Cult or Just Weird

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This episode: so fun, it's scary.

Kayla & Chris wrap up their Halloween themed topic and decide if it's a cult, or just weird.

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*Search Categories*

Business

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*Topic Spoiler*

Spirit Halloween, pt2

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*Further Reading*

Spirit Halloween Wikipedia

Spirit Halloween facts on Mental Floss

Bloomberg article on Halloween pop-up shops

E-clincher Spirit Halloween article

Vox Spirit Halloween article

Spirit Halloween Know Your Meme

Business Insider article

Spokesman article

Inverse article

The Prowler article

Blogpost about Spirit Halloween

Red and Black article about Spirit of Children

Halloween Forum post about working at Spirit Halloween

Medium Article about gentrification & Halloween stores

Forbes: Spirit Halloween's Scary Good Strategy

Newsweek article about offensive costumes

ABC article about Slenderman costumes

Forbes: Halloween stores account for half of Spencer Gifts' revenue

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*Patreon Credits*

initiates: Michaela Evans

cultists: Rebecca Kirsch, Pam Westergard, Alyssa Ottum, Ryan Quinn, Paul Sweeney

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What do crustaceans, ghosts, and apocalypses have in common?

Kayla and Chris welcome in the spooky season with an on-theme episode.

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*Search Categories*

Business

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*Topic Spoiler*

Spirit Halloween, pt1

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*Further Reading*

Retail apocalypse Wikipedia

Vox retail apocalypse article

Spirit Halloween Wikipedia

Twisp River Joe Marver arson details

Joe Marver's new gig

Spirit Halloween Know Your Meme

Spencer Gifts Wikipedia

Household Name podcast - Macy's episode

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*Patreon Credits*

initiates: Michaela Evans

cultists: Rebecca Kirsch, Pam Westergard, Alyssa Ottum, Ryan Quinn, Paul Sweeney

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Don't forget to make your bed, brush your teeth, and contemplate your mortality.

Chris & Kayla take a break from talking about cults to discuss life insurance.

... Just kidding on the first part of that sentence.

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*Search Categories*

Business; Anthropological

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*Topic Spoiler*

Woodmen Life & Modern Woodmen

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*Further Reading*

The Peculiar History of Life Insurance

Woodmen Life

Modern Woodmen

Scientific American article on rituals

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*Patreon Credits*

initiates: Michaela Evans

cultists: Rebecca Kirsch, Pam Westergard, Alyssa Ottum

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"It's no use going back to yesterday," said Alice, "because I was a different person then."

Kayla & Chris (or possibly their persona-tulpas created by their past selves?) traverse further into the wonderland realm of the imagination.

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*Search Categories*

Internet culture; Common interest / Fandom

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*Topic Spoiler*

Tulpa Community, pt2

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*Further Reading*

COMPILATION OF ALL HOST/TULPA REDDIT RESPONSES

2018 r/tulpas census

Qwanri's headmates

Is God a tulpa?

NY Times article: Conjuring Up Our Own Gods

Ask Siouxsie tumblr

Koomer & Oguigi

R/tulpas post re: leaving the community

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The real question is not whether our creations think, but whether we do.

Kayla and Chris learn about the strange and endless limits of the human imagination.

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*Search Categories*

Internet culture; Common interest / Fandom

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*Topic Spoiler*

The Tulpa Community, pt1

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*Further Reading*

r/Tulpas

Tulpa.info

Vice article

Globe and Mail article

Science Friday series

Prime Mind article

Hearing Voices Network

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Creativity is a verb, not a noun.

Chris & Kayla tackle a rough one today (content warning: white supremacist extremism). But we promise if you stick through to the end of the episode, we end on a much nicer note.

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*Search Categories*

Destructive; Conspiracy Theory

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*Topic Spoiler*

Creativity White Supremacist Organization

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*Further Reading*

https://www.lifeafterhate.org/

https://pmo.gov.et/greenlegacy/

https://emilywhiteheadfoundation.org/

https://www.ecowatch.com/google-science-award-irish-teenager-2639623184.html

http://www.thatdragoncancer.com/

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Is there anything more ritualistic than a meal?

Chris and Kayla go out into the field and do some deliciously weird research in order to answer this episode's question.

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*Search Categories*

New Religious Movement; Business

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*Topic Spoiler*

Loving Hut

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*Further Reading*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_Hut

Vice article

LA Weekly article

Phoenix New Times article

My Recipes article

Supreme Master Ching Hai herself

Supreme Master TV

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What is the truth of pink?

Chris & Kayla decide it's high time to interview some experts on the show. And there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying.

Special thanks to Nancy Carlson, and Tracy Coenen of http://www.pinktruth.com/ for giving their time & insights to the show!

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*Search Categories*

Popular Episode; Business; MLM; Destructive

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*Topic Spoiler*

Mary Kay Cosmetics

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*Further Reading*

MLM Wikipedia article

Mary Kay Wikipedia article

http://www.pinktruth.com/

http://www.responsetopinktruth.com/

CBS News- Is Mary Kay a pink pyramid scheme?

^ Texas Monthly asks the same question ^

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Have you ever wanted to be your own boss? Make your own hours? Have the financial freedom and success you deserve?

Chris & Kayla start tackling a whole giant subcategory of cult-or-just-weirds. Tell at least two friends about the podcast and you'll become a diamond tier listener!

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*Search Categories*

MLM; Destructive

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*Topic Spoiler*

MLM Primer

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*Further Reading*

The Dream podcast

MLM Wikipedia article

Samantha Bee clip

John Oliver clip

Vanity Fair article

Anti-MLM reddit

The Office clip

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Seek and you will be found.

Chris & Kayla finally disagree on the cult conclusion about a mysterious group that sends its followers on wild goose chases around the internet - and beyond.

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*Search Categories*

Popular Episode; Internet Culture

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*Topic Spoiler*

Cicada 3301

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*Further Reading*

Uncovering Cicada Wiki (for all pics, esp of Liber Primus, go here)

r/cicada

3301's Reddit

3301's Twitter

3301's first phone message

The Instar Emergence

Nox Populi's YouTube channel

Rayy.'s YouTube channel