Videos

Teach the controversy. Chris foolishly dives headfirst into the most controversial debate of the internet age. --- *Search Categories* Anthropological; Internet culture --- *Topic Spoiler* The war on how to pronounce GIF --- *Further Reading* https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-gif-early-internet-innovation-ubiquitous-relic-180963543/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAS_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backronym https://abbreviations.yourdictionary.com/articles/common-accronyms.html https://abbreviations.yourdictionary.com/reference/abbreviations/what-is-an-initialism.html https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/33532/when-did-the-use-of-acronyms-begin https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/comments/5lium9/whats_the_history_of_acronyms/ https://forward.com/culture/326379/the-true-history-of-the-dreidel/ https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/gif https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/GIF http://howtoreallypronouncegif.com/ http://www.olsenhome.com/gif/ https://jemully.com/gif-pronunciation-hard-g-logic-doesnt-rule/…

What the @#$% do we know? In their 2nd episode, Kayla and Chris dig into another topic with a personal connection - and it all stems from one little bleep'n movie you may have heard about. (and the quantum flapdoodle runs deep) Search Categories --- New Age; Science / Pseudoscience;…

May we live long and die out. Kayla discovers a group that exists to cease. --- *Search Categories* Anthropological; Common interest / Fandom --- *Topic Spoiler* the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement --- *Further Reading* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_Human_Extinction_Movement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Euthanasia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_First! http://www.vhemt.org/ https://grist.org/article/2010-07-15-want-to-join-the-voluntary-human-extinction-movement/ https://onezero.medium.com/may-we-live-long-and-die-out-6d8688a4b0a3 https://theoutline.com/post/8632/voluntary-human-extinction-movement-death-drive-climate-change?zd=1&zi=qwa3p5ku https://www.facebook.com/The-Voluntary-Human-Extinction-Movement-VHEMT-158547474186448/ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jan/10/i-campaign-for-the-extinction-of-the-human-race-les-knight https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Voluntary_Human_Extinction_Movement https://www.inverse.com/article/14056-the-voluntary-human-extinction-movement-is-both-anti-republican-and-anti-death https://listverse.com/2016/06/23/10-extreme-ways-countries-have-tried-to-control-birth-rates/ http://www.vhemt.org/biobreed.htm https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/8/20/20802413/overpopulation-demographic-transition-population-explained https://fee.org/articles/the-myth-that-the-world-is-facing-a-population-crisis/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_overpopulation…

The trouble with quotes about death is that 99.9% of them are made by people who are still alive. -Joshua Burns Kayla and Chris get spiritual, contemplate unknowable questions of existence, and become disappointed in an "academic" ... again. --- *Search Categories* Science / Pseudoscience --- *Topic Spoiler* Afterlife Science…

This episode: so fun, it's scary. Kayla & Chris wrap up their Halloween themed topic and decide if it's a cult, or just weird. --- *Search Categories* Business --- *Topic Spoiler* Spirit Halloween, pt2 --- *Further Reading* Spirit Halloween Wikipedia Spirit Halloween facts on Mental Floss Bloomberg article on Halloween…

Did it really happen the way you remember? In CoJW's first two parter, Kayla and Chris tackle a surprisingly huge topic - and peel back the many layers to try to understand an interesting but dark persona made famous on the internet. Search Categories --- New Age; Business; Internet Culture;…

Nothing tastes as good as addressing a broken system feels. Chris and Kayla take a bite out of a topic that's been eating at Kayla since they started this show. **content warning: If dieting and eating disorder related content isn't for you, please consider skipping this episode. --- *Search Categories*…

Creativity is a verb, not a noun. Chris & Kayla tackle a rough one today. Content warning: White Supremacy, but we promise if you stick through to the end of the episode, we end on a much nicer note. Search Categories --- Destructive; Conspiracy Theory Topic Spoiler --- Creativity Movement…

Cult or Just Culture? This episode's topic has "cult" in the name, so case closed, right? Wellllll... we'll get to that. Search Categories --- New Religious Movement; Anthropological Topic Spoiler --- Cargo Cults & John Frum Further Reading --- John Frum Wikipedia article SJSU article Slate article Smithsonian Magazine article…

Awards shows are rituals of indulgent, narcissistic filler. It's the CoJW season one finale! Chris & Kayla revisit cults and weirds from all season to bestow some very prestigious and not at all fake awards. --- *Search Categories* Popular Episode --- *Topic Spoiler* Cult or Just Weird Season 1 recap…

"You cannot save people. You can only love them." -Anais Nin Welcome to Cult or Just Weird... SEASON 2. In this episode Chris and Kayla talk about the importance of expertise, and about what happens when the cult is coming from inside the house. --- *Search Categories* Science / Pseudoscience;…

Cult or Just Weird revisits a topic from Season 1... this time, with a friend or two. Chris & Kayla interview one of the subjects of conversation from CoJW's season one Tulpa episodes (13 & 14). --- *Search Categories* Internet culture; Common interest / Fandom --- *Topic Spoiler* Interview with…

We just took a DNA test, turns out... To set the stage for the next cult-or-just-weird in question, Chris & Kayla dig into some very cool molecular biology. --- *Search Categories* Science / Pseudoscience; Business; MLM; Alt Medicine / Wellness --- *Topic Spoiler* Ben Lynch & SeekingHealth --- *Further Reading*…

What do crustaceans, ghosts, and apocalypses have in common? Kayla and Chris welcome in the spooky season with an on-theme episode. --- *Search Categories* Business --- *Topic Spoiler* Spirit Halloween, pt1 --- *Further Reading* Retail apocalypse Wikipedia Vox retail apocalypse article Spirit Halloween Wikipedia Twisp River Joe Marver arson details…

Your call may be monitored for ghostly assurance purposes. Turns out Kayla was holding back on the juiciest bits of the Afterlife Sciences story last episode... --- *Search Categories* Science / Pseudoscience; Business --- *Topic Spoiler* The Soul Phone --- *Further Reading* https://www.thesoulphonefoundation.org/ https://neurology.arizona.edu/gary-e-schwartz-phd https://lach.arizona.edu/veritas https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gary_Schwartz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Schwartz#cite_note-6 http://www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org/site/contact https://opensciences.org/about/advisors http://www.eternea.org/mgmt_and_staff.aspx…

Don't forget to make your bed, brush your teeth, and contemplate your mortality. Chris & Kayla take a break from talking about cults to discuss life insurance. ... Just kidding on the first part of that sentence. --- *Search Categories* Business; Anthropological --- *Topic Spoiler* Woodmen Life & Modern Woodmen…

Primum non nocere. It's part two of CoJW's take on the Teal Swan New Age & self help business empire. Search Categories --- New Age; Business; Internet Culture; Destructive Topic Spoiler --- Teal Swan, pt2 Further Reading --- NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: 1-800-273-8255 CRISIS TEXT LINE Teal Swan Youtube Teal…

How much do you really know about the place you live? Kayla and Chris get geographical and tackle a topic that stretches the definition of cult to its limit. Or does it? Search Categories --- Business; Anthropological Topic Spoiler --- City of Irvine, CA Further Reading --- https://www.cityofirvine.org/ Irvine on…

Have you ever worked somewhere that had bizarre secret history? Welcome to the first episode of Cult or Just Weird! In the premiere, Kayla and Chris notice a loose thread that, when pulled, just keeps unraveling... ...but is it a cult, or just weird? --- *Search Categories* Popular Episode; New…