That's A Cult?

Wedding shaming is our new favourite internet-based hobby. On two huge Facebook groups, tens of thousands of people regularly insult, laugh at, and argue about dodgy cakes, ill-fitting dresses, and themed engagement shoots. Their content frequently goes viral, whether they want it to or not. Why are people really in these groups, and how harmful can stranger shaming be? Helen finds out. Thanks to my contributors: Jenn & Steven Van Elk - https://jennifervanelk.com/ Dr Cagle - https://twitter.com/lecagle Emily Laidlaw - https://twitter.com/EmilyLaidlaw Shell Robshaw-Bryan - http://www.thebohemianbride.co.uk/ You can listen to Jenn & Steven's podcast here http://www.weddedpod.com/. Or just search 'Wedded'. Written and edited by - Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy
 Music by - Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk Episode sources - thatsacult.com Want to hear a deep dive into an internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions, comments, and thoughts to [email protected]

The big work question used to be "Do you live to work, or work to live?" Now, it's "Can you ever work hard enough?" In February 2019, Atlantic staff writer Derek Thompson wrote a viral article about workism - that "work has morphed into a religious identity—promising transcendence and community, but failing to deliver." How widespread and cult-like has this become? Helen speaks to a workplace wellness expert, those trying to define success, and a 'workism reformist', to find out. You can read the original Atlantic article by Derek Thompson here bit.ly/2SUfNEZ Thanks to my contributors: Professor Sir Cary Cooper - twitter.com/ProfCaryCooper Max Maher - bit.ly/2GyIC1D Josh Mackey - www.dailydriven.com Anna Lundberg - www.annaselundberg.com Sam Spurlin - www.samspurlin.com Hannah Kass Listen to Anna's podcast, Reimagining Success - apple.co/2Yo0MgA Read Anne Helen Peterson's Buzzfeed article, How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation - bit.ly/2F8ONJA Written and edited by - Helen McCarthy twitter.com/

Speak it into existence. Stay positive. Create the life you want. The Law of Attraction might sound straightforward, but it's anything but. We've all heard of The Secret, but the Law of Attraction remains a bit of a cosmic mystery to most. Helen hears the diverse perspectives of people who use it, and finds out if we need to understand it to believe in it at all. Thanks to all the anonymous contributors. Ginny Gane - ginnygane.com Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy
 Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): thatsacult.com/episode-10-law-of-attraction Want to hear a deep dive into an internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions, comments, and thoughts to [email protected]

The social media influencer industry has exploded so much, we can't scroll through our timelines without bumping into them. We've gone from seeing them as a relatively harmless novelty, to criticising and regulating them, in just a few years. Are they misunderstood artists and curators, or too busy flogging their diet products to care about anything other than the numbers? #spon #ad Thanks to my contributors: Eadaoin Fitzmaurice - instagram.com/bandeadd Cameron Phillips - instagram.com/cameronphillips Michelle Elman - instagram.com/scarrednotscared Emily van der Nagel - twitter.com/emvdn Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy
 Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): https://www.thatsacult.com/ Want to hear a deep dive into an internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

If there's something missing in your life, or you're struggling to achieve your goals, you could always spend a lot of money on a very loud motivational seminar. That should get you going. The motivation industry is huge, but like the diet industry, it sells a big dream. What do the motivational junkies who've tried it all actually think? And can we really trust the industry's leading speakers to give us what we need? Thanks to my contributors: Kevin Durham - kevindurham.co.uk Samuel Leeds - youtube.com/channel/UCS6SES6btXx2tVFzWy4oToA Larissa Faw - twitter.com/larissafaw Jason Connell - jasonconnell.co Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy
 Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): https://www.thatsacult.com/ Want to hear a deep dive into an internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

What do women want? According to pick-up, they want someone dominant and assertive who’ll come up to them in the street and ask for their number outright. Pick-up clearly has a flawed methodology. That hasn’t stopped some ‘gurus’ making a fortune out of it, and attracting hundreds of thousands of followers. Does evolutionary science really support their brash advice? And do the coaches actually think they’re doing men some good? Thanks to my contributors: Kezia Noble (https://www.kezia-noble.com/) James Tusk (https://project-tusk.com/) Jon Sefcek Russ Also thanks to Peter Jonason and Joanna Wincenciak. Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy
 Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): https://www.thatsacult.com/ Want to hear a deep dive into an internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

Star Wars. Sherlock. Supernatural. Their fans are many and - even if you don’t realise it - powerful. In episode 6, Helen finds out how a BBC TV show can inspire an online witch hunt, what’s really going on with all this Star Wars drama, and why fanfiction should never be underestimated. Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy
 Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): https://www.thatsacult.com/episode-6-fandoms-sources Contributors:
 Addigni - http://addignisherlock.com/ Bina - https://221spn.tumblr.com/ Anna Julia - http://ahoyspn.tumblr.com/ Victoria - http://maximumkillshot.tumblr.com/ Henry Jenkins - http://henryjenkins.org/ Billy Proctor - https://twitter.com/Billy_Proc Bronwen Thomas - https://twitter.com/onlinereaders1 CarrieLynn Reinhard - https://twitter.com/MediaOracle Jessi Milestone - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaQXDLZoKomiCqjbXS0xH_Q CarrieLynn’s book is on Amazon, just search ‘Fractu

Anti-vaxxers are some of the most hated people on the internet - depending on who you talk to. They don't like vaccinations, and they're pretty adamant about it. Pro-vaxxers don't like anti-vaxxers, and they're pretty adamant about it too. Are pro-vaxxers always the 'good guys', peddling sound science and common sense? Or do both sides of this polarised argument have much more in common than they realise? Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk Sources used (for your own reading and research): www.thatsacult.com/episode-5-vaccination-sources Featuring: Dr Dan Jolley - www.danieljolley.co.uk Will Storr - www.willstorr.co.uk You can find Will's book on Amazon, just search 'The Heretics'. Want to hear a deep dive into a specific internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

BEFORE YOU LISTEN: Clean eating, diets, food restriction, and eating disorders are mentioned throughout. Please don’t listen to this episode if you find these topics difficult. It’s got 36 million mentions on Instagram, and it’s got us cutting out dairy and gluten as if they’re poisonous. Clean eating has been fighting off the criticism it regularly receives and prevailing for the most part. What are people really trying to ‘cleanse’ from? Is it possible to follow a clean eating diet without it dictating your self worth? Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy twitter.com/helenlmccarthy Music by: Antti Luode anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): https://bit.ly/2Ge67Om Hannah Gilroy - twitter.com/LastStopLunar Sophie Medlin - sophiedietitian.com Lorri Lancashire - instagram.com/recoverjoy_ Tass Labuzinski - instagram.com/headofbrand Want to hear a deep dive into a specific internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

There's a group of (mainly) men on the internet who try and go for as long as possible without masturbating or watching porn. It's called NoFap, and for many, it's a form of profound self-improvement. Are they deluded and too quick to self-diagnose? Or more progressive than the rest of us? This episode obviously features conversations about some fairly x-rated topics, so don't listen if that's not your thing. Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy www.twitter.com/helenlmccarthy Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): www.thatsacult.com/episode-3-sources Dr David Ley - www.twitter.com/DrDavidLey Keir Mailan - www.goo.gl/9zHWzT Dr Joseph Gelfer - www.gelfer.net Want to hear a deep dive into a specific internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

Scroll through your Facebook timeline and you're sure to find them - people you vaguely know, promising an easy income from home. All you have to do is join their team and sell these "amazing products".  Is MLM always a scam and the recruiters master manipulators? Helen looks for the grey area in direct selling and network marketing. Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy www.twitter.com/helenlmccarthy Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): www.thatsacult.com/episode-two-mlm-sources Elle's MLM experience - www.ellebeaublog.com The Finance Guy blog - www.finance-guy.net John's Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/1847755422133684/ Want to hear a deep dive into a specific internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]

Some people just don't want kids, and often find they're questioned, mistrusted, or even hated for it. The childfree subreddit has become a digital home for 142,000 of them. ​Can the internet be a place of respite for people being pestered by their broody parents? Or are they longing for a childfree, separatist world that isolates and misunderstands parents? Written and edited by: Helen McCarthy www.twitter.com/helenlmccarthy Music by: Antti Luode www.anttismusic.blogspot.co.uk Thanks to all the episode contributors. All sources used (so you can do your own reading and research): www.thatsacult.com/episode-1-childfree-sources Want to hear a deep dive into a specific internet community/potential cult? Email your suggestions to [email protected]