike feelings from someone
else rather than from yourself creates a person who gets
wrapped up in a cult. Thinking about that, Like in
(26:17):
the vox Dock it was talking about sort of how
YouTube personas or like kind of self help people become powerful.
Like I really love Abraham Hicks, you know what I mean,
But like her name was one of the people on there,
and I'm like, no, but she says things that I
really like, and I remember, it's my god, you guys,
it's so crazy. So once my mom took me to
(26:40):
this convention center thing and there's I don't even remember
his name, but this guy was supposed to be speaking,
a spiritual healer of some sort, white guy with long hair,
and he got to the stage and literally just stood
there looking out at people. Literally just stood there and
people paid hell of money. I mean, my mom was like,
(27:02):
do you want a ticket? I'll bring you to an
extra ticket. And I love you, mom. I know you're
not probably listening to this episode, but I was just like,
what is happening here? People literally just paid all this
money to see this man stand I was looking around, like,
what is happening? He's just standing there? Yeah. I mean
I think it's easy to look at other people's cults
and be like that's crazy. But in a sense, a
(27:25):
cult is just like a devotion to something or you know,
and usually other people think it's strange. But I know
how the people devoted to Beyonce or to like you said, UCB.
We like, we all have something that we're that we
get caught up in. Yeah, that we get caught up in.
And I think it's a good cult to vote. Let's
(27:46):
not go there. I mean, you got to be able
to question everything that you love, honestly, you gotta be
able to look at it and make sure you're not
holding on to it as a part of your identity
that you can't question us. I think about like, and
this is a question that I've been sitting with around
consumerism and all this other stuff, but like what is
(28:07):
mine and what's being sold to me? Like what do
you genuinely like or are attracted to or versus what
do you feel you've been told exactly you've been conditioned
to like everything that you like I know pretty much
weird beings that are products of our experience, environment, condition,
(28:29):
Like everything has been sold to you, and I think
it's like you have to do that healing that we're
talking about. What is trauma? What is society's view? What
is being put upon you? And you know, I'm in
the beginning of my spiritual awaking and it is you
gotta look at some dark stuff. Get that wakey wakey?
(28:52):
Why do you look over there like you got something
slick to say? No, I say, I asked you getting
a wakey wakey? Nothing. I mean been I've been pretty woke,
but now I'm doing terror and love all that. Like, So,
if you guys were in a cult, yes, what cult
do you think you would be in? Well, y'all already
(29:12):
no one. I can't wait to talk about this sex
cult so you can join and existing one. I feel
like most cults have some aspect of sex to it.
I just feel like of all the reasons, I especially
remember watching The Wild Wild Country, and I'm like, that
actually doesn't sound so bad. Like they seem all like
(29:34):
they're having a good time. That's appealing. I feel like
so many people are repressed in their lives and aren't
able to be honest, so they go to the extreme
of like, well, in this cult, we can do anything.
I just feel like that would be m Yeah, you
can have sex with anyone you want to, but you
can never see any of your family again. You got
(29:54):
to give him every bit of money you ever. It
sounds like a great enjoyed good I say. I mean
that would be probably the best part about being an occult.
I mean unless, well, you know, that's like an experience
I probably will never experience in my adult life that
(30:16):
I know of. I don't know when I'm gonna be
just having sex with all of my sister friends, you
know what I mean. Like I would definitely not be
in attendance for that. No. No, if you I mean,
if you're interested, give me a ring. But you know, like, oh,
I'm just going to hook up with this person today
and we're all very fluid and open and everything's hot
(30:38):
hot hot, like you know, I just think what it
would smell like, and that's probably rude, but I just
don't think I could do it. Yeah, I think that
I don't want to. I don't want to spend anyone
just light a candle. Oh yeah, perfect. I feel like
minus the sex part because that would not attract me.
(31:02):
But like a nexium type like bettering yourself, leveling up,
trying to push yourself to the next, Like I could
totally get caught up in some ship like that. Yeah,
I think so too. Mine would be some kind of
self help. I think about like Tony Robbins even his following,
and I'm like, oh, it would be so nice to
(31:22):
just hear him speak. But it does very much look
like a cult like Weekend. I think it's how extreme
you get, y'all. Know. I love Abraham Hicks as well.
I've been to two of her live tapings where she
talks says Abraham esther talks as Abraham. It's a whole lot, y'all.
But I genuinely feel like I do get something out
of it, and I don't feel like I'm worshiping Abraham
(31:46):
Hicks or I like I listened to the message. I
take the parts that apply to my life and I
use those. So I think you can discern what you're
coming there to get versus like devoting your life as
if this person is a living god. Yeah. So cults,
(32:07):
I guess are not inherently bad, like if you don't
if you can get out alive and you don't drink
the koolate, thank you. I also think a lot of
people just need work these days and can get into
(32:29):
stuff like that, like the health juices and shakes and
blah blah blahs, and are always like, oh, I have
a million dollar business, And I'm like, do you though,
what's the t or lit life? Her? Oh my gosh,
we have you been pitched so many times? I will
never forget. This woman was like, so, I've been selling it,
(32:52):
and she was from Minnesota, had at the thickest accent
and was like, I've been telling it and getting extra
in common. We have amazing flavors like cookies and cream.
And then I just remember her saying cookies and cream
and I was like, there's absolutely no way in hell
that I buy this. Those pyramid schemes can come for
you quick. Pyramids schemes are good, like depending on what
(33:15):
you love, Like I love sentil know I love would
be an essential oil, you know I would. I got
so many got d to sexual oils. And I don't
feel like I got God. I feel like I got
blessed um that the universe is looking out for me
and now I'm even more connected to my How much
money have you given to the essential um? You know?
(33:38):
I don't count it, you know because a lot because
it's not money. When it's not money, it's energy, and
money is nothing but an energy exchange for something that
I need for myself. So that can run out essentially,
so I have to refill it consistently. But that is
(34:01):
liking football a cult or like the Dallas Cowboys a
colt um. Like the fact that is a great point
because the way my dad acts when the Vikings are
playing is not crazy normal all sports lovers they act nut.
What about bad bitches? Are bad bitches? A cold? It's
(34:22):
like a like unspoken like bad bitches link up that
whole movement of I could never I wish I could.
The sound of like nails clattering against each other and
like by city girls playing background. Yes, also broke naked?
(34:46):
Is that desire now? Pussy? First off, rap is funny.
If you don't listen to trashy rap and laugh out loud,
then you waunch a business. Then you're missing out on
a grid, You're missing out an experience. It is so funny.
It is and is or music genres because they really
(35:08):
are the cult of big Booties, and like I feel
like a lot of we are a cult. Yeah, we
are called Oh praise mom, so big. It's just so big.
All right, you guys, Let's play a quick little game.
It's called which one is a cult. So I'm just
(35:31):
gonna rapid fire a few names, and you guys tell
me which one is the cult and which one is not? Yeah? Alright, god, okay, done,
you're ready? Yes, I think first question Sulivanians or Opus Invictus.
Which one is the cult? That's tough because I don't
(35:55):
know descriptions. I don't know anything. They both sound like them.
Sounds like yeah, no, no, I'm turned off by won't
get something. Looks like when I think of Opus Invictus,
I think of like a Greek character or something, you know,
and Achilles ankle type on a journey, Yeah, hero's journey
(36:19):
the Heros. So final answer, yeah, I'm gonna say yeah.
The correct answer is Sullivanians, which was a therapy group
who doesn't love therapy led by Saliby Newton turned communal
living community and sex cult and the Upper West Side
of Manhattan. Damn, that is how you people exactly. That's
(36:45):
so true, they help. They don't want to get all
that money. They just do random stuff disposable income. The
teachings hold that traditional family ties with a root cause
of mental illness and espoused a non monogamous lifestyle. Damn,
patients were often encouraged to severed ties with their families.
So that's also a cult like thing. When they're like,
(37:06):
you got cut off the family, Like you try, did
your mother just say to you she doesn't support ill.
But see how it's a slippery do therapy and they
say you blame your parents, and that's every therapy, and
then you blame me your parents and you're mad at
them and the evil alone, and now you're stuck in
(37:27):
toes and the evil. That okay. Second question, people of
the Most High or the Branch Davidians. Absolutely yeah people
sounds like a hippie, dippy Jesus Christ superstar on a mountain.
(37:48):
I could get got by people of the Most High
because I'm like, hell, yeah, the most maybe if I
was high. Well, the answer is the Branch Davidians, led
by a guy named David Koresh. The group of a
hundred people moved to a small compound outside of Waco,
(38:10):
Texas teachings that allowed men to marry multiple women oh
as young as aged ten. They had a fifty one
day standoff with the FBI, resulting in the death of
people that all the Waco people. Yeah, can't we say Waco.
(38:30):
I would have been like, oh, I know that's a cult. Wow,
how dare you branch Davidians? How did you get got
by called the branch Davidians? Like that? Okay, last question, guys,
the Children of God or the Interspatial Revival Fellowship? Oh,
(38:53):
oh my god? Both of them sound I'm going to
inter spatial because that reminds me of hail about. I
think the Children of God is the Children of God
is one of sound like children of the Corns? Sound like? Right?
I do feel like I've heard of Children of God. Well, yeah,
(39:14):
it does not familiar. But also you are a child
of God? Heard it? Well? You guys are right? The
answers Children of God a k a. The Family Uh.
They were established in the late sixties by guy named
David Berg, a traveling preacher. They believed in free love
that reportedly involved female members recruiting with sex, sometimes known
(39:38):
as flirty fishing, telling you everything is a driving motivating
factor for many UH survivors. Sage oh man um, Yeah,
kids did not farewell here. Some of who grew up
in the Children of God include Rose McGowan and Joaquin Phoenix.
(40:00):
Oh yes, I do remember hearing that. Joaquin and River
r I they were raised in some And you know
what Rose McGowan is. She she got a lot going on.
And I know, oh she was in the wine Steine.
I think she took a lot of that flaw. Yeah,
(40:21):
but she was, Yeah, she she lost a lot. And
I met her once and she was like very much
like I'm going to take down the man. I had
no clue what she was talking about. This was before
me too, and she was like, oh you wait on it,
you wait. The whole time she talking to you. The
first conversation we had, she was just like on something
(40:42):
like yeah, but also let me tell you what I'm
about to do, like kind of vibe. And I was like,
I don't know what you're about to do. What I'm
not here, I don't I don't know. You like the
kids get sucked up to it, and like seeing the
Jim Jones one where like parents killed their kids, like
(41:04):
I saw a dead dog in there. Too. I'm like,
come on, y'all, like it's just also bad. Like can
we help somebody now after a bad send us a letter.
If you're in a call you need help, but get now,
send us signal. Are you leaving to Beaver? Alright, guys,
(41:29):
we're gonna take a quick little break. The RP and
Welcome Back colts were a little bit dark, but it
is time for us to give a listener some advice.
(41:51):
So Ashley what she got for us. Today's letter reads,
Dear o D I listened to your dating episode and
have recently gotten back on the apps and have stopped
using COVID as a reason to not safely meet new people.
I finally matched with this guy who looked cool, and
we ended up going out on a date. He was
(42:13):
really late and texted me that he would pay. Okay,
things were looking good. The date was awkward but fine
until the bill came. I didn't reach for my wallet
like I usually do, and he gave me a strange look.
So I said, I'm not reaching for my wallet because
you said you would pay. He said no. I said,
I was late, not pay but it's fine. Oh date
(42:38):
goes worse. I felt like a piece of ship because
I thought this guy liked me enough to want to
spend forty dollars on some appetizers. Needless to say, that
was the first and last date. Am I wrong for
wanting this man to treat me like a queen? Should
I have paid for half the bill? Are my standards
too high? And is this why I'm single? Thanks? Signed
(43:02):
treat her like a lady girl. Let me first off
to you, But you are not wrong. Like no first date.
Even if it was a miscommunication, I still wouldn't have
needed that text for me to assume that on the
first day you're paying for it. Um, maybe we end
(43:24):
a few dates you know I'm paying, or if you
know money is very tight, then you need to say
that before we go on the state because it's I know,
what kind of fucking excuse men? What kind of panty dryer?
I ain't got no money. We don't have to go
Dutch on this Like, I'm not going to this damn date.
(43:48):
It depends on how old you are and what you
want out of your life. But yeah, you're right, because
I would not the date that doesn't include money. Four
course neal, but forty ain't even a four course chillised
and he was late. Um, I maybe old school. I
(44:11):
remember I got in an argument with one of my
friends to shout out to Mackenzie about this because she
would be like no, Like every time I would be like,
I want guys to pay for me, she was like
very like, that's so backwards and stuff until she got
in a long term relationship with a man who can
afford to pay for more than her, and then she
did admit that she understands why I said that before,
(44:35):
and that's not in every case. But I do come
from a I guess I'm a traditionalist in the way
that I do want a guy to pay for me.
And it's tough too when I mean, this is clearly
a head of sexual relationship, but it is a fine
line even with like dating queer, Like when you're dating
a woman and you're a woman and you're like, who's
paying for this? But how does that go? Or yes, split?
(44:56):
Or if I haven't, I'm like, oh, I want to
do this nice thing. Um, in my mind, even and
queer relationships had a real relationships. Big bank take little bank,
so you know, I mean, I haven't been a big
bank yet where I've been put in that situation where
I'm like, oh, I'm about to happen. Oh, actually I
(45:16):
have been, and I was about to step up to
the plate, but he didn't want to date me. So,
um see in that case, wouldn't it be equal bank?
See equal bank and share half had. Yeah, but I
have to spend This is my logic, the amount of
money I spend as a lady on my hair, on
(45:36):
all the ship. And that's a choice. Obviously. I just
feel like, especially if on a date like and I
really get ready, that I already spent two hundred dollars
probably on myself. As I'm saying this, I sound so
I don't know what I mean. No, I have a
receipt right here. It says being a girl lashes rows
(45:57):
thirty five South Brawl, Indian hay three fifty Brazilian wax
fifty five ga lords, sat and bonnet twenty dollars, manicred
jael seventy dollars, petticred jail forty dollars. This appointment two
hundred dollars total, not fifty. So unless that dinner is
not hundred and fifty dollars than you're paying for it
(46:18):
on the first day, is that your what kind of routine?
That's my weekly routine? Do not mines? I get lashes on,
lashes on lashes, curius stay, lash might fly away. I
(46:39):
think it's all like treat her like a lady. If
you wanted to be treated like a queen and have
a man paid for you, then find that man you
know and don't settle. You know, it's not so bad
to be single. Um, you ain't found the right one yet,
don't just pick anybody. Maybe get COVID tested before y'all
link up, because that sounds you had a meal and
(47:00):
you didn't even know and the risk was not will
safely meet new people safely? But you know, yeah, cod
that's safe at the very least. I definitely feel like
this is a what do I want? Situation? And if
you're going on dates and there's a time where at
least I've been through it where it's like I'm going
(47:22):
on dates to go on dates, But then when you
get to a certain point of knowing yourself, it's like, oh,
I already see that this person is not the kind
of person that I say that I want, So why
am I doing this? So maybe just gauge that a
little more. What you actually want and if the person
doesn't align, sure this date suck, you don't need to
(47:43):
go again, which it sounds like you're not um, But
don't be hard on yourself. Self compassion is a very
hard thing to achieve, and I think this is just
you showing yourself compassion and there's nothing wrong with that, truly.
I agree. Help that helps. Treat it like a a
d And you know, I hope listeners too that you
guys learned something about cults and how to do that
(48:07):
self care to make sure you don't get wrapped up
and drinking cooling. Do you know I just realized I
am in a cult, the gleek cult. I'm a gleek.
What's a gleek? Is that when you like spray spit
a gleek geek? Oh yes, it's also that, but it's
(48:28):
a geek who likes the show cleek. That's what they
call we call ourselves, not they own it. UM. Just
wondering if that jogged anything that you actually are a
cult member of for yourself, like fixing up buses or
beyond beyond Just call me up, you just call me
(48:48):
a I'm a single individual giving nobody money but myself alight, y'all.
We appreciate you tuning in. Remember to share and review
our podcast. We want to know what you think. We
want to hang out with you too, Yes, and come
peaky with us on our social media were at Obama's
(49:11):
Other Daughters on Instagram at o d improv on Twitter
and on Facebook at Obama's at like waters. If you
need something funds, well you know someone who does. Send
us your letters, your smoke signals, your pigeons. You need
that d podcast at gmail dot com or send the
pigeon to Yas in his house at sending pigeons directly
(49:35):
to Ashley. Don't say no, damnige Oh my god, in
a great I have a cult. It's an anti bird cult.
We'll see you next week by week by burbs were
(49:59):
harmed in the This episode, Yet You Down is a
production of Shawndland Audio and partnership with I Heart Radio.
For more podcasts from Shawndland Audio, visit the I Heart
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(50:22):
favorite show
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