The Cult of Teal Swan
Sounds Like A Cult
06/28/22
•62m
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Known to her loyalists as the “spiritual catalyst” but to her critics as the “suicide catalyst,” New Age influencer Teal Swan is a controversial 30-something self-help guru who some say has saved lives and others say has ended them. Having launched a social media career in the mid-2000s (and still going strong), Swan doesn’t post about beauty products and travel inspo but rather spiritual-meets-“scientific” teachings on a wide range of topics from addiction to chakras to vaccines to suicide. Some of her most committed adherents follow her down to Costa Rica to experience her shady self-actualization techniques IRL. Swan is the subject of the new Hulu docuseries The Deep End, based on the fascinating 2018 podcast The Gateway, which was created and hosted by this week’s guest, Jennings Brown, who’s here to talk with Amanda and Isa about the fanatical “cult” Swan has built online.
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Previous Episode
The Cult of 7M Films (TikTok Dancing Cult)
June 21, 2022
•58m
In spring 2022, a social media-famous dancer went viral on Instagram... but not for her moves. This time, it was for a 40-minute video begging the world to help get the word out about her sister, also a TikTok performer, who had allegedly been inducted into a cult. The sisters in question? Miranda and Melanie Wilking. The “cult”? 7M Films, a secretive Christian-affiliated talent management company who's been accused of financial exploitation, emotional and spiritual manipulation, and isolating vulnerable young social media stars in Los Angeles from their families. In this week’s much requested episode, Amanda and Isa interview journalist Gabrielle Bluestone about the ongoing case of 7M Films to explore the relationship between faith, cultishness, social media, and dreams of viral fame.
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Next Episode
BONUS: Exposing Our Cult
July 5, 2022
•38m
Welcome to Cult Girl Summer, five weeks of bonus episodes where Isa and Amanda are sharing unfiltered cult convos, footage from the cutting room floor, much-requested Part 2s, and more. Kicking off this juicy summer vibe is an episode to help listeners get to know the “cult” of Sounds Like A Cult a little bit better: This week, Amanda and Isa are answering your most frequently asked questions: Who we are, how we make the show, what “cults” to expect in future episodes, and beyond.
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