Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 56 | Brazilian Dictatorship and Resilience
Cults and the Culting of America
Release Date: 11/04/2025
Cults & the Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady & Dr. Scot Loyd | 65 | The Children of AA
Cults and the Culting of America
Content warnings: discussion of child abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, trauma, recovery culture, substance abuse, and high-control groups. In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella and Scot are joined by Violet, a writer and creator who grew up immersed in 12-step programs from infancy. Violet shares her lived experience of being raised in Alcoholics Anonymous, examining how recovery culture, often treated as sacred and beyond critique, can function as a high-control system, particularly for children. The conversation explores themes of indoctrination,...
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Cults & the Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 64 | Power Coalition and Getting Involved
Cults and the Culting of America
In this special edition of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella speaks with Ashley Shelton, founder of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice in Louisiana, about organizing, democracy, and what it actually means to fight authoritarianism in real life. Ashley draws on her background in philanthropy, disaster recovery, and voter engagement to explain how Black and Brown communities—particularly in Louisiana—have long relied on mutual aid and organizing because government support has historically been absent or extractive. The conversation connects current political threats,...
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Cults & the Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady & Dr. Scot Loyd | 63 | NA vs Opportunity
Cults and the Culting of America
In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd are joined by hip-hop artist, author, and activist Spryte the Emcee, who shares her deeply personal journey through addiction, recovery, and eventual deconstruction from Narcotics Anonymous. Spryte recounts a childhood shaped by trauma, loss, and instability, followed by immersion in NA after a near-fatal overdose. While the program initially provided safety and structure, it later became increasingly coercive and controlling, particularly when Spryte pursued higher education and personal growth. The...
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Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 62 | Cognitive Dissonance Fact Check
Cults and the Culting of America
In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella sits down with political scientist Thomas Kelly to revisit one of the most foundational ideas in cult studies: cognitive dissonance. Their conversation centers on Leon Festinger’s famous book When Prophecy Fails, which is often cited to explain why cult members double down on beliefs after predictions don’t come true. Thomas walks through his research uncovering serious methodological and ethical problems with that original study, arguing that the historical record actually shows the opposite of what Festinger claimed....
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Cults & The Culting of America w/ Dr. Scot Loyd | 61 | Jewish Black Supremacy Cult
Cults and the Culting of America
In this episode, guest Ara Jade shares her seven-year experience inside a high-control religious group adjacent to the Hebrew Israelite movement, known as the Israel of God. She recounts how she was drawn in through family influence, biblical study practices, and a strong sense of community, only to later encounter manipulation, racism-based doctrine, misogyny, surveillance, fear tactics, and emotional control. Ara describes specific red flags, including purity rules for women, the weaponization of Black identity, pressure to obey male authority, and her arranged-like marriage. She explains...
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Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady & Dr. Scot Loyd | 60 | Christian Science
Cults and the Culting of America
This episode of Cults and the Culting of America features guest Emily Hulen, a massage therapist and trauma coach who grew up in Christian Science and later navigated additional cult-like environments. Emily describes the core beliefs of Christian Science — including the denial of physical reality, rejection of medical care, and heavy reliance on prayer as a means of erasing mortal experience. She shares harrowing examples of untreated medical issues in her family and her own childhood injuries and illnesses that went unaddressed. Emily traces her early cognitive dissonance, beginning around...
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Cults & the Culting of America Podcast w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 59 | MAHA vs. Fertility Treatment
Cults and the Culting of America
In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Brown discusses her journey in women's health and fertility, emphasizing the importance of understanding these topics beyond conventional medicine. The conversation explores the Maha movement and its impact on women's health, cultural perspectives on pregnancy and motherhood, and the dangers of extreme birthing practices. The discussion also touches on the romanticization of pain in motherhood, the need for community support in parenting, and the intersection of gender and medical care. Dr. Brown highlights the boy crisis and the influence of cult mentality on...
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Cults & the Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 58 | America Branded Fascism
Cults and the Culting of America
Content Warnings: Sexual assault and child sexual abuse Sex trafficking and the Epstein list Cult dynamics, coercive control, and brainwashing White supremacy, racism, xenophobia, and fascism Historical violence, genocide, Nazism, U.S. colonial atrocities, police violence Political extremism, MAGA, Trump administration actions Death, including anticipated death of a political figure Domestic extremism, ICE raids, and militarized responses Cult-related childhood trauma and labor camp environments In this episode Daniella (“Knitting Cult Lady”) and historian Amanda...
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Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady & Dr. Scot Loyd | 57 | Born and Razed
Cults and the Culting of America
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of religious and institutional abuse, child abuse, disordered eating, family estrangement, mental illness, trauma recovery, and medication withdrawal. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, hosts Dr. Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young speak with Beth Granger, author of Born and RAZED: Surviving the Cult Was Only Half the Battle. Beth shares her experience growing up at Grenville Christian College, a Canadian boarding school later revealed to be a religious cult connected to the Community of...
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Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 56 | Brazilian Dictatorship and Resilience
Cults and the Culting of America
In this special episode, Daniella Mestyanek Young (“Knitting Cult Lady”) speaks with Dr. Bryan Pitts, Assistant Director of UCLA’s Latin American Institute, about the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985) and how studying Brazil’s political history can help Americans understand current threats to democracy. They compare U.S. and Brazilian political systems, the cultural myths that obscure inequality (the “American Dream” vs. Brazil’s “racial democracy”), and the interplay between religion, class, and authoritarianism. The discussion explores how political elites,...
info_outlineIn this special episode, Daniella Mestyanek Young (“Knitting Cult Lady”) speaks with Dr. Bryan Pitts, Assistant Director of UCLA’s Latin American Institute, about the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985) and how studying Brazil’s political history can help Americans understand current threats to democracy. They compare U.S. and Brazilian political systems, the cultural myths that obscure inequality (the “American Dream” vs. Brazil’s “racial democracy”), and the interplay between religion, class, and authoritarianism. The discussion explores how political elites, class structures, and the military shaped Brazil’s dictatorship and its fall, how the U.S. normalizes corruption through legality, and why Americans struggle to recognize creeping authoritarianism. The episode ends with reflections on community resilience, the dangers of individualism, and lessons from Brazil on defending democracy.
Dr. Pitts' Book:
Daniella's Links:
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Daniella Mestyanek Young's book:
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Uncultured Autographed:
Connect with Daniella on social media
Other Podcasts
Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd
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Key Takeaways
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U.S. comparisons to Nazi Germany miss nuances—Latin American dictatorships, especially Brazil’s, offer more relevant parallels.
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Brazil’s 1964 coup was not purely CIA-driven but enabled by U.S. encouragement and anti-communist ideology.
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The Brazilian dictatorship’s fall was driven by local politicians regaining influence and citizens mobilizing for democracy.
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Brazil’s political class and military were both hereditary systems that reinforced inequality and control.
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Corruption in Brazil was often criminalized campaign funding—whereas in the U.S., “legal corruption” (e.g., Citizens United) plays a similar role.
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National myths—America’s “classless society” and Brazil’s “racial democracy”—mask systemic inequality and prevent honest reckoning.
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Daniella and Bryan compare cult structures to political systems: authoritarian control thrives on isolation, hierarchy, and sacred assumptions.
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Bureaucracy and decentralization (local politics, paperwork, institutional rules) often protect democracy better than charismatic leadership.
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The Brazilian opposition’s shift from abstract “save democracy” rhetoric to focusing on people’s material needs (poverty, inequality) was pivotal to defeating authoritarianism.
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Americans may not recognize creeping dictatorship because they lack collective memory of one; Brazil’s experience offers a warning and a roadmap.
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The U.S. military’s apolitical stance may protect against coups but limits civic intervention when democracy erodes.
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Building community and mutual aid networks is crucial as a counter to isolation and authoritarian individualism.
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Both guests reflect on how growing up in cults or authoritarian systems gave them insight into manipulation, obedience, and ideological rigidity.
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Authoritarianism can appear on the left or right; unquestioning certainty is itself cult-like.
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Brazilians unified quickly to defend democracy after Bolsonaro’s attempted coup—contrasting sharply with U.S. responses after January 6th.
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Americans over-trust institutions and underestimate the need for civic defense of democracy.
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Brazil’s “relative democracy” under dictatorship reveals how regimes justify authoritarian control in the name of “protection.”
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Structural inequality, not individual failure, drives poverty—an insight both guests developed from missionary childhoods.
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Both guests emphasize that understanding other nations’ histories is vital to preventing tyranny at home.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Conversation
02:18 Personal Backgrounds and Cultural Insights
11:40 Understanding Brazil's Military Dictatorship
18:33 The Role of the Political Elite in Brazil
24:25 Class and Military Dynamics in Brazil and the US
29:06 Sacred Assumptions and the American Dream
30:28 The Decline of the American Dream
31:41 Comparing Dictatorships: The U.S. and Latin America
35:07 Cultural Diversity and National Identity
38:37 Birthright Citizenship and Its Implications
42:48 Political Maneuvering During Dictatorship
52:04 Lessons from Brazil's Political History
55:03 The Role of Community in Political Change
56:01 Introduction to Authoritarianism and Democracy
58:33 The Role of Institutions in Protecting Democracy
01:01:36 Military's Role in American Politics
01:04:22 Cult Dynamics in Military and Academia
01:07:19 Experiences of Extremism and Authoritarianism
01:10:15 The Importance of Community and Resistance
Produced by Haley Phillips, Meghan Picmann, and Lizy Freudmann