Amanda Montel

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I think parasocial cult leaders are the new cult leader of the 21st century.

I think classically we think of cults as these groups that operate on remote compounds, Manson style, Jonestown style.

I do believe it is absolutely possible to be

Radicalized or whipped up into a state of cultishness from the comfort of your living room or your bed just because of the way that forums operate and the way that social media algorithms reward sensationalism and certain...

forms of charisma.

I never want to be too sensationalist.

Obviously, there are parasocial communities that are net positive.

Fan communities can really provide a safe and loving space for marginalized folks, young people who are increasingly experiencing loneliness, which has been described as an epidemic, and I really believe that's true.

However, when we start to kind of

lose the plot and devolve into these kind of really hostile dynamics involving what a psychologist might call splitting, where we're dividing other fans or, you know, even celebrities that we admire or business leaders that we admire, podcasters we admire, and all these people are, you know, crossing into each other's lanes.

into like deified angels or disgrace demons.

And we're, you know, making guesses about like what our parasocial leader, whether that's Taylor Swift or a politician or a podcaster might want us to do and what they're thinking.

And we're

You know, jumping to conclusions and maybe even committing violence because someone we admire from afar tweeted something that we're finding hitting meetings in.

That's an extreme and that's something to examine and not to discount just because it doesn't meet the cult criteria that we're used to seeing in documentaries about violence.

So, yeah, I mean, do I have parasocial relationships with artists that I adore?

Of course.

And are they sometimes a little delusional?

And do I think that they have certain qualities or that they would be friends with me if we met in real life?