Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein
& special guests
"To hoodwink, or put something over on someone, derives from the act of thieves literally throwing a hood on victims before robbing them, thereby making them “wink,” which has an archaic meaning of “to close one’s eyes."
—Hoodwink Etymology from A Way with Words
Find it wherever you listen to podcasts
Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein explores how marketers use the same tactics as cults.
Featuring conversations with academics, practitioners, and past cult members, the show is a perfect resource for those who want to understand not only why they buy, but how they have been manipulated to buy too much.
Hoodwinked is produced by Multitude. Our Lead Producer and Editor is Bren Frederick. Thanks to Marc Langer for our theme music. Cover art by Cayla Einstein.
Get ready to learn about cults, marketing, MLMs, brand cults, influencers, and even conspiracy theories.
Upcoming Episodes
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What is a cult?
Kathryn Lofton, Yale professor of history and divinity, explains the difference between religion and cults, and the intersection between consumer culture and belief systems.
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Cults: Let’s get into the nitty gritty
Sarah Edmondson, cohost of A Little Bit Culty, is an ex-cult member turned cult expert. Based on her experience and knowledge garnered from hundreds of expert interviews, Sarah helps us understand who gets pulled in, how they get pulled in, and how they can get out.
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A new kind of cult
Dr. Mara Einstein, author of Hoodwinked: How marketers use the same tactics as cults, takes us on a journey to understanding how cults and brands use deception to get us to buy.
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What are brand cults?
We bring together Chris Kneeland, co-founder of the Cult Collective, with Ali Demos, Group Strategy Director at StrawberryFrog, to debate the merits of brand cults versus brand movements.
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MLMs the ultimate commercial cults
Anti-MLM advocate, Julie Anderson, takes us inside the world of multilevel marketing companies. After years selling for Monat, she now uses her social media skills against these companies that prey on women.
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Digital media changed the game
Jamie Cohen, media scholar and digital producer, and Gregory Epstein, author of Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation, explain how the pursuit of digital ad dollars reframed the cultural discourse and why the Silicon Valley mindset made this virtual inevitable.
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Influencers as cult leaders
Influencers purvey marketing messages. While some work to provide helpful information to their followers, others game the system with disinformation and rage-bait to generate as much revenue as possible. In this episode, Sam Ogborn (@MarketingwithSam) and an activist explain the incentives that lead influencers toward less altruistic ends.
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Getting out
Dr. Tanya Johnson, ex-Mormon turned licensed mental health counselor, answers the question so many people want the answer to: how do I get my friend, my family member, or myself out of a cult? From a therapist’s perspective, we explore how people are pulled into cults, and methods not only for getting out, but the work that needs to be done to stay out of cults.
Latest Episodes & Transcripts
The nitty gritty of cults
A Little Bit Culty co-host, Sarah Edmondson, digs into the nitty gritty of cults helping us understand who gets pulled in, how they get pulled in, and how they can get out.
What is a cult?
From worshiping gods to worshiping brands, Dr. Kathryn Lofton, professor of religious studies and American Studies, helps me explore how modern life blurs the line between the sacred and the sold.
Welcome to Hoodwinked!
New podcast, Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein is about how marketers use the same tactics as cults.