Cultured Boy

What happens when two cousins grow up just minutes apart—yet never meet because of religion?In this episode, I finally sit down with Sam Zitting (from Growing Up in Polygamy ) for the very first time. Despite being family, we spent over 30 years completely unaware of each other. Why? Because our families were split apart by different branches of fundamentalist Mormonism.👉 We unpack how Mormon history led to that split, what it was like to grow up with 44 siblings vs. 35 siblings, and how belief systems can divide—even across the same bloodline.👉 We explore the doctrine, the history, the “great split,” and the very human cost of growing up in isolated religious communities.👉 Most of all, we reflect on what it means to leave behind certainty and step into curiosity, freedom, and self-discovery.This conversation is deeply personal, but it’s also universal. Whether you’ve left a religion, a relationship, or just the “script” you were handed—you’ll see reflections of your own journey here.📺 Watch Sam’s channel here: YouTube.com/@GrowingUpinPolygamy✦ Subscribe for more stories like this: YouTube.com/@officialcalvinwayman✦ Follow me on Instagram: @calvinwayman⏱️ Timestamps00:00:00 – Meeting family for the 1st time ✈️00:00:31 – Wait…we’re actually first cousins?! 🤯00:01:40 – 44 siblings vs. 35 siblings 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦00:02:33 – Mormonism & why polygamy mattered 💍00:06:01 – Celestial law & multiple heavens ☁️00:07:04 – Joseph Smith’s angel with a sword ⚔️00:09:25 – The Manifesto: when polygamy “ended” 📜00:12:58 – The fork in the road: LDS vs. Fundamentalists 🛤️00:16:55 – Our great-grandfather & the Council of Friends 👴00:20:17 – “Milk & honey” vs. the “meat” of the gospel 🍯🥩00:23:06 – Who has the authority? 🔑00:27:34 – The 1886 revelation that sparked the split ✨00:29:04 – Leroy Johnson: the beloved prophet 🙏00:32:28 – Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey 🕊️00:36:52 – The split: A Council vs. One-Man rule ⚖️00:42:06 – Apostates, fear & cutting off ties 🚷00:48:04 – Growing up “over the hill” ⛰️00:53:31 – Why we heard such different stories 🔍00:59:38 – Alma Timpson’s fiery sermons 🔥01:03:12 – Modern leaders: fear & damnation 😡01:06:00 – Why we would’ve feared talking 😨01:07:58 – Warren Jeffs takes control 🏚️01:09:47 – Sons of Perdition & eternal hell 🔥😈01:12:26 – Leaving: trusting my own path 🏃‍♂️01:15:24 – Evil spirits & dedicated buildings 👻01:18:49 – Realizing how similar we really were 🤝01:20:22 – Why we never met until YouTube 🎥01:25:01 – Sam hasn’t seen his mom in 16 years! 💔01:28:54 – Meeting outsiders ruined us, in the best way 😀01:32:02 – Living life from the inside-out 🌱01:33:09 – The first taste of freedom 🕊️01:38:00 – From missions to deconstruction 🌍01:40:05 – “I don’t know” ✨01:42:39 – Curiosity vs. certainty 🧠01:44:03 – Final reflections: life, freedom, curiosity 🌎

BECOME MY FAVORITE!The boats have been burned! I've dedicated my life to storytelling and serving an audience I love--reminding us about the best parts that make us human. If you dig what I'm doing here and want to help spread the mission to expand what's possible, support here: PayPal.me/calvinwayman. You rock! Now let's get into today's episode!-How does someone go from hustling at dead-end jobs to performing in one of the biggest Broadway shows ever?In this episode, I'm sitting down with "Elder McKinley" of the hit show on Broadway...the Book of Mormon. He also goes by PJ Adzima, in the real world. This is hands down my favorite episode so far on [Cult]ured Boy. It's relevant "as fck." It's real. It's raw. AND...incredibly useful.I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! I'll be reading every one (except of course if for some reason the YouTube algorithm blows it up and this somehow gets thousands and thousands of views and then thousands of comments that make it hard to keep up--but no matter what, I promise to give my bestest effort, no matter the number of comments, to interact with everyone)This is gonna sound cheesy but I mean it: I love you guys. This show is my baby, thank you for trusting me with a slice of your day, I don't take it for granted. I want to continue to bring you the most entertaining, relevant, useful, and still COMPLETELY HUMAN conversations in all of culture. The reason this is my favorite so far is I feel like it stacks multiple of those layers all at once.PS: If you're a YouTuber and you want to collab, hit me up! If you're hosting an event and you need a speaker who is a "Bubble Expert," I'm your guy. I can help your company behave more "AI-proof" by breaking out of cult-y thinking. (May also be helpful for attendance to mention the "ex-cult" or "44 siblings" thing)PS#2: If you know anyone at CNN (or whoever owns Anthony Bourdain's show "Parts Unknown," I'd love to have a conversation with someone about collaborating with my show "Hearts Unknown"--getting deeper into the human stories around culture, and paying homage to the guy who did it best: Anthony Bourdain. RIP .Ultimately, thank you for being here. It means the world. Be well! -Calvin. FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: calvinwaymanFOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK: calvinwaymanFOLLOW ME ON X: calwaymanWATCH MY FILM: HEARTS UNKNOWN   • Hearts Unknown: My Unscripted Journey Insi...  FOLLOW PJ!INSTA: pjadzYOUTUBE: ⁨@pjadz⁩TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 – Setting the Stage 🎬00:01:36 – Meet PJ Adzima 🙌00:02:54 – Conan O’Brien Inspiration 🎤00:05:07 – Playing the Book of Mormon in Salt Lake City 🎭00:06:18 – The Hidden Polygamy Story 🔒00:09:21 – The Secret Mormon Split 🤫00:12:00 – Fundies vs. LDS 📜00:15:28 – Family Feuds & Burnout 🥵00:17:27 – Life Beyond Religion 🌌00:20:51 – Puritanism & Scandal 📖00:25:24 – Discovering Theater at 8 🎭00:29:56 – From Loneliness to Finding Your Community 🗽00:36:03 – When Life Isn’t Flowing 🌊00:40:07 – 11 Years to Broadway 🌱00:44:12 – Why Art = Athletics 🏋️00:48:02 – Broadway as Blue-Collar 🔨00:52:00 – Passion vs. Profession ❤️‍🔥00:53:33 – PJ’s WILD Mormon Story 🎭01:02:15 – Paying It Forward 🤝01:05:03 – Why ‘Being a Good Hang’ Is EVERYTHING 🎉01:07:29 – Betting on Yourself 🎲01:12:11 – ‘Jack Black’ Energy 🤘01:14:13 – Facing Fear: Call to Adventure 🗡️01:17:35 – The Hero’s Journey 🛡️01:19:16 – PJ Goes Digital 💻01:20:52 – Big Announcement!! 🚀01:20:58 – Calvin’s 44 Siblings 🤯01:25:11 – Final Takeaways ✨

Ready for the real and the raw? Ready for something different? I'm sharing my most embarrassing stories and the messy reality of starting over. It's all about personal growth and facing those awkward moments!This will be the most human thing I've ever published on YouTube. Thank you for being here! Please like, subscribe and comment!FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: calvinwaymanFOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK: calvinwaymanFOLLOW ME ON X: calwaymanWATCH MY FILM: HEARTS UNKNOWNhttps://youtu.be/DHkY6SUNFlsTIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – The Most Embarrassing Episode 😳Calvin sets the stage: why he’s posting this raw, unfiltered video despite fear.00:02:15 – Embracing Full Transparency 🪞Why vulnerability and honesty are essential for real connection.00:04:16 – Growing Up in a Cult ⛪️Introduction to Calvin’s upbringing in fundamentalist Mormonism, with 44 siblings and strict control.00:07:19 – Quitting My Day Job 💼🚪Taking the leap into full-time content creation and the financial struggles that followed.00:10:05 – $110,000 in Debt 💳Coming clean about the financial weight of chasing the dream.00:11:21 – Why I’m Risking Everything 🎲Tying the YouTube plunge back to leaving the religion and fighting for freedom.00:15:20 – The Crack in My Beliefs 🪨⚡️College, philosophy, and the moment Plato’s Cave made Calvin question everything.00:20:11 – Facing Eternal Damnation 🔥The terrifying stakes of leaving fundamentalist Mormonism.00:27:19 – Choosing My Own Life 🛤️Why Calvin walked away from an arranged marriage, family expectations, and certainty.00:33:24 – Freedom vs. Security 🕊️🔒Struggles with money, authenticity, and refusing to go back to a “safe” job.00:39:55 – Being a Dad From Afar 👨‍👧‍👦The challenges of raising kids while living in New York, including a bittersweet story about a loose tooth.00:50:45 – Living With Doubt, Choosing Authenticity 🤔❤️How doubt lingers even after leaving, and why Calvin bets on authenticity as his security.00:59:01 – Looking Ahead 🚀What comes next: values, creative vision, and building a YouTube channel grounded in what’s real.

Welcome to Episode 18: two ex-Mormons hanging out—but don’t worry, it’s only mildly painful. I’m sitting down with my friend Spencer to untangle the often confusing world of Mormonism. Spencer grew up LDS (think: standard-issue Mormons), while I was raised FLDS (but not the Warren Jeffs one—seriously, calm down. Yes there are more than one. See, told you it was confusing).We’ll swap stories, compare notes, and probably realize we both had some pretty epic times singing Mormon songs. It’s part awkward, part eye-opening, and surprisingly funny. Join us as we laugh through the cringe, clear up some misconceptions, and maybe even learn a thing or two… or at least make you grateful for your own childhood.Follow me on Instagram!@calvinwaymanWATCH MY FILM: HEARTS UNKNOWNhttps://youtu.be/DHkY6SUNFls

What do Israelis really think about the conflict? How do they really feel about Palestinians? In episode 17 of [Cult]ured Boy, I dive into the true feelings of an Israeli Jew. Is there a solution? Or is there just resentment that’s made it impossible to move forward? Follow me on Instagram!@calvinwaymanMISTAKES ARE A-OKAY, MAGGY MAYE!Amazon: https://a.co/d/7xLxXZIFree audio: https://open.spotify.com/track/4vmcFsdNZwIJwBmG8aqDVYFISH OUT OF WATERAmazon: https://a.co/d/iWBjaFjFree audio: https://on.soundcloud.com/kCfPKlku5BbXhGN8GSHEARTS UNKNOWNhttps://youtu.be/DHkY6SUNFls

[Cult]ured Boy, the ex-Mormon fundamentalist with 44 siblings finds himself rubbing shoulders with Tom Brady, beating up Logan Paul, "boning" Livvy Dunne, and even ice-plunging with Kevin Hart?Life is bananas, fam.Follow me on Instagram!@calvinwaymanMISTAKES ARE A-OKAY, MAGGY MAYE!Amazon: https://a.co/d/7xLxXZIFree audio: https://open.spotify.com/track/4vmcFsdNZwIJwBmG8aqDVYFISH OUT OF WATERAmazon: https://a.co/d/iWBjaFjFree audio: https://on.soundcloud.com/kCfPKlku5BbXhGN8GSHEARTS UNKNOWNhttps://youtu.be/DHkY6SUNFls

What is life like as an everyday Israeli right now? Not someone in government, but from a dad? Today, I’m talking with Sagi Shrieber--an Israeli family man who was in the film, Hearts Unknown. Today he opens up like ever before, what life is like day-to-day as an Israeli. MY MISSIONThis is part of my mission with [Cult]ured Boy—to go beyond headlines, beyond governments, and connect human to human. Curiosity got me out of a cult, and I believe it can bridge divides across the world. If this moves you, share it. Subscribe. Help spread stories that remind us: no matter where we’re from, we’re more human than we are apart.Watch my full-length documentary Hearts Unknown here: https://youtu.be/DHkY6SUNFls_SHARING THIS VIDEOThis video is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution. Feel free to remix, reuse, or share—just credit Calvin Wayman / Cultured Boy and link back to the original.Timestamps:00:00:00 What’s coming👀00:01:05 Episode begins - Why Sagi ditched her barber✂️00:03:40 Why is Hearts Unknown resonating with Israelis?❤️‍🔥00:17:15 Uncovering the collective suffering in Israel 😪00:31:13 Revisiting when Chris Rock interrupted me at a coffee shop. ☕️00:34:09 How Israelis think of Netanyahu (and how he’s been elected 6 times).🚀00:42:13 The one thing that unites all Israelis and Jewish People—getting the hostages back. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 00:44:46 Dave Portnoy—what caused is break down? 🤬00:56:24 The effect of “Free Palestine” on Israelis 😰00:58:37 Sagi has to leave—is there any hope for Israel?🇮🇱01:02:33 The episode continues—I give my honest takes.😇01:03:57 My response to people who will ask why I didn’t bring up Palestine more in this conversation 🇵🇸01:05:30 How going to the Middle East affected my sleep 🫩01:06:30 Hearing the pain on both sides❤️‍🩹01:08:07 Insight I noticed with empathy 🤓01:10:42 The best YouTube comment ever! 🌟01:18:12 The ONE way to end the divide. 💡01:22:40 Crazy story of being tugged towards Lebanon 🇱🇧01:28:55 THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ❤️

Chris Rock…what just happened??The simulation just glitched, fam. I’ll explain everything—pull up a chair. Join me and my friend Anthony as we unpack the wild story and dive into some of the most pressing (and bizarre) conversations happening in culture right now.SUPPORT MY WORKIf you dig what I’m doing here, do the algorithm gods a favor: like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow misfit. It tells the machine to do the missionary work for us—and helps me feel slightly less insane for quitting my day job and living off credit cards to make this. Either way, thanks for being here :)Watch my full-length documentary Hearts Unknown here: https://youtu.be/DHkY6SUNFlsPS: If Chris Rock finds this—yo, thanks for the convo, man.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, we dive into everything from identity politics to my life growing up in a fundamentalist Mormon cult with 44 siblings. We tackle the hypocrisies of cultural appropriation, the complexities of gender and race, and whether diversity initiatives actually help or hurt individuals.Plus, we break down the real reason polygamy became central to Mormonism—and why I almost didn’t exist because of it.Oh, and I’m about to head to Israel & Palestine for a project that might get me canceled. Let’s talk about it.This is a new series on Cultured Boy--welcome to unfiltered conversation--Coffee with Calvin.About Anthony: Anthony is one my best friends in New York City. I reference him in multiple episodes--he's the reason I was able to get apartment. He's not very active on social media, but if you make comments, he'll be stoked to reply here on YouTube. TIMESTAMPS0:00:00 - Welcome to Coffee with Calvin: No Filters, No Edits0:01:03 - The FBI Almost Raided My Apartment?!0:05:22 - Trump, Pardons, and the Wildest Loophole in Politics0:11:32 - Do Politicians Really Hate Each Other?0:15:46 - The Great Political Blame Game0:22:41 - January 6, BLM, and the Selective Outrage of America0:26:31 - I Protested for George Floyd—Then I Saw a Surprising ‘Other Side’0:29:59 - Why I’m Politically Homeless0:32:09 - The ONE Thing Both Political Sides Keep Getting Wrong0:35:25 - Was the Trans Movement Made by White Men??0:42:24 - Immigration: What We Get Right & What We Get So Wrong0:47:52 - First-World Problems? Would Gender Identity Exist in Caveman Days?0:52:30 - Trans vs. Detransition: The Stories the Media Ignores0:56:44 - A Strange Irony of Modern Feminism0:58:45 - The Pronoun Debate0:59:58 - What Living in NYC Has Taught Me About Humanity1:00:05 - The Divide Between Gay Rights & Trans Rights1:01:11 - Can You Identify as Another Race?1:01:58 - The Wild Hypocrisy of Cultural Appropriation1:02:58 - The Root of the Trans Debate: Individualism vs. Collectivism1:05:49 – Should Mixed-Race Kids Get Reparations?1:08:10 - Are Diversity Initiatives Helping or Hurting?1:10:56 - Genetics vs. Culture: Why Do Groups Succeed in Different Fields?1:15:04 - The Strange Meritocracy of Sports vs. Corporate America1:19:05 - Body Positivity vs. Height Discrimination: Where’s the Line?1:23:31 - Martin Luther King’s Genius Approach to Change1:27:06 - Why We Need to Stop Policing People’s Beliefs1:31:02 - Growing Up Fundamentalist Mormon: My Wild Childhood1:32:30 – Why You Should NEVER Force Your Beliefs on Others1:38:05 - How Polygamy Actually Works in Fundamentalist Mormonism1:54:42 - Did Joseph Smith Create Polygamy to Cover an Affair?1:57:50 – How a 200-Year-Old Lie Led to My Existence2:01:00 – Why I’m Traveling to Israel & Palestine (It’s Not What You Think)2:05:52 - Signing Off

Hi gang it's Calvin! Please 'comment!' I'd love to hear your thoughts.I quit my day-job for this, and it's entirely self-funded (on credit cards lol). Support my work here: http://www.PayPal.me/calvinwayman/11.11

Either way, thank you so much for watching! :)-Hearts Unknown is an unscripted journey to finding unfiltered humanity on both sides of the Israel-Palestine divide.I traveled to one of the most polarized places on earth—not with a script, not with a side, but with a question: What’s it like to actually meet the people behind the headlines?This documentary captures raw, unfiltered moments with real people, each with stories that rarely make the news. I didn’t go looking for answers. I went looking for hearts.In a world increasingly divided, this is a story about finding what connects us.No crew. No agenda. Just curiosity.If this resonates with you, please share it. That’s how we grow this kind of conversation.-CHAPTERS:THE MISSION00:00:00 Will I regret this? 🫣00:01:16 Objectives for going 🎯00:02:16 Wait—44 siblings?! (Who is Calvin Wayman?!) 🤯🇮🇱GETTING TO THE MIDDLE EAST🇵🇸00:02:54 Film begins. Official Title—Hearts Unknown: a peek inside our deep divide ❤️00:04:12 After 3 FAILED attempts, no going back now! (Arriving in Israel) 🛬00:04:36 Meet my one and only contact in the Middle East 🙋‍♂️00:06:40 My stay for the trip 🏠ISRAEL UP CLOSE, GRASPING FOR THE PALESTINIAN PERSPECTIVE00:07:03 Getting to ‘Hostages Square’ 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒00:09:30 Unexpected emotions 😪00:12:06 Whoa…an Israeli supporting Palestinians?? 🤔00:13:58 Disagreement between different Israelis! 🗣️00:17:24 If I leave right now, I got something! (Now can I get into the West Bank?) 👏00:18:14 Still to come on Hearts Unknown ❤️00:18:40 Horrible sleep 🥱00:19:29 Daring myself to go check out daily life in Israel 😤00:21:29 Objective—getting into the West Bank! 🕵️‍♂️00:22:33 Plan: Tell US-Embassy my plan for entering the West Bank. 🇺🇸“SHOW ME EVERYTHING”00:24:08 KEY TWIST: A change of plans; Supporting Sagi ❤️‍🩹00:25:57 Meeting Sagi’s family 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨00:28:37 Trying falafel, and an 11-year old’s terror 👧00:30:55 “Show me everything!” 👀00:31:42 October 7th RPG destruction 💥00:33:37 Bomb shelter 💣00:34:14 The Nova Festival 😔00:37:31 A Mother’s last message to her son 💬00:38:48 An unexpected FaceTime! 📲00:40:09 “You don't know about the schnitzel??” 🥪00:41:02 Wait…Grandma?? 👵00:45:23 My fight with Sagi 🤬WHAT PALESTINIANS ‘REALLY’ WANT00:47:48 KEY SCENE: My final attempt into the West Bank! (NIGHTMARE!) 😱00:50:49 Sagi’s Surprise! (“We have to go to Jerusalem!”) 🙏00:51:42 Meeting with a Palestinian! 🫡00:54:13 What do Palestinians ‘really’ want?? 😲00:56:15 “Is there any hope?” 🇮🇱🇵🇸00:58:42 My last night in the Middle East 🌅LOOKING AHEAD - The Real Monster! (MY HONEST VIEWS NOW)00:59:34 My raw, unfiltered perspective of the conflict (looking ahead) 💡01:00:47 Where I saw a glimmer of hope 🤞01:01:46 Is what Israelis and Palestinians want ‘unreasonable?’ 🙅‍♂️01:02:54 Expected backlash for coming here. “What about us?!” 🫴01:03:36 The surprising vastness of different perspectives! 🫨01:05:01 Where to go next time I’m here 🗺️01:05:08 What’s the REAL Monster in this conflict? 👹01:06:05 Why it’s been impossible for Israelis and Palestinians to find middle ground 🤝01:06:53 Reflecting on how personal this feels 🥺01:07:46 How ‘History’ is being used in this conflict 📚01:08:36 Is a better future impossible? 🌞01:09:18 Sibling rivalry analogy—how to dissolve it ❤️‍🔥01:10:26 A 6-year old Palestinian girl—what we are really talking about 👶WRAP UP - LEAVING AND GETTING BACK HOME TO NYC01:11:32 Final moments in Israel (Games with the kids) ♟️01:12:32 Gawd! It feels good to be back home! 🗽01:13:05 Private reflection on the trip 🤫01:13:50 “The only thing I know for sure.” 🫶01:14:22 Restaurant in New York—the next question. ❓