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Are you in a cult?
Are you sure?
Are you really sure?
According to guest Jane Borden, our entire country was founded by a doomsday cult, the Puritans. Aaaaand if that didn't get your curiousity piqued for this latest episode of the podcast, then I don't know what will!
In the latest episode of The DTALKS Podcast, Joe and Jane get into a conversation about the definition of a cult, some of the earliest examples, and how the world around us uses "Us vs Them" logic to drive people further and further apart. It's a startling realization in an age where everything seeks to divide us.
It's a great episode that you won't want to miss, enjoy!
Jane Borden is an author, culture journalist, and editor. She contributes regularly to Vanity Fair, and has written for the New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post, among other outlets.
Her book Cults Like US: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America will be published in March 2025 by One Signal Publishers. Her first book, I Totally Meant to Do That, was published by Crown. Before all of that, she was a culture editor at Time Out New York.
She is also a professional editor, book coach, and ghost writer. Jane lives in Los Angeles.
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This colorful and enlightening pop history explains why the eccentric doomsday beliefs of our Puritan founders still drive American culture today, contextualizes the current rise in far-right extremism as a natural result of our latent indoctrination, and proposes the United States is the largest cult of all.
Since the Mayflower sidled up near Plymouth Rock, cult ideology has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, journalist Jane Borden argues that Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it just went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our allegiance to influencers and self-help, susceptibility to advertising, and undying devotion to the almighty dollar, Americans remain particularly vulnerable to a specific brand of cult-like thinking.
With in-depth research and compelling insight, Borden uncovers the American history you didn't learn in school, including how we are still being brainwashed, making us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she also revisits some of the most infamous cults in this country—including, the Branch Davidians and Love Has Won, presenting them—as integral parts of our national psyche rather than as aberrations.
Make sure to check out the Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast:
What do guys talk about?
How do male friendships work?
How can you be vulnerable in an environment where you've been conditioned to "bottle it up" and not share what's really on your mind?
That's the topic of this episode of the podcast as we welcome back former guest, Ben Feller, to the show to discuss his latest project, the new podcast "Pour It On".
Joe and Ben get into a great conversation about Ben's podcast, how much it means to him, and what he hopes listeners of the podcast get out of it.
Enjoy!
Ben Feller is an award-winning writer who covered two presidents and now helps people and organizations tell their own stories. He is also a writing coach, moderator, media adviser and public speaker on parenting, politics and the power of communications.
In his first career as a journalist, which spanned 20 years, Ben distinguished himself as one of the finest reporters in the nation. He ultimately served as the Chief White House Correspondent for The Associated Press, a role in which he led presidential coverage for the largest news organization in the world.
Ben spent more than six years covering President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush, traveling aboard Air Force One across the United States and to more than 25 other countries. He often asked the first question at press conferences and was honored as a “master of deadline reporting.”
Ben then pivoted to business, becoming a communications adviser who specializes in guiding companies, universities, foundations and leaders on their messaging and their biggest strategic decisions. He is now a partner at maslansky + partners, the world’s leading language strategy firm, where the power of story is used to achieve goals and solve problems.
A native of State College, Pa., Ben graduated with distinction from Penn State in 1992 with a degree in journalism, and he has been honored as an Alumni Fellow of the university for success across his communications careers.
Pour It On is a podcast hosted by Shaun Emerson, Ben Feller and Chris Lozier about male friendship, life’s challenges and joys, and making the most of our time here. When the chaos of life makes you want to bottle it in, don’t let it. Grab your drink of choice, enjoy the moment, and let’s pour it on!
Make sure to check out the Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast: