A Little Bit Culty

Latest Episodes:

The Heretic: Dr. John Dehlin on Mormonism Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty –

He was raised in a conservative Texan Mormon family, but today Dr. John Dehlin is an outspoken LGBTQ ally, a clinical psychologist, and a groundbreaking podcast host of the longest-running and most popular Mormon-themed podcast. The excommunicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or the LDS Church) joins Sarah and Nippy for a conversation about the history of the Mormon faith, the truth about Joseph Smith, and what the ‘Book of Mormon’ got right.

More about our guest: John founded the Mormon Stories Podcast, was an influential early participant in the Mormon blogosphere, and is a passionate advocate for the rights of skeptics in Mormonism, LGBTQ rights, equality for women, and other individual views outside mainstream Mormonism. His research and podcasting work have been highlighted in the New York Times, Good Morning America, and on the CBS Evening News. His work was also featured in HBO’s feature documentary film ”Believer” starring Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and Neon Trees, Tyler Glen.

The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.

For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty

CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Additional Music Score by Will Retherford

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Stolen: Elizabeth Gilpin on the ‘Troubled Teen’ Industry Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty –

As a high school student, Elizabeth Gilpin was taken from her bed in the middle of the night, left in the woods for three months of forced camping with 12 other girls, then remanded to a prison-like boarding school where she and other so-called ‘troubled teens’ were subjected to nightmarish conditions and psychological abuse. Her debut memoir, “Stolen” is a harrowing account of her time at Virginia’s Carlbrook school, and examines the therapeutic boarding school industry’s culty trajectory from an actual cult named Synanon to an entrepreneurial charismatic type with zero credentials named Mel Wasserman. In this episode, she joins Sarah and Nippy to discuss “Stolen”, her healing path, and how it feels to shine a light on a dark and insidious industry.

Elizabeth Gilpin is an actress, writer, and producer. She starred in and produced Life Boat, a short film directed by Lorraine Nicholson which premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short Film at AFI Fest and won the Audience Award at the Napa Valley Film Festival. Elizabeth also starred in Endings, Inc. and Guerra. ‘Stolen’ is her first book.

CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Additional Music Score by Will Retherford

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

LuLaRich Girl: Roberta Blevins on Life After MLM Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty –

Don’t call her a #bossbitch. She’s the boss, bitch. Roberta Blevins was a Trainer with LuLaRoe, had a team of 75 women under her, and made over $65,000 in bonuses alone. But when she came to the conclusion that it was a rigged, losing game she didn’t just leave the business: she testified in the Washington State vs. LuLaRoe Pyramid Scheme lawsuit as a witness for the state. The fan favorite from the buzzed-about LuLaRich docuseries sits down for an A Little Bit Culty chat with Sarah and Nippy about what it’s like when MLM gold turns to mold, the similarities between LuLaRoe and NXIVM, and the truth about those buttery soft leggings.

Since leaving MLM, Roberta has educated herself on the systemic structure of the business model, the psychological manipulation, the seedy underbelly and governmental ties, the cult indoctrination, and the history of Multi Level Marketing. She educates daily on TikTok, and podcasts in her "free time" on her own podcast, Life After MLM, which explores the dangers of Multi Level Marketing through the eyes of the victims and survivors. Her work has been featured on Amazon Prime Video, Vice Media, Bloomberg News, Split, and Business Insider among others. Learn more on her website or find her on Instagram @therealrobertablevins

CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Additional Music Score by Will Retherford

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sounds Cultish: Amanda Montell on Fanatical Language Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty –

Sticks and stones break bones, but words build entire cult empires. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy sit down with Amanda Montell to discuss how cultish groups and social media gurus use language to manipulate followers and cultivate power. Amanda is a writer, language scholar, and the author of two critically acclaimed books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperWave).

Her books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and others, and Amanda is currently developing Wordslut for television with FX Studios. Amanda's writing has been featured in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. She is also the creator and co-host of the comedy-cult podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell.

The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. And also they want you to know that any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.

CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Additional Music Score by Will Retherford

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello Again, Cultiverse. Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty –

It’s been a minute, but A Little Bit Culty is back. Season 2’s kickoff episode finds co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames covering what’s been going on in their world, what is new in the cultiverse, and what’s ahead this season on the podcast. There’s a lot of cult news to catch up on: like NXIVM sentencings, R. Kelly’s day in court, and Nicole Kidman’s wig on ‘9 Perfect Strangers. Sarah and Nippy report on what they’ve been up to over summer vacation, and answer all sorts of burning questions from the ALBC audience. Don’t worry: There is also a side of Word Salad and an extra helping of Ass Chapping.

CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Additional Music Score by Will Retherford

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 2 Trailer: A Little Bit Culty Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to Season 2 of A Little Bit Culty with Sarah Edmondson and Anthony "Nippy" Ames.

Think you might be in a cult? Want to know the signs? Join Sarah and Nippy”to talk about things that are...a little bit culty. Or in their case: a whole bunch of culty. As whistleblowers documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series “The Vow,” Sarah and Nippy have a lot to say about their experience, and burning questions to ask people with similar stories. They’re here to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations one little red flag at a time. Listen in as they share their stories, have frank and unscripted conversations with other survivors and cult experts, and do a deep dive on how devotion can turn to dysfunction.

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Bonus SUMMER Episode: Catching Up with India Oxenberg Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty – Join us for a special bonus episode with India Oxenberg. ~ Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.

A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford

Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#FGKIA: Joyce Short & Nina Lucas On Defining Consent May 10, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty – Consent is one of the most misunderstood words of all time, and in the confusion surrounding it, bad actors find loopholes. According to today’s guests, defining consent in penal code is key to prosecuting sex crimes and preventing sexual assaults. Joyce Short has fought to define consent for over a decade. A sexual assault survivor, she has written 3 books on the subject. Her most recent, "Your Consent - The Key to Conquering Sexual Assault," lay the foundation for New York's current bills, #A6540 and #S6200, defining "consent" in penal law. She is a TEDx Talk Presenter and the Founder and Director of the Consent Awareness Network (CAN): A coalition whose mission is to correctly define consent for society and to properly define it in laws and statutes across the US and around the world. She joins the podcast today with CAN Chief of Staff and Consent Outreach Ambassador Nina Lucas to talk about bill A6540, a piece of legislation currently in committee in New York state that seeks to define consent and clarify the definition of lawful sexual conduct. Today’s episode wraps Season One of A Little Bit Culty with the opposite of word salad around the issue of consent, followed by a clear call to action: Spread the word about #FGKIA, help bill A6540 get out of committee, and help define consent.

Learn more at: Assembly Bill A6540 Sign The Petition Consent Awareness Network

Joyce’s TedTalk Joyce’s Book Follow Joyce on Instagram

Follow Nina on TikTok Follow Nina on Instagram Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.

A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford

Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shameless: Dan Shaw on Gaslighting, Narcissists, & Recovering from Cultic Abuse May 03, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty – Daniel Shaw, LCSW, checks every imaginable box on A Little Bit Culty’s dream guest checklist. He’s a psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City and in Nyack, New York. He originally trained as an actor at Northwestern University and with the renowned teacher Uta Hagen in New York City, and later worked as a missionary for an Indian guru. His eventual recognition of cultic aspects of this organization led him to become an outspoken activist in support of individuals and families traumatically abused in cults. Simultaneous with leaving this group, Dan began his training in the mental health profession, becoming a faculty member and supervisor at the National Institute for the Psychotherapist in New York. His book, Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation, was published by Routledge in 2014 and was nominated for the distinguished Gradiva Award. In 2018, the International Cultic Studies Association awarded him the Margaret Thaler Singer Award for advancing the understanding of coercive persuasion and undue influence. Shaw’s book Traumatic Narcissism and Recovery: Leaving the Prison of Shame and Fear will be published by Routledge in 2021. Dan joined Sarah and Nippy to share his story, drop some knowledge about the shameless ways of traumatizing narcissists, and provide insights on the recovery process. Learn more about him at: https://danielshawlcsw.com

Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.

References: Dan’s newest book is available for pre-order here: https://danielshawlcsw.com/publications/ Gaslight (1944 Film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslight_(1944_film) Article: “Traumatic Abuse in Cults: A Psychoanalytic Perspective”

https://www.spiritualabuseresources.com/articles/traumatic-abuse-in-cults-a-psychoanalytic-perspective

A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford

Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Breakup: Samantha Freedom on Leaving The Alt-Right Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

A Little Bit Culty – What happens when you find a sense of identity, and belonging, and maybe even something approximately like love within a group that is in fact a violent and racist extremist organization? And if by chance you wake up to what's inherently terrible about it, and manage to escape that thinking, how do you then seek redemption? In 2017, Samantha Freedom was the top ranking woman leader in Identity Evropa, the white nationalist organization behind the violent Charlottesville, Virginia ‘Unite the Right’ rally that resulted in the death of 20 year old Heather Heyer. That event was when Samantha’s descent into white supremacy, something she’s described as a ‘fever dream,’ finally began to break. Samantha joins Sarah and Nippy for a frank and sometimes painful conversation about her journey in and out of the alt-right, and why she’s nowhere near done when it comes to making things right. Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford

Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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