A Little Bit Culty

Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames

  • 1 hour 16 minutes
    Whitney Cummings: Healing, Humor, and Hollywood's Culty Side

    This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. 

    In this week's episode, Sarah and Nippy welcome friend and comedian Whitney Cummings to the podcast to explore the nuanced overlaps of culty dynamics and Hollywood culture. Whitney shares her unique perspective on vulnerability, healing, and her fascination with neuroscience, while also opening up about her personal quest for meaning. From the allure of community and control to a hilarious recount of being “rejected by Scientology,” Whitney blends humor with insight as she navigates topics like forgiveness, boundary-setting, and her less-than-conventional healing experiences.

    And if this episode has you wanting more laughs from Whitney, check out her upcoming "Big Baby" tour, where she’s bringing her signature unfiltered comedy to the stage. For tour dates and more, visit whitneycummings.com.

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

    CREDITS: 

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

    2 December 2024, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    Through the Labyrinth: Amanda Knox on Coercion, Media, and Advocacy

    Author and podcaster Amanda Knox sits down with Sarah and Nippy to discuss the culty nature of the Italian justice system. Amanda shares how she was coerced by the police into confessing to a crime she did not commit and details her experience with a media that is more concerned with ratings than truth. She also discusses the ongoing process of healing from trauma and her ongoing work in criminal justice reform.

    Amanda’s podcast, “Labyrinths,” explores the complexities of the justice system and the human stories often obscured by sensationalized headlines. She has also authored the best-selling memoir, “Waiting to be Heard,” offering a firsthand account of her ordeal. Amanda also continues to write and speak out with her new book, “Free My Search for Meaning,” scheduled for release in March 2025. In addition to her work on broader justice reform issues, Knox is also writing a book focusing on her complex and evolving relationship with Giuliano Mignini, the prosecutor who played a central role in her wrongful conviction.

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

    CREDITS: 

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

    25 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 54 minutes 24 seconds
    Bonus Episode: Nobody Should Believe Me

    Enjoyed our chat with Andrea Dunlop? You’re in luck! This week, we’re featuring an episode from Andrea’s podcast “Nobody Should Believe Me” in the ALBC feed. We love this show, and hope you do too.

    Welcome to Season 4 of “Nobody Should Believe Me!” This season we are following the story of Jordyn Hope as they unravel the secrets of their childhood. After revelations that they were abused as a child, Jo bravely returns to their small, deeply religious hometown to attempt to unravel their many lingering questions about their upbringing. Was their abuse a secret? If not, why didn’t anyone help them? Jo connects with her first grade teacher and childhood best friend as they begin their search for answers. Andrea travels with Jo, hoping to help her friend find healing, and to see what the future might look like for the survivors in her own life.

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

    CREDITS: 

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

    21 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 42 minutes 10 seconds
    Cult of One: The Manipulation of Munchausen by Proxy (Part 2)

    This is the second part of a two-part interivew. Listen to Part 1 here. When describing a cult, the first thing that comes to mind is often a powerful leader at the helm of a large group of followers. That’s not the case with today’s guest.  

    Andrea Dunlop, author and host of the podcast “Nobody Should Believe Me,”  is an expert on Munchausen by Proxy. Munchausen by Proxy is a form of mental illness and child abuse where a caregiver, typically a parent, induces or fabricates symptoms in their child to make them appear sicker than they actually are. It’s, in Andrea’s words, a “cult of one.” Muchahusen by Proxy has found its way into the mainstream through  the Maya Kowalski case and the story of Gypsy Rose, which was adapted into a documentary and Hulu limited series, “The Act.” In today’s episode, Andrea explores Munchausen by Proxy abuse, its recent coverage in the news, including the Maya Kowalski court case, and how it could forever impact the medical system. 

    Munchausen by Proxy Support Resources

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

     

    18 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 44 minutes 30 seconds
    Cult of One: The Manipulation of Munchausen by Proxy

    This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULTY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULTY.

     

    When describing a cult, the first thing that comes to mind is often a powerful leader at the helm of a large group of followers. That’s not the case with today’s guest. 

     

    Andrea Dunlop, author and host of the podcast “Nobody Should Believe Me,”  is an expert on Munchausen by Proxy. Munchausen by Proxy is a form of mental illness and child abuse where a caregiver, typically a parent, induces or fabricates symptoms in their child to make them appear sicker than they actually are. It’s, in Andrea’s words, a “cult of one.” Muchahusen by Proxy has found its way into the mainstream through  the Maya Kowalski case and the story of Gypsy Rose, which was adapted into a documentary and Hulu limited series, “The Act.” In today’s episode, Andrea explores Munchausen by Proxy abuse, its recent coverage in the news, including the Maya Kowalski court case, and how it could forever impact the medical system. 

    Munchausen by Proxy Support Resources

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

     

    11 November 2024, 9:00 am
  • 37 minutes 21 seconds
    Dinner for Vampires: The Star of a Cult TV Show on Leaving a Real Life Cult (Part 2)

    This is the second part of a two-part interview, listen to Part 1 here. Bethany Joy Lenz became a household face during the meteoric rise of the teen CW soap “One Tree Hill.” However, as she appeared in homes across the country every week, she was leading a double life with her participation in a culty Bible group for a decade.

     

    Lenz found her voice to break free and had the inspiration to write a personal memoir on the experience, “Dinner for Vampires,” sharing for the first time publicly her experience in the group and her struggles to break free. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy talk with Bethany about the surprising connections between her experience and NXIVM, the cult of fame, and their overlapping work in Hallmark movies. 

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

     

    4 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 35 minutes 51 seconds
    Dinner for Vampires: The Star of a Cult TV Show on Leaving a Real Life Cult

    Bethany Joy Lenz became a household face during the meteoric rise of the teen CW soap “One Tree Hill.” However, as she appeared in homes across the country every week, she was leading a double life with her participation in a culty Bible group for a decade.

     

    Lenz found her voice to break free and had the inspiration to write a personal memoir on the experience, “Dinner for Vampires,” sharing for the first time publicly her experience in the group and her struggles to break free. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy talk with Bethany about the surprising connections between her experience and NXIVM, the cult of fame, and their overlapping work in Hallmark movies. 

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

     

    28 October 2024, 8:00 am
  • 53 minutes 49 seconds
    The Cult of True Crime: Terry Dunn Meurer and "Unsolved Mysteries"

    Today’s show puts a different spin on our usual subject matter. We’re going to discuss something that has millions of followers and has become a world-wide obsession: true crime! Alright, it isn’t a cult (technically!), but it’s definitely infiltrated our minds and media.  

    Our guest today is Terry Dunn Meurer, the co-creator and executive producer of Unsolved Mysteries—the OG in crime-related television. Terry’s  talks about the evolution of true crime in media, and the massive surge of interest it’s seen in recent years. 

    Fascination with true crime is extremely common and mostly harmless, but today we delve into its dark side. From armchair detectives interfering with police investigations, to the glorification of serial killers, this episode might make you wonder if maybe there is something culty here, after all…

    We take a trip down memory lane with Terry, talking true crime and cold cases. Plus, Sarah pitches Terry on covering an unsolved NXIVM mystery.

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

     

    21 October 2024, 8:00 am
  • 39 minutes 29 seconds
    Culty Voicemail Roundup: ALBC Listeners Speak (10/14/24 EDITION)

    This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit  betterhelp.com/CULTY to get started today. 

     Hey campers, we hope your October’s been spooky so far. We’ve got a batch of listener voicemails to check out, so pull up a chair and we’ll get into it. Today’s callers want to talk about a real potpourri of culty stuff. We cover Arbonne, Optavia, BDSM and consent, Eckhart Tolle, and as always, a little bit of the hot NXIVM goss to round out the hour. 

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

    14 October 2024, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    Diet Wars: Wade T. Lightheart on Culty Nutrition

    This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. 

     

    We’re calling it now, we’re gonna get some flack on this one. It’s no surprise, but anytime we mention diet, fitness, or nutrition, we hear about it in our DMs. There’s some tension here, we know it, we see it, and we hear you. And it makes sense. In the world of health and diet, there’s a lot of snake oil salesmen out here. The cult of nutrition is very real. 

     

    Today’s guest is a friend who is familiar with the false gurus that flock to the fitness space. Wade T. Lightheart is the co-founder of supplement brand BiOptimizers. We thought this chat would be a great way to answer questions we get all the time from our listeners. How do you know if you’re buying into something healthy or just drinking snake oil? And is it just us, or have health and wellness trends become culty as hell? How do you cut through the noise to make the right choice for your health and wellness? Tune in to hear us talk about health, staying fit, and picking from the buffet of beliefs to find the right path for you. 

     

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

     

    7 October 2024, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    The Cult Next Door: Mike King on the Zion Society

     

    Well, this is a first for us. Today, we’re covering the Zion Society, which was a cult run by a landscaper, Arvin Shreeve. Based out of Ogden, Utah, Shreeve and his followers had some of the most manicured lawns in the neighborhood. But, behind lush green lawns hid sinister secrets. This polygamist sect had about 100 members at its peak, hiding in plain sight in a quiet suburban  cul-de-sac. Former lieutenant Mike King was the one to discover them. With a tip from one of the former followers, Mike helped put Shreeve and many of his followers behind bars for life. 

    Mike King is the creator and host of Profiling Evil, a YouTube channel and podcast that covers breaking true crime stories, as well as the author of “Deceived: An Investigative Memoir of the Zion Society Cult.” We spoke to him this summer in front of a live audience at CrimeCon. Now, we’re sharing it on our main feed. In this episode, we dive deep into the practices of the Zion Society and Mike’s investigation that ultimately brought the cult down. 

    Also… let it be known that:

    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. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

     

    Check out our lovely sponsors

    Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk

     

    CREDITS: 

     

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Amphibian.Media

    Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Associate producers: Emma Diehl and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media  

    Audio production: Red Caiman Studios

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

    30 September 2024, 8:00 am
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