Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

58 reviews

zosiablue's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.0

I think the author's thesis was: Cults (like Heaven's Gate) and cult-feeling orgs (like SoulCycle) are different, but share similar language, and listening for cultish language is our best chance at not getting sucked in. Which is a cool premise but she doesn't land it. There are a lot of contradictions, tons of meandering,  and occasional strong political statements that I enjoyed but were then dampened by weaker language. It was messy but it did get me thinking about how pervasive cult language is. I think this book would be most eye-opening for anyone who feels conflicted about MLMs or Instagram influencers and things like that (this will talk them out of following). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Classism

hannah_and_her_stories's review against another edition

funny informative medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic

litematcha's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Cultural appropriation

balfies's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

3.0

About the language used by cults, and defining what makes something culty.

The first few chapters hewed a bit too close to true crime for me (I am very squeamish and the Jonestown murders are deeply distressing), but it picked up a bit in the chapters in MLMs and SoulCycle.

I'd greatly enjoyed Montell's first book Wordslut, about linguistics from a feminist lens, and was really keen to read this. It has its moments, but overall this is the weaker book, I think. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

I thought this was a fairly entertaining and informative book about cult like language is created, used, and is pervasive in things not traditionally thought of as cults. 

I think overall, it could have been stronger. I thought that each chapter kind of ended just as I thought it was starting to get juicy. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

brindolyn's review

challenging funny informative medium-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

rionstorm's review against another edition

funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

Really cool exploration into the linguistic techniques used by cults and cultish groups, written in an simple to read, conversational way so it's easy to get through.

I liked that the author explored a wide range of groups, from the types of groups that would traditionally be seen as cults, to new age social media healers, MLMs, and conspiracy theory communities like QAnon, as it was really fascinating to see the same core linguistic and persuasive principals being applied in such different scenarios. 

They look at both the positive and negative aspects of tight knit cultish groups, and consistently invite the reader to remain empathetic about to the factors that lead people to become part of these groups, without excusing any harmful behavior or views. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Racism, and Vomit

amsswim's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. Would recommend to all who like white collar crime, cults, and pyramid schemes. I picked this up because I also listen to Amanda's podcast "Sounds Like a Cult" which does smaller episodic takes of some of what she covered, more focused on everyday "cults". This did a great deep dive into separate topics, that all use the same tactics in reeling people in. Highly recommend!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

snd1101's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

Reads like a memoir; would like more credible evidence and analysis; if you’re conversant in linguistics, you’re not the target audience. A good splashy introduction with broad coverage of several USian cults and cultlike practices (which i liked having the coverage of!), but go elsewhere if you’re looking for substance.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Cultural appropriation

siebensommer's review

dark informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.75

the conditioning to automatically trust the voices of middle-aged white men. Over the centuries, we've been primed to believe that the sound of a Jim Jones-type voice communicates an innate power and capability — that it sounds like the voice of God.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation