Lola Blanc

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  1. Jenny Eliscu - Conservatorships & Freeing Britney Spears

    ٤ فبراير

    Jenny Eliscu - Conservatorships & Freeing Britney Spears

    This week’s guest is Jenny Eliscu, journalist, radio host, and producer on Britney vs. Spears, which covered Britney Spears’ infamous conservatorship. She explains how Britney’s struggles in 2008 were used to justify a permanent conservatorship—despite the contradiction of her being deemed too incapacitated to control her own life, yet well enough to tour, record, and generate massive income that her father, whom she barely had a relationship with, was in charge of.Drawing from decades of reporting, a personal relationship with Britney, and her work on Britney v. Spears, Jenny breaks down the severity of the conservatorship, stripping Britney of the right to use her phone, make medical decisions, or even have a say in who her lawyer was going to be, and where Britney’s fight to end the conservatorship finally landed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  2. Jonathan Hirsch, Part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, and Leaving Adidam

    ٢٨ يناير

    Jonathan Hirsch, Part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, and Leaving Adidam

    In part 2 with podcaster & writer Jonathan Hirsch (creator of podcasts like Dear Franklin Jones), Lola & Meagan discuss life in the cult of Franklin Jones, aka Adi Da. They discuss the dramatic meditation rituals in the group, what it felt like to get blessed by the leader, and how different members saw some of the same things that had happened completely differently, depending on whether they still believed in him later or not.They discuss the lawsuits and allegations against Jones and how the cult panic of the time impacted the way his followers saw them, the importance of being able to admit when you’re wrong, and how ultimately Jonathan left. SOURCES Dear Franklin Jones The Mind Is Burning   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  3. Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da

    ٢١ يناير

    Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da

    This week’s guest is Jonathan Hirsch, podcaster, producer, and author who grew up in Adidam, a cult led by new age guru Franklin Jones - also known as Adi Da. In this week’s episode, Jonathan explains how his parents joined the group while on a spiritual journey that started with them following a different guru, how many of Jones’s followers were indoctrinated by listening to his tapes, and the cult’s constantly changing belief system.They discuss one follower’s fascinating experience seeing the doctrine differently after translating it into another language, what it was like growing up on the cult’s compound (with parents that were acupuncturists for the leader), and how helpful it is to know that there are other “cult kids” out there.SOURCES Dear Franklin Jones See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  4. David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

    ١٤ يناير

    David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

    This week, Trust Me is joined by David Farrier, journalist and filmmaker known for documentaries like Tickled and Netflix series Dark Tourist. He shares about his work studying strange subcultures and conspiracy theorists and what he’s learned along the way, and then dives into his investigation into Arise Church, the largest megachurch in New Zealand.David explains how his interviews with ex members revealed the church’s systemic pattern of exploiting harrowing unpaid internships--with work hours that led to multiple members having mental breakdowns. He discusses the financial exploitation and sexual assault cover-ups that occurred, how it all got exposed, and what became of the church. Plus: a couple of tangents, including one about Hell House, the Christian church-run haunted house that simulates hell to scare you into joining. SOURCES Webworm Flightless Bird Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  5. Jess Rothschild - SoulCycle and the Cult of Spinning

    ٧ يناير

    Jess Rothschild - SoulCycle and the Cult of Spinning

    This week’s guest is Jess Rothschild, creator of documentary podcast "Cult of Body & Soul," which dives into the history of cult fitness brand Soulcycle. She explains the spinning company's origins, how the workout environment was engineered to create an almost religious experience, and why instructors chosen for their devoted followings and special charisma made it a cultural phenomenon.They discuss the social hierarchies that formed inside and outside of class, the mysticism infused into the culture, and what she herself loved about it--and how the corporate takeover of the brand changed everything. SOURCES Cult of Body and Soul See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  6. Theo Pratt - Blue Dresses, Smacking Ladies, and an Isolated Compound: Surviving Gloriavale

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    Theo Pratt - Blue Dresses, Smacking Ladies, and an Isolated Compound: Surviving Gloriavale

    This week’s guest is Theo Pratt, survivor of Gloriavale, an isolated Christian cult hidden deep in rural New Zealand, and author of Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale. She’ll talk about being raised on the strictly controlled commune where people were assigned new names, women wore identical dresses and head coverings, and children weren’t taught the real days of the week—or even where they were in the world.Theo shares about the leader Neville Cooper’s self-proclaimed divine authority, how “smacking ladies” kept the kids in line—and guards kept the compound controlled, and her rebellious streak that led her to planning an escape attempt on a tandem bicycle. And of course, the moment she realized she couldn’t stay, and what it felt like to step into the outside world she’d been taught would destroy her. SOURCES: Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  7. REWIND: Felicia Rosario and Daniel Levin - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

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    REWIND: Felicia Rosario and Daniel Levin - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

    Survivor's of Larry Ray's sex cult Felicia and Daniel discuss how they came to meet Larry, how he leveraged his memory and connections to craft an image of authority, how Larry gained control of their lives under the guise of helping them, when the manipulation elevated into sexual abuse and violence, and how they're doing now that Larry is going to jail for the harm he has caused.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  8. REWIND: Elana Auerbach - OneTaste (aka the Orgasm Cult)

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    REWIND: Elana Auerbach - OneTaste (aka the Orgasm Cult)

    Episode 19: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth interview Elana Auerbach, former follower of sexual wellness company OneTaste--elsewhere deemed the Orgasm Cult--in its early years. Elana discusses being the founder's right hand woman as the program developed, and how the sexual practice involving stimulating a woman's g******s evolved into what's now called Orgasmic Meditation. They discuss how Elana came to center her life around the founder, how she was manipulated, and what snapped her out of it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  9. Mike & Abbi Prussack – Part 2: Predators in Power, Institutional Denial, and the Fight to Expose It

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    Mike & Abbi Prussack – Part 2: Predators in Power, Institutional Denial, and the Fight to Expose It

    This week, Lola and Meagan continue their conversation with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan’s childhood church, the 2x2s. In part 2, they walk the girls through the abuse crisis that has shaken the group in recent years and the long-standing patterns that allowed the harm to continue. Mike and Abbi explain how church leadership handled reports, why victims felt they had nowhere to turn, and how secrecy and obedience has shaped the culture for generations.They also discuss the FBI investigation, the community’s response, and what it has been like to help moderate the Ex 2x2 Facebook group during a moment of collective reckoning. The conversation looks at the cost of silence and the pressure to stay loyal, plus why so many people are choosing to finally speak out now. SOURCES Wings for Truth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  10. 490 - Trust Me

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    490 - Trust Me

    This week, Karen and Georgia sit down with the hosts of Exactly Right’s newest podcast, Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation. Survivors Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth share their firsthand experiences, discuss what draws people into high-control groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family and NXIVM and explore how to find a way out. Trust Me premieres on July 30 with new episodes every Wednesday. Follow, rate and review Trust Me wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on Instagram at @trustmepodcast and TikTok at @trustmecultpodcast. For our sources and show notes, visit www.myfavoritemurder.com/episodes. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3UFCn1g. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  11. Mike & Abbi Prussack - Part 1: A Church with No Name, Isolated Childhoods, and Doomsday Fear

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    Mike & Abbi Prussack - Part 1: A Church with No Name, Isolated Childhoods, and Doomsday Fear

    This week, Lola and Meagan talk with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan’s childhood church, the 2x2s, also known as The Truth or The Way. The couple, who now help moderate the Ex-2x2 Facebook community, share what it was like growing up in a secretive religious group with no name, no building, and strict rules about who could be “in.”They open up about meeting and marrying within the church, the single question that shattered their faith, and how leaving forced them to rebuild their identities from scratch.Next week, part two dives into the FBI investigation, decades of hidden abuse, and what’s happening inside the group now that the truth is finally being exposed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  12. Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

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    Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

    This week’s guest is Renee DiResta, professor, and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. In part one this week, she talks to Lola and Meagan about propaganda, disinformation vs. misinformation, and how social media algorithms push us all into highly individualized, “bespoke” realities.They discuss how she became interested in this topic after social media algorithms started suggesting anti-vaxxer content to her, how rage bait and other emotionally charged material spreads faster, and why social media makes it seem like other people have more extreme views than the majority of them actually do.SOURCES Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    ٥٢ من الدقائق
  13. MFM Presents…Trust Me

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    MFM Presents…Trust Me

    My Favorite Murder presents the premiere episode of Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation, a podcast about cults, extreme belief and the people who’ve lived through it—now part of the Exactly Right network. Hosted by cult survivors Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, Trust Me features first-person stories and expert insight into how high-control groups operate, why people get pulled in and what it takes to break free. In this first episode, artist and writer Akina Cox shares what it was like growing up in the Unification Church—also known as the Moonies. From her parents’ mass wedding and unpaid labor to life on the border of North and South Korea, Akina reflects on the moment she began questioning everything she was raised to believe. Listen on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow @trustmepodcast on Instagram and @trustmecultpodcast on TikTok. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  14. Renee DiResta - Part 2: Pseudo-Events, More on Disinformation, and Telling Fact From Fiction

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    Renee DiResta - Part 2: Pseudo-Events, More on Disinformation, and Telling Fact From Fiction

    Renee DiResta, professor and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, joins the show again to dive deeper into disinformation, propaganda, and "pseudo-events," or manufactured controversies and news stories.She explains why it’s so difficult to tell fact from fiction online, how propagandists stoke real, often legitimate tensions to create division, how American politicians are amplifying false information instead of shutting it down, and possible policies that could help reduce our culty social media silos.SOURCES Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    ٥٠ من الدقائق
  15. Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere

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    Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere

    This week, researcher Tim Squirrel joins Lola & Meagan to break down the manosphere: incels, redpill, MGTOW, and the differences between some of the misogynistic subcultures in the online world of men. They discuss how isolation can leave boys vulnerable to harmful internet communities, and how the algorithm can radicalize young people looking for identity.From Andrew Tate to Jordan Peterson, Tim shares why and how hyper-masculine spaces thrive, touting themselves as self-help programs or advocating for withdrawing from society altogether. They chat about why these communities can also be bad for the people inside them, whether Lola has accidentally dated incels, and what to do if someone you know has fallen down the rabbit hole. SOURCES Movember See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  16. Arabelle Sicardi - Plastic Surgery in Mormonism, Biohacking, and the Beauty Industry

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    Arabelle Sicardi - Plastic Surgery in Mormonism, Biohacking, and the Beauty Industry

    This week, the girls are joined by Arabelle Sicardi, writer, image theorist, and author of The House of Beauty: Lessons from the Image Industry. Lola and Meagan confess the cosmetic procedures they've each had, and Arabelle explores how the beauty industry preys on our deepest fears, giving us a false sense of control and training us to worship ideals that are impossible to reach. They reflect on the high rates of plastic surgery in Utah and the LDS church, the gendered differences between the beauty industry and biohacking, and the relationship of beauty to power. Arabelle breaks down the cultiness of influencer brand trips, Coco Chanel's forgotten Nazi ties, and how easy it can be to isolate in luxury, detaching from the unseen global exploitation within the beauty industry. Plus: why beauty's true value lies not in perfection, but in human connection. SOURCES: The House of Beauty: Lessons from the Image Industry Arabelle Sicard See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  17. Sarma Melngailis - Part 1: Bad Vegan, Meeting Mr. Fox, and Early Red Flags

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    Sarma Melngailis - Part 1: Bad Vegan, Meeting Mr. Fox, and Early Red Flags

    In part 1 with guest Sarma Melngailis, subject of the docuseries Bad Vegan and author of The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, Sarma shares about her life as the owner of a successful vegan restaurant in New York, how she met the man who called himself Mr. Fox on Twitter when he seemed to know her friend Alec Baldwin, her first impressions of Mr. Fox, and some of the initial red flags she missed.They discuss the way he slowly wormed his way into her life, how he first started asking for money in a way that seemed innocuous at first, and some of the many manipulation tactics he used to coerce her into transferring an astronomical amount of money to him--and ultimately blowing up her life. SOURCES The Girl With the Duck Tattoo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  18. Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult

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    Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult

    Episode 1: Lola and Meagan interview Christine Marie, Lola's mom, about her and Lola's experiences believing in a self-proclaimed Mormon prophet. They discuss how they came to believe in him, their separation from each other, Christine's harrowing trafficking experience, and Lola's childhood memories of Keith Raniere from NXIVM. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  19. Sarah Stankorb - Quiverfull, Christian Nationalism, and Why Evangelical Women Are Leaving

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    Sarah Stankorb - Quiverfull, Christian Nationalism, and Why Evangelical Women Are Leaving

    Journalist Sarah Stankorb comes on the show to talk about her book, Disobedient Women, and the deep dive she did on why a series of evangelical women in America began to leave their communities as the internet came into prominence. They discuss patriarchal teachings within cultures like the Quiverfull movement, including stories like Vyckie Garrison’s, who was pressured into having repeated pregnancies that defied her doctors and put her life at risk.They also dive into figures like Bill Gothard, who built the IBLP curricula and created a system of mini-cults across the country, the many stories of sexual abuse that were covered up by various religious organizations, and how online communities helped women share stories, band together, and begin to speak out. Plus: how figures like Doug Wilson helped push Christian nationalism from the fringes into the political mainstream. SOURCES: Disobedient Women Elle Vice Vice Washtington Post Cosmopolitan Marie Claire See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  20. Sarma Melngailis - Part 2: Isolation, Deeper into the Scam, & Getting Arrested

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    Sarma Melngailis - Part 2: Isolation, Deeper into the Scam, & Getting Arrested

    In part 2, Sarma Melngailis, subject of the docuseries Bad Vegan and author of The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, tells Lola & Meagan how Mr. Fox consumed her time, overwhelmed her with information, and dangled promises of financial freedom that was always JUST around the corner as a way to get her to send him more and more money. She’ll share about the fabricated online personas he created as part of the manipulation, how he always knew things it seemed like he couldn’t have known, and the tactics he used to keep her in a constant state of confusion and dependence, driving across the country until they were finally both arrested. Plus, how she felt about her time in Rikers, and the current status of her restaurant. SOURCES The Girl With the Duck Tattoo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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