Hollywood cult

[vraiblonde]

I just read Rob Lowe's first autobiography, which was surprisingly interesting, and one section was highly enlightening.

He was talking about how he became involved in Democrat politics, and the way he described it he was basically groomed like cults do. Hollywood royalty Jane Fonda reached out to him when he was a young actor still mostly unknown and invited him to her home to "use our celebrity to do good". He shows up and there are other fledgling actor invitees, and several heavy entertainment hitters to do the convincing. Tom Hayden took the pulpit and gave a rousing speech that had the noobs all rallied and cheering, ready to follow him into battle.

It sounds very similar to how the Scientologists recruit. Or Amway. Or the Manson Family.

And then of course we see how these people behave on the internet and they're clearly batshit crazy cultists who are so riled up they can't control themselves.

Cults are interesting. Like drug addiction or compulsive gambling, anything alien to me that I can't relate to interests me. People who engage in self-destructive behavior are fascinating.

 

[GregV814]

did rob lowe talk about killing his girlfriend during playful sex when he was a sprout? that was his admission ticket to the dnc as a hollywood puke that was covered up.

try to find it

 

[Hijinx]

Well they wine and dine them and get them into the cult, and once in they don't want to lose their admission to the parties and the poon-tang
Jane Fonda should have been tried and shot by firing squad for treason years ago.

 

[Kinnakeet]

Well they wine and dine them and get them into the cult, and once in they don't want to lose their admission to the parties and the poon-tang
Jane Fonda should have been tried and shot by firing squad for treason years ago.

Poon Tang changes a mans outlook on life and his decision making.
Rob probably had to have relations with Jane to get into the club

 

[SamSpade]

Cults tend not to work like this, and they're not like they are often depicted on TV, just as right-wing people aren't all ignorant rednecks who wave flags and hate brown people and talk about guns and religion.

One is, the supposition that they "prey" on the weak. Not so much. I've mentioned this before - the overwhelming shared characteristic of members of cults is idealism. They want to make a better world, and they come upon a group of people that, from their perspective, are doing something about it.

It's not so much the "weak" as it is the unheard. There are myriads of people with voices and something to say, and no one wants to hear them. Hence, there are LOTS of groups that I WOULD call "cults" but since they aren't RELIGIOUS, they get overlooked. There are tons of groups that are strongly issue-oriented whose behavior is cult-like. The "unheard" can include lots of people - artists whose ideas are ignored; lonely people who have no one; smart people who are probably too smart to be interesting; social justice warriors looking for an outlet - and yes, the "weak and weird" (a turn of the phrase famous for its use in the cult *I* was in, because leaders did not want them).

Admittedly - there was a time when I defended such, and to be honest, part of the motivation isn't wrong. I heard one leader - who's not in it any longer, but his sentiment was in the right place - who said that they were accused of reaching out to the lonely, to the oddballs, to the people no one else wanted to talk to. And his answer was - thank God that SOMEONE will do that, and honestly, why isn't everyone doing that? I tend to concur with that.

Cults usually don't begin recruiting with lectures and emotional lessons, but it can be. USUALLY it's more subtle, so subtle that the people doing it are only dimly aware they're doing it - and that is they absorb newcomers into their worlds and the newcomer is mostly vastly outnumbered. He may enter a meeting where everyone knows one another - they WANT to talk to the new person, learn all about him. They might even hug him - and each other. In any case, it's usually a very pleasant experience. SO pleasant, the newbie WANTS to come back. Since cultists tend to shape their entire world around the social structure of the cult - all or most of their friends are in it, and they do a LOT of stuff together.

Well how does this differ from, say, a human FAMILY? Don't they do the same thing? For one thing, cults DO have agendas. After the newcomer is amenable to joining, the other members may discuss quietly how they can bring them in further and connect them to the purpose of the cult. When I was in, THIS was one thing that bothered me the most - that if the newbie KNEW we were talking about things that they wouldn't want to know right away - they'd reject it.

Other cults are not so - kind. I won't name the group, but they had a tactic you've probably seen and they called it "flirty fishing" - using some of their more attractive members to recruit, sending the vague signal that this person will be your girlfriend (or boyfriend - and I've seen this every bit as often). Other groups - like the one I was in - are dismissive of this - but they do it. New person is attracted to so and so, so they're encouraged to talk to them, but to not get too close.

___________________________________________________

Wow. I've written a lot, and I've barely touched on anything. There's slowly creeping isolation, the us and them approach, the social pressure and the threat of expulsion should you wander too far from the fold. Other groups use "shunning" - when people leave, you are to behave as if this person - who may have been your best friend - as if they don't exist - or they're the enemy. I've experienced this first hand. When my mom, who was in the group SAW this done to me, she was shocked.

Anyway, I have to get to work. It's been interesting bringing this up. I have no doubt that Hollywood CAN function as a cult, inasmuch as you will NEVER be part of the "club" unless you agree with their agenda. The ones who have the courage to stand up and say "fine with me" are the ones I most admire.

 

[vraiblonde]

There's slowly creeping isolation, the us and them approach, the social pressure and the threat of expulsion should you wander too far from the fold. Other groups use "shunning" - when people leave, you are to behave as if this person - who may have been your best friend - as if they don't exist - or they're the enemy. I've experienced this first hand.

We are watching this exact thing happen in real time with the Democrat Party. It has all the characteristics of a cult, and the members behave like cultists. The isolation, the shunning, the peer pressure, absolute submission to leadership, enemy-think, indoctrination, group-think, cognitive dissonance, opposition to independent thinking. It's all there.

 

[HemiHauler]

The description is not unlike the Trump cult. In fact, it's *precisely* the same, just the names are changed.

 

[Kyle]

The description is not unlike the Hate-Trump cult. In fact, it's *precisely* the same, the names aren't even changed.

Yep.

 

[vraiblonde]

The description is not unlike the Trump cult. In fact, it's *precisely* the same, just the names are changed.

That is exactly what a cultist would say. "I'm not a cult, YOU'RE a cult."

 

[Gilligan]

The description is not unlike the Trump cult. In fact, it's *precisely* the same, just the names are changed.

I keep trying to find a meeting or enrollment session for that there "Trump Cult" ... Can't find squat. You got some links you'd share?

 

[stgislander]

I keep trying to find a meeting or enrollment session for that there "Trump Cult" ... Can't find squat. You got some links you'd share?

Maybe you should start one. You can hold meetings at the Tiki Bar.

 

[SamSpade]

That is exactly what a cultist would say. "I'm not a cult, YOU'RE a cult."

You know. early on, one of the founders of my cult - it was learned he was getting it on with some of the younger college men in the church. Now aside from the fact that the group was greatly opposed to homosexuality - this was their leader.

Everyone turned a blind eye to what anyone with an ounce of sense could clearly see. They didn't want to see it. You want "cult"? How do BIDEN supporters NOT SEE he's barely holding on to reality? How can anyone who's ever been around someone suffering from dementia NOT see what is happening?

Trump supporters are WELL aware of his foibles. They don't sing his praises, have children sing songs about him, name schools after him, make sappy Netflix shows - and movies about him - ---

To me and many I know - he's not profound. He's not witty. He's not charming and he frankly has very little charisma. I didn't like Obama, but I will grant you. He HAD all that.

They don't ADORE him the way the left absolutely, totally, 100% did with Obama. Hence they think that people go to rallies and cheer for Trump because they love his every word, name their children after him, have their hair done like him and have tattoos of him on their ass. My sisters go to Trump rallies - sort of. They usually can't get inside, so they tailgate. Besides the energy, you know why they go? To be able to talk about what they think without a legion of shrill lefties telling them they have to be QUIET.

 

[Gilligan]

Maybe you should start one. You can hold meetings at the Tiki Bar.

Ooo...excellent idear. Do we have titles? Can I be...oh I dunno...the "Grand Vizar"?

 

[Sneakers]

Ooo...excellent idear. Do we have titles? Can I be...oh I dunno...the "Grand Vizar"?

I gots a few names for ya.......

 

[SamSpade]

Yep.

Talk to another Trump supporter and they're like, yeah. Ok. You both support Trump. Big deal.
A Trump HATER meets another one. Omigod! We're brothers!

And they bond after that.

Tell ME - which is the cult?

 

[Gilligan]

I gots a few names for ya.......

 

[Kyle]

Maybe you should start one. You can hold meetings at the Tiki Bar.

And everyone would end up talking about Guns, Boats and Old Cars instead.

 

[vraiblonde]

They don't sing his praises, have children sing songs about him, name schools after him, make sappy Netflix shows - and movies about him - ---

In other words, they don't treat him like a deity (as the Democrat cultists treat their overlords).

That Hemi rushed right in here to defend his Party and bash Trump speaks volumes. Normal people wouldn't waste a lot of time doing that, but note that he is here every.single.day. frantically disparaging Trump and singing the praises of his Democrat gods. If that isn't cultlike behavior I don't know what is.

 

[SamSpade]

I used to say this about FOX News - and I will say it about Greg Gutfeld -

The reason they are successful has a great deal to do with the fact that their competitors are all the same. If CNN ever wanted to be number one again - all they EVER have to do - is be fair. Have content that doesn't smear the right. Balance your news. Again, all they have to do to gain more viewership is, be fair to conservatives. FOX EXISTS - and flourishes - because THEY WON'T DO THAT. Everyone on the left watches all the other cable shows - and on the right, they watch their only outlet.

Ditto Gutfeld. Although to be honest - his panel show is hilarious. HE is hilrarious. They cover topics as a group, but they don't get irate like "The View" and they don't get all serious like - well most of the late night guys do.

You want to know why Trump is popular? Y'all made him that way. He became necessary when the left decided it wasn't enough to beat the right, they had to silence the right. ONE GUY comes along, and all the pigeons flock to him.

Trump - it's you guys that made him.

 

[Kyle]

They don't ADORE him the way the left absolutely, totally, 100% did with Obama. Hence they think that people go to rallies and cheer for Trump because they love his every word, name their children after him, have their hair done like him and have tattoos of him on their ass. My sisters go to Trump rallies - sort of. They usually can't get inside, so they tailgate. Besides the energy, you know why they go? To be able to talk about what they think without a legion of shrill lefties telling them they have to be QUIET.

Yeah. No "Chris Matthews Moments" over Trump.

Just people onboard with what he wants to do.