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26 Organizations In Modern Society That Should Be Called Cults Despite Formally Not Called One, According To Folks Online
How often do we use the words "cult" or "iconic" in relation to celebrities, movies or TV shows, sports teams, brands or hobbies? Perhaps too often. But does this mean that the object of our admiration and worship has all the signs of a real cult? Some will laugh and say no. Someone will think and say: "Perhaps..."
Recently, a viral thread has appeared in the AskReddit community, dedicated to various people and phenomena in our lives that have all the signs of a cult, while not actually being a cult. So here's a selection of the most interesting points in this list, carefully collected by Bored Panda.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The dudes with the "toxic masculinity" type of views and opinions.
Bro, being disrespectful to women doesn't make you an alpha male, it makes you an a*****e.
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
I feel like the guy in the photo is not representative of the alpha male you refer to. Maybe you know him, though.
Chia 2 years ago
I was thinking the same thing. I can’t picture the toxic alpha-male type being in that location; not enough of an audience. It looks freaking heavenly, actually.
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Emma Goransdottir 2 years ago
There is nothing more unsexy then a man calling himself "alpha male"!!!
UpQuarkDownQuark 2 years ago
Announcing to the world that you’re an alpha male only shows that you’re small and have a delicate ego. It doesn’t matter to me whether you have more money than me, or can kick my a*s—if you feel you need to constantly prove or brag about your perceived primacy, you’re a petty child of a man.
Isa's left eye 2 years ago
And Alpha wolves only exist in captivity. In the wild, packs are families that take care of each other and work together. In captivity, they are put together even though they don't know each other so they fight and develop a hierarchy.
RELATED:
#2
Andrew tate fans
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 2 years ago
Ćunts serve a very important biological purpose, unlike this douchecanoe
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Hill Branda 2 years ago
One good thing about being old is you no longer know (or care) about these dumbas* media figures, so they no longer annoy you.
Weasel Wise 2 years ago
That's the good ol' Boomer attitude! "I already got the best the world had to offer so why the fúck should I care about anyone else?"
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Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Remember all of those ridiculously expensive cars he loved bragging about? I just read an article that said almost that every single one has been repossessed. The exception was a 20 year old Lada.
#3
elon musk fanboys who meat ride everything he says
David H 2 years ago
Ironically until just 2 years ago all his fanboys were on the left, now its mostly on the right.
Mike Fitzpatrick 2 years ago
Imagine that. Making a 2 gazillion dollar purchase so that Trump can once again have a SM voice.
Load More Replies... Ray McArdle 2 years ago
He's gone from being a lovable genius to an annoying jerk. I was considering a Tesla, but not any more.
Casey Payne 2 years ago
Muskrat Lovers. The minions of our current #1 Supervillain. They don't really love him. They love what he is doing and how he is doing it, but not him.
Perhaps the closest thing to a real cult today are various brands which create a real obsession among loyal fans. Don't you think, for example, all those queues of thousands on the eve of the launch of a popular smartphone brand resemble devout adherents of some religion? And a charismatic corporate CEO presenting a new product to exalted fans can easily pass for a prophet or a religious leader...
#4
Fox News
ЛеснойКороль(ForestKing)H/H 2 years ago
i’m not american but sometimes i see clips, man i love watching old cis white men arguing whether or not i deserve rights as a human being 😊👍 /s
LizzieBoredom 2 years ago
"Just remember, if your argument is not working, make something up" Tucker Carlson.
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Hill Branda 2 years ago
This is 100% a cult. It tells the hateful and ignorant what they want to hear, gets them enraged about things they don't understand and turns them against their own fellow citizens. It's frightening.
Demongrrrrl 2 years ago
My dad and his wife have decided that Fox is too liberal and now they watch News Max.
#5
Mormons
Rylee Evergreen 🇺🇦 (she/her) 2 years ago
I'm a Mormon. Yes sometimes it feels cultish. But it also brings me a lot of happiness and comfort. Please yall. Can this debate just end now. Why can't we let people live in peace, it's utterly ridiculous
aZZy_d3Lta (they/star/bun) 2 years ago
yeah my family is mormon, and i'm forced to go to church with them. everyone is really nice and I do fun activities with the young women but other than that it feels cultish
Michelle C 2 years ago
They fit the definition of a Christian cult literally. Many orthodox Christians do not recognize Mormonism as Christian, but rather as a collection of heterodox and blatantly oppositional doctrines mixed with orthodox Christian doctrine posing as Christianity.
Shyla Bouche 2 years ago
We are very often called a cult, most often by other Christians. At one time, Missouri had a law that made it legal to kill us.
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Sylvia Schmitz 2 years ago
By the original definition of the word this is exactly what a cult is.
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HistoryLover(she/her) 2 years ago
That’s just discriminatory. Just because you view religion as a cult does not mean it is, but especially to single out a specific religion is wrong. It’s none if your building. Everyone has a different way they live their lives, and if LDS people are happy without hurting people, then just leave them alone.
Analyn Lahr 2 years ago
I think they're required to give a certain percentage of their paycheck to the church.
LoyalHufflepuff07 2 years ago
Not required. It is a choice that not all members choose to make, and that's okay
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thechildreninmybasement 2 years ago
my mom left that cult a while ago. her mother, my grandma had left it too. my mother as a teen decided to see what it was all about. My grandma said yes, but don't try to make me join. The leader or priest (I'm not mormon and i don't know what it called sorry) always brought my mom into a dark room (looking back on it, my mom says she was glad she wasn't sa) and told her that god had spoken to him and told her that she should be the co-priest (IM SORRY IM NOT mORMAN IDK WHAT ITS CALLED) or like the leader of the women's part of the church. She said, "if god wanted to talk to me, he would speak directly to me." the priest was shocked, and he said god only talks to men! Women aren't important enough. My mom was shocked, but she kept going to church. One day, she was called down to like do a speech or something, and they started off with (what really ticked my mom off was that al these people were her moms friends) "we would just like to congratulate *moms name* for coming to church even
thechildreninmybasement 2 years ago
though her family is stubborn. *continues trash talking my moms parents* my mom had slowly been realizing it was like a cult and suddenly interupted him and said, "you know what? i don't beleive in tghis church. you guys are supposed to be my parents friends, but all you do is trash-talk them. I don't believe in your god" *loud gasps* and then she walked out. the priest kept calling their family phone again and again and again and again until she decided to meet up with him. He said *my moms name* "god spoke to me-" and my mom interupted him with, "once again, if god wants to tell me something, he should say it to my face." and once again, the priest said, "god only talks to men! women should be housewives" And my mom said, "once your church sees women and people of the LGBTQ community as equals, ill consider coming back." he said, "that's not going to happen." and it never did. i now live with my mom, my sister, my dog, and my dad who are atheists. I'm an atheist gay genderfluid now.
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René Sauer 2 years ago
Out of curiosity I went and read a bit about mormons in Germany: 40.000 people, and apparently they want to get rid the name "Mormons" because it was originally a mocking nickname for them. The rest is hidden behind a paywall, which is ridiculous because the article is 5 years old 🙄
Rylee Evergreen 🇺🇦 (she/her) 2 years ago
Ha, you're close. We want to get rid of the nickname because it's led so many people to think we follow Mormon, not Christ, which isn't true ofc!
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#6
Flat Earth
Quarkbeast 2 years ago
Yup, not a cult, just plain old stupidity and not believing in science. (See Fox News above.)
Jonathan Kilpatrick 2 years ago
I honestly think that Flat Earth was started as a joke, that went completely out of control...
Mickie Shea 2 years ago
Really, is there anyone with half a turtles brain who believes in a flat earth.
Shyla Bouche 2 years ago
There aren't any more flat earthers. The other cats and I knocked them all off the edge of the earth.
Ray McArdle 2 years ago
This made chuckle. Flrt-earthers should produce a satellite image of a fla earth.
"In religious studies, a cult is defined by a group led by a charismatic leader and which usually triggers behavior-altering habits in followers. The general public tends to use the term for new-age religions or those with beliefs considered radical or extreme," Jarrett Fuller, a contributing editor to Eye on Design, writes in his recent article.
"Often unspoken, however, is that these groups are usually funded through selling a product or service, whether that's tools and methods for self-help, books, and other content, or simply access to the club, complicating the lines between religion and company, self-help and grip." Yes, in recent decades, the role of religion in modern society has been gradually declining, and new subjects and objects of worship have taken its place.
#7
Political parties
CHRIS DOMRES 2 years ago
I always thought a cult leader had to have charisma and a charming personality. How did Trump become one?
Tamra 2 years ago
He drew crowds in the beginning because he promised to "drain the swamp" and address corruption in politics. Which turned out to be a terrible joke, considering his own incredible corruption. He's like an oozing, festering foot fungus that you just can't scrape off, no matter how hard you try.
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Knox Warner 2 years ago
They have us believing now that their fighting between themselves is a fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil, but this is to distract us from realizing that one party is just the lesser evil of the other. The people you elect, you elect to royalty, and they forget all about you until the next election, when they need your vote. They do not serve you. They try to rule you, and their decisions on that are based mainly on bribes and "favors" they receive. You elect people on both sides, however, who are wholly dedicated to keeping this wholly corrupted system in place because they've learned how to manipulate, exploit, and loophole it for their own benefit. Challenge them on this, and the first thing they'll do is scurry away and hide behind the Constitution because they know they have the moral low ground, and need at least some justification for what they're doing to us.
#8
HOA's
ЛеснойКороль(ForestKing)H/H 2 years ago
screw you karen, i’m going to make my mailbox one centimetre higher on purpose now
Mike Fitzpatrick 2 years ago
Add 1 washer per week, very soon you will reign supreme and no one would have noticed the process.
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Elio 2 years ago
Home Owner's Association. Theoretical they collect dues for neighborhood upkeep and amenities upkeep. In actuality, they have a disturbing amount of power with no oversight and can make your life he!! if you plant the erong flowers or your invasive species grass lawn won't grow. I think a lot of them are fronts to legally discriminate against people.
Load More Replies... whatever 2 years ago (edited)
Not all HOA's are bad though. The main purpose is to preserve home values by keeping Cletus from parking his 5 non-running cars on his front yard or to prevent people from certain cultures from cramming 15 family members into a small 2 bedroom house since it's the norm where they're from.
Ruth 2 years ago
I’ve lived in multiple communities with HOAs and never had a problem. They definitely help to maintain property value. Yes, there are some that get power happy - in those residents should get involved and vote the power mongers out and get reasonable people elected.
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Michael Largey 2 years ago
Home owners associations are to nice neighborhoods what organized religion is to morality.
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
We have these in south africa as well but usually it's in a gated community or a "complex" ie blocks of flats with a perimeter wall and gates. They do have legit purposes in those cases eg paying for maintenance of buildings etc., which are not 100% yours. However in merely boomed off suburbs they are a nuisance because you get karens telling you how long your grass should be.
Ines Smith 2 years ago
I don’t know why people downvoted you. I gave you an upvote.
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Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago
I have said it before, I've said it a million times. If I bought my house I'll be damned if someone else is going to dictate what I can do with it.
Susan Reid Smith 2 years ago
They are necessary for condominium complexes, where walls, roofs, landscaping etc are in common.
Load More Replies... #9
Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) from the Philippines is a cult pretending to be a religion. These people visit your home when you miss church, require you to declare your earnings (and then ask for contributions). And even dictate who to vote during elections. Big yikes.
Chia 2 years ago
I have not been to the Philippines. This is the first I’m hearing about the Iglesia ni Cristo. Even so, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess there is a lot more to the country than this weird culty entity. The Philippines is on my short list of places I’d like to visit.
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René Sauer 2 years ago
Excuse me? Require me to declare earnings? What if I refuse? What are those clowns gonna do?
JuniorCJ82 2 years ago
Is voting not private over there? How would anyone know who you voted for?
Let's take a look at the list of the most-followed TikTok accounts. The two leaders on this list, Khaby Lame and Charli D'Amelio, have over 150 million followers each, which is comparable to the population of an entire country from the world's top ten. Isn't there a reason to compare many contemporary influencers to true prophets? Among the leaders in terms of the number of followers on Instagram, there are mainly stars of sports, cinema and music. By the way, have you forgotten that the very word "culture" comes from the root "cult"?
#10
Apple fanboys.
Realistically any overly aggressive brand loyalty, but Apple people are the worst.
Cristian Gonzalez 2 years ago
TBH I don't see what is the fuss about iphones since they are just too expensive, barely change anything in updates, basically the same thing since the last 4 years & I don't see why people feel so rich just flexing their phones in front of everybody since they are just being ripped off.
WonderWoman 2 years ago
And the number of teens with the latest iteration is mindblowing.
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Elio 2 years ago
I did like my old iPod nano because it lasted for 11 years before the headphone jack broke. Maybe I can get it fixed. This a$$hole who I used to work with before he got canned for being an a$$hole tried to tell me that I should buy an iPhone because they are more expensive and it's a good status symbol. If the iPhone makes people happy, then I think that's great, but it's dumb to buy something just because it's a status symbol. I've been using the Samsung Galaxy phones since I first got a smart phone and I like them, so I will probably stick with that.
RedCorvette 2 years ago
I use iPhones but that’s because I like it. Not gonna fight others for it though, to each his own
Frankthetank 2 years ago
My niece just told me that in AZ some of their schoolmates (high school) will not be friends with non apple users. They were serious! Wtf?
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
I love how they keep changing the power cable input shape so one has to buy new adapters for all of their gadgets over and over again. That is sheer greedy genius on Apple's part!
Cathy Jo Baker 2 years ago
LMAO my older sister is all about the iphone. My phone and that of my mom are Androids. My sister won't touch my mom's phone with a ten foot pole! Hilarious!
Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
I use Apple products, but I'm not a fangirl. My iMac is a hand-me-down 2015 and my iPhone 6s is also a 2015 which I bought used and refurbished. Both work fine for my purposes. Apple was infinitely better before Steve Jobs died; Tim Cook is a disaster.
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Cook isn't nearly as bad as Gil Amelio or John Sculley. Those two almost wiped apple out. I have a 2010 laptop and a iPhone 12. The former is perfect still and runs reasonably new stuff including office 365. The latter was a gift from a rich friend.
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Lori Gibbs 2 years ago
I don't know which is worse, being yelled at for not having a cell phone or for not answering your cell phone.🤔😣😒
#11
sororities and greek life in general
David H 2 years ago
At one time Universities like Harvard required students to be members of a fraternity, and then put maximum number of student a frat could accept, and then only recognized 1 Jewish and 1 Black frat, as a way to limit the number of non-White students at Harvard
WindySwede 2 years ago
Can someone start new frat? Or is that a hard NO, or just that it would cost a considerable donation? As I understand it, it was similar reason why HOA started?
Load More Replies... Hill Branda 2 years ago (edited)
Yeah, I never understood this. I guess it makes people feel special to be a little club? But why would you want a bunch of fellow students telling you what to do, what to wear, wear to live? Screw that.
Karen Lyon 2 years ago
@Hill Branda: Not all fraternities and sororities do that. A lot of them have rules against it. I was in a sorority, it was great. I was originally leery, but my aunt convinced me that having a group of women who could help me navigate the pitfalls of college, be it the professors that aren't so great, or how to schedule classes so that I wasn't overwhelmed, was a good idea. I have never regretted it. The sororities and fraternities that make the news are lousy organizations because the bullies/mean girls that made everyone miserable in high school end up running them. It isn't typical for all Greek organizations.
Load More Replies... Quarkbeast 2 years ago
Ughhhh. Glad I went to college in another country and didn't have to deal with this group of "in-crowd" kids, cos I was definitely not one.
Upstaged75 2 years ago (edited)
When I first went away to college my roommate and I decided to "rush", which is when you visit a bunch of sororities to see if you want to join them. (And they size you up to decide if they actually want you or not) My mom was a sorority girl in college and she loved it, so I figured I'd see what it was about. Honestly it kind of creeped me out. There was a lot of chanting and synchronized dance moves, and everyone was SO perky! They reminded me of Stepford Wives. :) I tried to imagine myself having to do that, as well as all of the time and money (no, it's not free!) it would involve and I realized it just wasn't me. Some girls had a great time with it - my best friend was president of hers and even worked as a consultant for the organization after she graduated. I ended up joining a club sport where I made friends who shared a common passion.
Dirk Daring 2 years ago
For those of you outside the US, this is not an assault on actual Greeks.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
I saw a benefit to the Greek system when I was in college. At my school, the houses were almost all located on the far north side of campus. This concentrated those types of person in an area reasonably far from where I lived.
Nikole 2 years ago
Ha, I lived on the north end of my campus when I was in a dorm, which was right next to the frat quad. It was really convenient when going to parties though… Hilariously all of the sorority houses were on the south end of campus.
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General Anaesthesia 2 years ago
I think that means fraternities and sororities with those Greekish names: Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, etc.
Load More Replies... Jared Robinson 2 years ago
Dude wherever hazing is involved it's an evil cult and that s**t needs to be shut down immediately otherwise people die.
#12
the cult of idealization of productivity. I’m glad that people manage their time and are motivated, but when every second one screams that “you need to get up at 4 in the morning, because the strongest do it” sorry, but I don’t see the point in this if there is no goal. it would be better to say HOW HEALTHY SLEEP is important.
Luke Branwen 2 years ago
I honestly like getting up very early, but if it's voluntary. Everything sleeps, I have peace and can write uninterrupted.
Chia 2 years ago
Same. Reading, though, not writing. We have a symbiotic relationship. :)
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stupidMonkey 2 years ago
There have been many real peer reviewed scientific studies on morning people vs night people. There are even genetic markers that can predict one's preference in a statistically significant way. It has been proven time and again that night owls are actually more productive if they find a way to work with their natural circadian rhythm. The myth of early risers being more productive is a hangover from the days when we lived in agrarian societies and didn't have cheap easy access to electric lights.
Upstaged75 2 years ago
A lack of proper sleep has now been connected to Alzheimer's. I'll continue to take as many naps as possible. :)
Elio 2 years ago
I work evenings, so I am often awake at 4 am but that's around bedtime. I've never been a morning person, so I resent the idea that you need to wake up early to be productive. It's great if it works for you, but not everyone is an early riser. That idea made more sense when society was more agrarian, but now we're an industrial society with artificial light. The constant productive thing reminds me of graduate school and f*ck that. I completed my master's, barely but the stress wasn't worth it. I do like being productive at my job because it makes my day easier and they pay me decent, but I'm not overdoing it.
stupidMonkey 2 years ago
Heh oops I just realized I missed your comment and echoed most of it in mine. Bad copy monkey.
Load More Replies... ЛеснойКороль(ForestKing)H/H 2 years ago
yes i would rather be happy in life than get up at 5, thanks
Frank Heidsick 2 years ago
I just LOVE getting up early and be in the office about two hours before anyone else is showing up. No phone calls, no noise - the most productive time of the day. You need to have flexible working hours in your company, of course - and the look on the coworkers‘ faces when you leave way earlier than they do is priceless. Every day.
Mickie Shea 2 years ago
When exercising it is difficult to sleep. However, while sleeping one may dream of exercising.
Be that as it may, today we are surrounded by many phenomena, the attitude towards which sometimes resembles religion, and moreover, they even have their own priests (suffice to recall, let's say HOA...) But such is the modern world - so all we can do is perhaps just scroll to the very end of this list, like the submissions you consider the truest, and maybe add some of your own ideas in the comments. After all, worshiping pandas is perhaps the most decent and approved 'cult' we know.
#13
Disney
King Itchy 2 years ago
You can be an adult who likes Disney movies and not be a "Disney Adult" if that is what this is referring to.
Frankthetank 2 years ago
Didn't like Disney at all until the war with DeSantis, now GO DISNEY!
Isa's left eye 2 years ago
Why? The parks are fun, the movies are good. Yes, it's overpriced, but so what? (here come the downvote fairies)
Scp_049 2 years ago
I think they mean the people who are overly obsessed with Disney,
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Tuesday's child 2 years ago
Yes yes YES!!! there was that one kid at my HIGH school who tried coming to school dressed as a disney character. It was also a private school with a uniform (I'm talking white blouse, tie, blazer, plaid skirt for girls) she got dress coded everyday, shocker, right?
Ima Manimal 2 years ago
I totally agree. It feels and seems like a ripoff. And something must be wrong with you if you don’t “feel the magic”. Nope y’all. That’s not magic. It’s marketing to a very dumb audience.
#14
Peloton
David Wambold 2 years ago
It's basically a pay to exercise service. You spend up to $2500 on a bike then need a subscription to tune into their broadcasts to work out with them.
RedCorvette 2 years ago
What a scam. I use YouTube, there are tons of free workout videos
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Mickie Shea 2 years ago
Major ripoff. Watch movies, travel thrillers, documentries, Your tube stuff. Google a road trip.
Mimi Downhouse 2 years ago
I always find this brand name funny - I understand it comes from French but it also happens to mean "fearless" in Finnish!
Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 2 years ago
Y r some "This Comment Is Hidden. Click To View." Upvoted and some downvoted on different days?
#15
lululemon. i worked there and we had “regulars” that would come in each week for new stuff. the employee culture is weird too
Hill Branda 2 years ago
Again, too old to know or care. So I looked it up. $70 for a pair of plain running shorts? Why?
Agnes Jekyll 2 years ago
Their staff go through "Landmark" training, which is the corporate side of EST--which is literally a cult. Former employees have said they could not progress if they didn't continue taking Landmark classes. So, yes, Lulu Lemon is a branch of a cult.
Bored Potato 2 years ago
For those who don't know: Lululemon is a brand that sells yoga stuff and sportswear. It's really expensive but it's mostly worth it. The quality of the products is fantastic.
Susan Reid Smith 2 years ago
lululemon is also a multi-level marketing, or pyramid sales group. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing
#16
Jeep owners
Wintermute 2 years ago
As a Jeep owner at least most of us know we drive unreliable money pits that we use mostly for pavement driving - we're just okay with it. Okay, that maybe doesn't help my case...
David H 2 years ago
Not Jeep Owners, it's the whole "Off Road" culture with the Wranglers (or even Ford Bronco's), and the related other things around that culture. There just happens to be a lot of Jeep owners in that group
cdubaya 2 years ago
About the only sensible post in the comments. Yes, there is such a thing. I have owned many off road vehicles and it is a sense of camaraderie. Most people that think common interests should be a good thing as it brings people together. Wouldn't people interested in boats go to a boat show or offshore party? Yes. Wouldn't people who like knitting go to a club for that? Yes. Not sure why everyone (not you) thinks like minded people shouldn't have the same interests.
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itsyournenbyapollo 2 years ago
😦 i can confirm and i am a jeep owner. you have to have ducks and wave at every jeep
#17
Weight Watchers
Will Cable 2 years ago
Best place to eat a cake is right outside their doors just when everyone leaving.
Bill McDowall 2 years ago
Wimp! Take your cake eating to the next level and sit in the meeting!
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Con O Cuinn 2 years ago
And have you ever seen the sugar content of their meals? Sure, let's load a bunch of Type 2 diabetics up with sugar. Fantastic idea
My “in my head” Voice 2 years ago
Same here. So much hate for people that want to lose weight.
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Bent Screw (she/her) 2 years ago
For some, the point of something like this is to make them mindful of what they're eating and change their habits.
#18
Taylor Swift fans ✨
Honeybee 2 years ago
I like her songs and I believe liking someone’s music is not the sign of a cult. The ones that would kill for her maybe. But she never asks people to
Amity_Calamity 2 years ago
thisssss. any fan base could be considered a cult by the post's standards
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Bored Potato 2 years ago
I'm a Swiftie myself and like Honeybee said, really liking someone's music doesn't warrant being labelled a cult. Sure, there are crazy fans but that's not a cult in itself.
Jeremy James 2 years ago
I've never been a fan of even that style of music. But when my dog died, I checked into a motel with a lethal amount of vodka and, for some reason, T-Swift became the soundtrack to my grief. I still can't hear, "Shake It Off," without crying.
Bronze Republic 2 years ago
I'm sorry to hear that. That was a lot to unpack with a short read.
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crowspectre (he/they) 2 years ago
Taylor swift isn't the problem, she's borderline stalked by the people who are obsessed with her. I like her music from time to time but the entire vibe is very f****d
Wintermute 2 years ago
Not a fan of her music, but she seems like a genuinely admirable person.
Suzy Creamcheese 2 years ago
I don't think liking Taylor Swift makes you a cult member, but it certainly makes me question your musical taste. ;-)
Isa's left eye 2 years ago
Nothing wrong with being a swiftie. Her music isn't my favorite but people have different tastes.
RandomPersonOnline 2 years ago
I don’t think Swifties are a cult, just people with a similar interest, there isn’t anything wrong with that.
#19
Competitive dance.
SweetCheesySpaghetti 2 years ago
Also: competitive cheerleading. (if this appears farther down, i apologize for the repetition)
Upstaged75 2 years ago
Some of the competitive cheer teams have kids that move from across the country just to join them. I can't imagine my parents ever letting me do that, but it's very common now. They live with "cheer foster" families. Some even home school so they have more time for cheer. Which sounds crazy to me, but I guess it can pay off in college scholarships.
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Upstaged75 2 years ago
I did competitive theater in high school too. It was so funny to travel and end up in a place with 100's of theater kids from all over the country. And everyone was attempting to be as weird and flamboyant as possible. :)
Load More Replies... censorshipsucks 2 years ago
I think this is ok, it's no different to sports right? What makes this a cult as opposed to say football fandom? (Soccer). I mean, the level of fandom on some soccer teams is phenomenal. Man U and Liverpool in particular have vast cult followings.
Tuesday's child 2 years ago
Also that stock image makes no sense, that is a girl running around in a field, not competitive dance
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Carole Strawn 2 years ago
I'm not to the bottom of the list yet but just in case no one's said it, children's beauty pageants.
#20
High school theater departments
ЛеснойКороль(ForestKing)H/H 2 years ago
who downvoted me ???? i was joking
Load More Replies... Keller Worthen 2 years ago
One look at the theater group chat at my school, and you'll see that we are a cult that has a lot of fun
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oddly_informed_raven 2 years ago
I'm in a friend group made up of mostly theater kids and we've started two cults, one around a long furby and one around mini plastic babies
Morgan️ 2 years ago
theatre kids at my school too. there is something about the tiny plastic babies
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Crescent 3 2 years ago
As a theatre (spelled that way because they INSIST on it) parent, I can confirm that this is true. :)
inkpen-waxwings 2 years ago
Theatre kid here- there's theatre the art and theater the place! :) Thanks for being a theatre parent
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Upstaged75 2 years ago
I had a great time in high school theater and made awesome friends. That was before the internet though, so we never dealt with all the anonymous bullying.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
High school theater gives kids who aren't accepted anywhere else a place to go and have a community. Of course, that also could be said about most cults. But if you want to see cults at the high school level, look at sports. (You notice that they never force the entire student body into the gym to have a pep rally for this weekend's spring musical.)
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
I had a friend John who was part of the set building "crew" for the H.S. theater department. They were quite tight-knit, but it spilled out occasionally into the social world. For example, during a verbal argument with another of my high school friends (which were frequently laced with threats of violence that never materialized), John said he would "beat [him] with his 32 ounce Vaughn ripping hammer." I still remember because of how oddly specific he was about his weapon of choice.
#21
USMC.
Epsilon 2 years ago
Ever heard of the guy Chestey Puller? They worship him and honestly, he did enough crazy bs to earn it
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Alexandra Grey 2 years ago
On that note, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). I don't know what they put in the water over there, but the Rakkasans are a damn cult.
#22
MrBeast worshippers
Bored Potato 2 years ago
Very rich philanthropist Youtuber who's famous for giving away money and other free stuff. Has over 100 million subscribers on Youtube. Awesome guy as far as I know.
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aZZy_d3Lta (they/star/bun) 2 years ago
I'm not a Mr. Beast fan but there are some things that I know have bee surrounding him recently- they tried to cancel him because he gave people the ability to see for the first time, gave a bunch of kids their first pairs of shoes, and because a member of his team was trans. Thanks to him, I discovered something, you can't get cancelled if you just don't care ABOUT being cancelled.
WilburTheHusky 2 years ago
I don't actually like his content tbh, YouTube has gotten worse in terms of content. The videos I see now are just low effort
Brock Gibson 2 years ago
he spent like 100m on some videos. how is that low effort?
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Skyler_They/Them 2 years ago
Can confirm. Cousin Hated when I voiced I don't like Mr. Beast all that much
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Just another temporary youtube star. There was pewdiepie, now there's this guy. It will pass.
#23
The band THE CULT
KittyMommy 2 years ago
They have killer guitar tracks though. If you like very heavy guitar oriented rock you'll like them. Try Firewoman, my favorite of theirs
Load More Replies... #24
Texas A&M
Hill Branda 2 years ago
Texas A&M is a university in Texas, famous for it's football team and the students' general redneck demeanor. Texas treats college sports like a religion. People are loyal to the team across generations, even if they never attended the university. It's truly bizarre.
Upstaged75 2 years ago
Texas treats peewee football as a religion! :) Any football is sacred.
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Living Example 2 years ago
College football programs in general. The football coach at OSU is highest paid state employee in Ohio. The players get nothing but a 1 in a zillion chance of becoming pro (I won't get started on that rant).
Quarkbeast 2 years ago
YES! I've been saying this for years. Very strange that people are so devoted to it, even years past graduation. I know people who worship it and never went there! WTF?
Pedantic Panda 2 years ago
Can someone explain for those is us not blessed enough to live in the US?
Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
Sorry, but I live in the US (Massachusetts) and I don't understand this one either.
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usernameorwhatever 2 years ago
I’m going to Texas A&M when I graduate high school. My uncle is a Texas A&M graduate and he only got his job because he went to college there. All of the employees graduated from Texas A&M. It’s kind of like a family in a way. But I agree, kind of cult-like lol.
#25
Academia
Michael Largey 2 years ago
Oh! Macadamia! I thought you said macarena, and I just started dancing!
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David H 2 years ago
more of a pyramid scheme. Departments need more grad students to get more money, but produce more graduates than jobs, so the post-doc students who can show they get more grad students to their professors will get jobs, and so on. Dr. Jorge Cham called it "The Profonzzi Scheme"
Wise Turtle 2 years ago
The mentality some academics have is very cult-like
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Michelle C 2 years ago
Yeeeah, some people can be kind of culty in the field. The majority of us are not like that and just want to make a genuine positive and lasting difference in the lives of all we impact in any type of school setting!
Mickie Shea 2 years ago
Where else for hallowed halls, cause all are in class learning. Drinking's for later.
#26
Horse riding groups
panther 2 years ago
There is nothing wrong with horses, the people on the other hand are the issue.
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Bent Screw (she/her) 2 years ago
Some groups of horse people see horses as status symbols and spend horrific amounts of money on the horses themselves and the maintenance of them. They don't really care about the animal's well-being and very rarely keep them until they are old and no longer of use to them. Most horse people are just passionate about horses. If you're sick of them talking about their horses and showing you pictures of them, it's the same for you showing pictures of your children, the most recent meal you had, or your trip to Punta Cana.
High Mamii Melo 2 years ago
Horses are absolutely a status symbol, not just considered one. It's not about exclusivity, either. There are plenty of people who take riding lessons and do not own their own horses for reasons like the expense of upkeep. It's not necessarily the expense of buying the horse, but the expense of upkeep. What you've said about people not caring for them or rarely keeping them when they are old is simply not true. Many horses are put out to pasture so they can fully enjoy the rest of the outdoors for their lives instead of being put to work when they are too old. Your post is full of ignorance and personal bias.
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Fly_Agaric_Frog (They/Them) 2 years ago (edited)
Dude what the heck is wrong with horse riding groups??? What's wrong with horses??? What the heck is wrong with you??? (Sorry I love horses)
Upstaged75 2 years ago
Whoever wrote that must have met a truly crazy horse lady. They are out there! Look up Prancercise if you don't believe me. :) Most of us horse people just enjoy riding and horses and don't need to make it our whole personality.
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What do you think ?
Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
MAGA idiots. They think they have a right to overthrow the federal government, and they excuse all manner of criminal acts and inappropriate behavior.
Thenatural 2 years ago
Get ready America...you've got either Desantis or trump next...you think things are bad now........
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Chia 2 years ago
Veganism. Wait—hear me out. I am vegan, happily so, but many vegans will shame you for not practicing it the same way they do or for not doing it for the “right “ reasons.
censorshipsucks 2 years ago (edited)
correct. I support vegans even though I am not one, and have dated 3. You guys are on the money with moral stance. I'll convert when the meat substitutes are readily available at takeout places and are not double the price.
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fandomprincess (he/she/they) 2 years ago
Help can people please stop referring to multi-level marketing as MLMs?? Lmao every time I see something like this my little gay brain goes straight to men-loving-men and I can't figure out what they mean
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Stardust she/her 2 years ago
My mum follows a spiritual organization which I believe is a cult. It’s called Brahma Kumaris and they believe that the world is 5000 years old and that it goes through a 5000 year cycle and each phase in the cycle is 1250 years. There’s just a lot of weird things they believe in so you can do your own research on them. They created a “documentary” called Polaris and it’s so insane that you have to watch it for how wrong it is
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
This group has an official website. Although I have never heard of it, it seems to simply be a branch of Hinduism. (I have a PhD in Comparative Religion, with concentrations in Hinduism and Judaism.) While the mythology of Hinduism is quite different from Biblical myths, the practices of moral and charitable living should seem familiar to all religious people. Really the defining aspect of a cult, as opposed to a religion or just a club of like-minded people, is the issue of freedom. Are members free to join or quit as they please? Free to come and go? To spend time with whoever they choose? To spend their own money? To choose their own careers? These are the crucial things.
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My “in my head” Voice 2 years ago
This is a list of groups some idiot hates for their own personal reasons. This has zero legitimacy.
Karen Lyon 2 years ago
If I could like that comment a million times, I would. I said the same thing, basically.
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Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
MAGA idiots. They think they have a right to overthrow the federal government, and they excuse all manner of criminal acts and inappropriate behavior.
Thenatural 2 years ago
Get ready America...you've got either Desantis or trump next...you think things are bad now........
Load More Replies... Chia 2 years ago
Veganism. Wait—hear me out. I am vegan, happily so, but many vegans will shame you for not practicing it the same way they do or for not doing it for the “right “ reasons.
censorshipsucks 2 years ago (edited)
correct. I support vegans even though I am not one, and have dated 3. You guys are on the money with moral stance. I'll convert when the meat substitutes are readily available at takeout places and are not double the price.
Load More Replies... fandomprincess (he/she/they) 2 years ago
Help can people please stop referring to multi-level marketing as MLMs?? Lmao every time I see something like this my little gay brain goes straight to men-loving-men and I can't figure out what they mean
Load More Replies... Stardust she/her 2 years ago
My mum follows a spiritual organization which I believe is a cult. It’s called Brahma Kumaris and they believe that the world is 5000 years old and that it goes through a 5000 year cycle and each phase in the cycle is 1250 years. There’s just a lot of weird things they believe in so you can do your own research on them. They created a “documentary” called Polaris and it’s so insane that you have to watch it for how wrong it is
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
This group has an official website. Although I have never heard of it, it seems to simply be a branch of Hinduism. (I have a PhD in Comparative Religion, with concentrations in Hinduism and Judaism.) While the mythology of Hinduism is quite different from Biblical myths, the practices of moral and charitable living should seem familiar to all religious people. Really the defining aspect of a cult, as opposed to a religion or just a club of like-minded people, is the issue of freedom. Are members free to join or quit as they please? Free to come and go? To spend time with whoever they choose? To spend their own money? To choose their own careers? These are the crucial things.
Load More Replies... My “in my head” Voice 2 years ago
This is a list of groups some idiot hates for their own personal reasons. This has zero legitimacy.
Karen Lyon 2 years ago
If I could like that comment a million times, I would. I said the same thing, basically.
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