Cult Favorite Podcast

Cult Favorite Podcast Cult Favorite is a podcast about all those cult documentaries you can't stop binge watching. Hosted by Merinda Simmons and Mike Altman.

We are two religious studies professors trying to understand our current cult documentary era.

09/17/2026

Proof you don’t need to watch the documentary to listen to the episode!

We’ll summarize it for you + give you more juicy bits!!😆

09/14/2026

Cults? Tropes? Trust?

It’s complicated… let’s talk about it!

Have you listened to this past week’s episode yet??

09/11/2026

Have you watched the new episode yet??

There are so many complexities in this documentary worth talking about!!

🥳Episode out now on wherever you like to listen!

09/09/2026

And we’re officially back!!

🌟New episode is out now where we discuss the cult documentary “Trust Me: The False Prophet” and the complexities of “trust.”

09/08/2026

Only 2 more days until we start to talk about all those cult documentaries you can’t stop binge watching again!!

04/14/2026

New episode! We discuss Apple TV’s newest cult documentary Twisted Yoga. Link in bio!

Put your brain in Warrior 2 and join us for a conversation about the new documentary series Twisted Yoga on Apple TV+ (i...
04/13/2026

Put your brain in Warrior 2 and join us for a conversation about the new documentary series Twisted Yoga on Apple TV+ (in which Gregorian Bivolaru assaults women in the name of divine transmogrification at yoga retreats). We talk about classification and the power of language—acquiring it, adapting it, and applying it. Our pronunciation skills could use some work, and Merinda mentions Unsolved Mysteries when she means America’s Most Wanted, but we stand by the larger points in full-on Mountain Pose.

Wanna be famous? Or, more accurately, wanna learn how to curate an online image/persona effectively enough to get lots o...
03/31/2026

Wanna be famous? Or, more accurately, wanna learn how to curate an online image/persona effectively enough to get lots of likes and free products? If so, hold on to your boots because you’ll need to wade into the deep and murky waters of “authenticity.” That may seem easy enough—you know what’s real! Beware, though, bc things are not always as they seem: followers are sometimes bots, and airplane windows are sometimes toilet seats. Here on the other side of the looking glass, rendering yourself socially and digitally legible means being heavily produced. If cults are about having charisma and a following, look no further than the cybernetic world of influencing. But the word “cult” is nowhere to be found in the documentary “Fake Famous” (HBO Max, 2021). What gives? We have ideas, along with a few about what takes.

If you didn’t see it already, here’s your formal announcement and friendly PSA: an episode about the Oscar-winning docum...
03/23/2026

If you didn’t see it already, here’s your formal announcement and friendly PSA: an episode about the Oscar-winning documentary Marjoe (1972) is out on the heels of awards season! The story of child-preacher-turned-hippie who goes back on the revival circuit with a film crew, Marjoe offers lots to talk about in the way of performance, staging, coercion, and complicity. Never one to be left out, tho, authenticity crashes the conversational party and grabs a lot of attention. A playful moment with a dog also makes a brief and tender appearance.

This week, we dive into Kumaré (Kino Lorber, 2011), in which Vikram Gandhi fashions a social experiment that turns into ...
03/02/2026

This week, we dive into Kumaré (Kino Lorber, 2011), in which Vikram Gandhi fashions a social experiment that turns into a journey of self-discovery...or something. Topics include but are not limited to: guru persona as ideological container, autauthenticity rhetoric and performance, what factors make manipulation seem innocuous or exploitative to an audience, yoga + air guitar, and what Mike’s been reading lately. Join us!

Address

212 Presidents Hall, University Of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
35487

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cult Favorite Podcast posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Cult Favorite Podcast:

Shortcuts

Share

Category