A Little Bit Culty Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Are cult leaders born or made? Did we get sucked into NXIVM because of our attachment styles? Was Vanguard always just wookin’ pa nub in all the wrong places? In this episode of A Little Bit Culty, licensed therapist and social media sweetheart Eli Harwood joins us for a chat about the way that attachment patterns impact our vulnerability to culty situations and vice-versa. It can be a real intricate venn diagram, ya know? (Or maybe it’s a line graph, or a Gantt chart. We don’t know. We’re not chart people.) But however you map it, this stuff is always way better when you navigate it with a pro. The brilliant Ms. Harwood explains the brainy stuff of attachment theory along with D-I-Y tricks for better relationships, and helps us process our stuff in a way that made us laugh, cry, and also cry-laugh. We loved it so much, we rolled it right into a two-part episode. Here’s part one, ALBC listeners! 
 
Show Notes:
Eli Harwood is a licensed therapist and educator with more than two decades of experience helping people process relational traumas and develop secure attachment relationships in an accessible way. She wrote the guidebook Securely Attached: Transform Your Attachment Patterns Into Loving, Lasting Romantic Relationships to help folks cultivate lasting, loving relationships. Her latest title, Raising Securely Attached Kids: Using Connection-Focused Parenting To Create Confidence, Empathy, And Resilience is available for pre-order now. Eli has three children, one husband, one cat, and an extraordinary number of plants. Under the social media moniker of Attachment Nerd, and with hundreds of thousands of followers, Eli shares her light-hearted, sensible insights on the intersections of attachment style, relationship, parenting, and more. 
 
Check out @attachmentnerd on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Threads, and YouTube. 

Become a member of the Nerd Herd

Check out her online courses, upcoming books, and in person workshops at www.attachmentnerd.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: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin
 

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Happy Mother’s Day Monday, ALBC babies. To celebrate the occasion, we unlocked a Patreon episode starring none other than Sarah’s mom. We talk a lot about culty villains on this podcast, but we always want to highlight the heroes, too…and Ellen is an embodiment of what it looks like to heroically love someone through—and out of—a cult journey. She joins us in this very special installment of the show to talk about what it was like to witness Sarah’s initial NXIVM days, and what happened when the going got whistleblowing levels of rough. She’s also a seeker and a licensed therapist who isn’t afraid to let her professional opinions fly: Like what she always thought was slimy about Keith Raniere’s shtick, and why she still has nothing but empathy for Nancy Salzman. There will be tears and laughs in this one. Enjoy: And don’t forget to call your Mama.
 

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: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin


 

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Sometimes predators hide in plain sight. Like on the set of your kids’ favorite TV shows. The docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" (Investigation Discovery) exposes the dark allegations haunting some of the most popular late 90s to 2000s Nickelodeon productions created by executive producer Dan Schneider. “Quiet” builds on groundbreaking 2022 reporting by Business Insider senior correspondent Kate Taylor, who serves as a producer on the series, to depict an environment rife with workplace horrors. Kate joins us today to delve into the story behind the headlines and to help us wrap our heads around the outrageous ways that networks, unions, and parents fail to protect child actors. It’s a real angry-making cluster that is not unique to Nickelodeon. Be warned that this episode contains conversations around child abuse and sexual assault, so please listen with care. 

SHOW NOTES
About Kate Taylor: In her 2022 exposé, Business Insider senior correspondent Kate Taylor looked into the disturbing reality behind Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider's shows, revealing accounts of verbal abuse, inappropriate conduct with underage cast members, and gender discrimination. Schneider's Nickelodeon empire, once celebrated, is now under scrutiny in the 5-part docuseries, with cast and crew recounting their experiences.  Watch the  trailer here.  Learn more about Kate’s work at katehtaylor.com and follow her on Twitter/X:  @Kate_H_Taylor


ADDITIONAL CITATIONS:

The Cut Article: “Dan Schneider Made a 19-Minute Apology Video” 
 
Since this conversation was recorded more controversy has erupted around the Dan Schneider story, and the making of the ‘Quiet on Set’ series. Here are links to recent coverage in Deadline,  Vanity Fair, and Entertainment Weekly. 
 
Also…Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear 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: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Researcher & Episode Writer: Amanda Ambrose
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

We unlocked this previously released Patreon episode so everyone can hear it, because people need to know: Campus Greek Life Ain’t It. Lucy Taylor joins us to discuss the red flags of ‘rushing’, the tragic hazing death of a Penn State student, and her ongoing crusade to make frats and sororities as obsolete as landlines and fax machines for future generations of college students. 
 
About Lucy Taylor:
 Lucy Taylor is the creator, editor, producer, and host of SNAPPED, a podcast which explores the inner workings of sororities and fraternities on America’s college campuses.


Show Notes:

ALBC Episode: My So-Called Greek Life featuring Lucy Taylor
SNAPPED's Hazing Episode Part 1
SNAPPED's Hazing Episode Part 2
SNAPPED on Instagram
SNAPPED on TikTok
SNAPPED Website


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: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Newsflash: Culty, culty college frats and sororities are still fraught with peril. Where do we even start? There’s the deadly hazing incidents…the rampant sexual assaults…the blatant racism. And while we’re talking about it: There are also far too many red Solo Cups coming out of frats and sororities. (Microplastics are very scary, yo!) It’s a lot to grapple with. Luckily, we brought in some pro help to cover the state of campus Greek Life with us, and specifically the state of a nightmare called: Fraternity hazing. SNAPPED podcast creator and activist Lucy Taylor returns in this episode to cover what’s happened since we first met, and to discuss a tragic frat hazing case that has cast a dark cloud over a well-known university. Be warned that this episode gets into gritty territory and listening to conversations like this can be triggering as hell, so please listen with care. 
 
About Lucy Taylor:
 Lucy Taylor is the creator, editor, producer, and host of SNAPPED, a podcast which explores the inner workings of sororities and fraternities on America’s college campuses.


Show Notes:

ALBC Episode: My So-Called Greek Life featuring Lucy Taylor
SNAPPED's Hazing Episode Part 1
SNAPPED's Hazing Episode Part 2
SNAPPED on Instagram
SNAPPED on TikTok
SNAPPED Website


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: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. 
In this episode, we’re joined by international journalist Anke Richter for a conversation about her decade-long investigation into sex cults and her own brush with ISTA, a shamanic ‘school’ from the US with a base in New Zealand. Anke’s recently published book CULT TRIP covers her labyrinthine investigation into how and why cults attract, entrap and destroy otherwise ordinary people, and asks what the line is between tribe and cult, participant and perpetrator, seduction and sexual abuse. We’ll also touch on NZ as a hotspot in the ever-expanding cultiverse, from Centrepoint to Gloriavale - and why Anke’s spearheading DECULT 2024, the country’s first cult awareness conference. For a small-ish country you have some big cult problems, NZ. Time to get thee to a cult awareness conference!


SHOWNOTES:

Anke Richter is an international journalist based in Christchurch and the author of the international bestseller "CULT TRIP: Inside the world of coercion and control" (HarperCollins, 2022), as well as three other books published in Germany. Prior to relocating to New Zealand in 2003 via Tokelau in the South Pacific to serve as a foreign correspondent, Anke worked as a reporter in Germany. Her investigative and personal features have been published in various renowned outlets such as Die Zeit, Spiegel, FAZ, taz, mare, New Zealand Geographic, North & South, The Spinoff, Canvas, Sunday (Stuff), Listener, The Fair Observer, among others. Anke has also contributed to several New Zealand documentaries as a researcher and associate producer. As a public speaker, she addresses topics such as cult awareness, coercive control, and identifying red flags in the wellness industry. Anke is a co-founder of FACT Aotearoa (Fight Against Conspiracy Theories), actively involved in combatting misinformation. Additionally, Anke is the founder and director of DECULT 2024, the first cult awareness conference in New Zealand. For more information, please visit her websites: www.ankerichter.net and www.decult.net.
DECULT 2024, the first cult conference in the Southern Hemisphere, is happening in Christchurch from 19 – 20 October 2024, and is organised by New Zealand journalist Anke Richter who wrote CULT TRIP. Keynote speaker Dr. Janja Lalich and other experts like Dr. Gillie Jenkinson, filmmakers like Scott Homan (“Witness Underground”) and David Farrier (“Mister Organ”) and authors from around the world will meet with cult survivors, victim advocates and stakeholders in government. It’s a unique chance for cult education in a country that has and still has a big cult problem. The two day event with 20+ speakers will be live-streamed. Follow Decult on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Let’s decult 2024!


Also…Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear 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: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin