What's up, guys? Helen here. You don't have to be a Charles Manson superfan to know that cults have taken over American culture, though it wouldn't hurt. Indeed, it seems like every day a new HBO documentary drops, primed to explain the powers of brainwashing or the dangers of supposedly charismatic volleyball enthusiasts. Seriously? Him? That bandana? Those socks? Just fly me to the Moon with no return ticket! Anyway, on top of that, we've seen the continued rise of what author Amanda Montell calls "cultish groups" in her appropriately-titled book "Cultish." Take America's NUMBER_TOKEN dollar multi-level marketing industry that's invaded every corner of social media, convincing you to hawk luxury leggings or poop-inducing diet pills. Or look at fitness fanatics doing SoulCycle twice a day with their favorite pathologically-likable instructor, Braxton. In short, as Montell writes, "For good or for ill, there is now a cult for everyone." On an unrelated note, Wisecrack is having its first retreat in rural Montana later this year, so stay tuned for details. Still, it's easy to feel like cults are a uniquely modern phenomenon, a symptom of a broken society where nobody wears pearls to church on Sundays anymore. But the truth is a lot more complicated. In fact, there's a strong argument to be made that cults have been part of the American social fabric since the moment a few prissy Puritans landed on Plymouth Rock. We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: "Did Cults Make America?" But, before we get into it, I wanna give a shout-out to this week's sponsor, Bright Cellars. You know that we love to break down complex ideas at Wisecrack, but after a long day of reading disturbing accounts of cults, I don't want to think about my after-work drink. And this is where Bright Cellars is a game-changer. Wine can be complicated, and it's hard to figure out what you like. But Bright Cellars is the monthly wine club founded by two MIT graduates that uses an algorithm to match you up with wines that you'll love. Just take their six question quiz and Bright Cellars will recommend great wines that will hit all the right notes for your palate. And, even if you have zero prior wine knowledge, all they need is your preferences on things like juice, chocolate, and tea to figure out which types of wines you'll love. And as you review the wines they send you, you'll get to know your taste more and more, so your wines are even more specific to you. For example, I now know that I am perfectly suited for a cool climate Pinot Noir. Who would've known? If you're of legal drinking age, you'll get these delicious wines shipped right to your door, which is much more fun than staring at the wine aisle at the grocery store, trying to magically teach yourself Italian. And, because I enjoy learning what I drink, I love that each bottle comes with a wine education card that gives tasting notes, shows me how to pair wines, and lets me know which temperature to serve it at. It makes wine tasting feel way less snobby,
START_SPONSOR_TOKEN But, before we get into it, I wanna give a shout-out to this week's sponsor, Bright Cellars. You know that we love to break down complex ideas at Wisecrack, but after a long day of reading disturbing accounts of cults, I don't want to think about my after-work drink. And this is where Bright Cellars is a game-changer. Wine can be complicated, and it's hard to figure out what you like. But Bright Cellars is the monthly wine club founded by two MIT graduates that uses an algorithm to match you up with wines that you'll love. Just take their six question quiz and Bright Cellars will recommend great wines that will hit all the right notes for your palate. And, even if you have zero prior wine knowledge, all they need is your preferences on things like juice, chocolate, and tea to figure out which types of wines you'll love. And as you review the wines they send you, you'll get to know your taste more and more, so your wines are even more specific to you. For example, I now know that I am perfectly suited for a cool climate Pinot Noir. Who would've known? If you're of legal drinking age, you'll get these delicious wines shipped right to your door, which is much more fun than staring at the wine aisle at the grocery store, trying to magically teach yourself Italian. And, because I enjoy learning what I drink, I love that each bottle comes with a wine education card that gives tasting notes, shows me how to pair wines, and lets me know which temperature to serve it at. It makes wine tasting feel way less snobby, END_SPONSOR_TOKEN