How to Deprogram a Guy in 10 Days with Endless Thread
3/17/20261 hr 25 min
Free yourself. What does it take to get someone to leave a cult? What happens if the cult is all around us? In this episode, Ben Brock Johnson & Amory Sivertson of NPR’s Endless Thread podcast join Sarah for a discussion about the cultier aspects of our culture, politics, and history, from the surprising origin of the anti-vax movement to the online communities that conspiracy theories can provide to lonely seekers. Together they try to figure out if it is indeed possible to “deprogram” those who wander too far into conspiracies. Digressions include the TikTok Button Girl, chicken pox playtime, and the grave sin of sleep shaming.
More Endless Thread:
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/568542542/endless-thread
Produced + edited by Miranda Zickler:
linktr.ee/mirandatheswampmonster
More You're Wrong About:
linktr.ee/ywapod
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSarah Marshall· Host0:00
You come together because you all love Newsies, and then you look around and you realize that you're all bisexual 15-year-olds. [upbeat music] Welcome to You're Wrong About. And welcome also to a You're Wrong About and Endless Thread crossover event, like on TGI Friday, when Cory from Boy Meet World would write a letter- [laughs] ... to Urkel or something. [laughs] [laughs] And with me today are Ben and Amory of Endless Thread. Hello.
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest0:35
Hello.
Amory Sivertson· Guest0:36
Hello.
Sarah Marshall· Host0:37
Thank you so much for being here.
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest0:39
Love a crossover.
Sarah Marshall· Host0:40
Ah.
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest0:41
Yeah.
Sarah Marshall· Host0:41
Do, do you... Is that a familiar reference? Did that happen?
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest0:44
Yeah.
Amory Sivertson· Guest0:44
Yeah. But who's Urkel? And who's Cory?
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest0:46
[laughs] No. How dare. Don't say that. Oh, God. [laughs] [laughs] No, that's very familiar. Although, I feel like you could convince me that it happened even if it didn't, if that makes sense.
Sarah Marshall· Host0:57
That's the thing, too.
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest0:58
Yeah.
Sarah Marshall· Host0:58
Well, and so you do a show where you are really ... You're doing a lot of things, but I feel like partly investigating pop culture memory. Is that fair to say?
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest1:07
Sure. Yeah.
Sarah Marshall· Host1:08
Oh, there's definitely some of that. A lot of Mandela effect popping up.
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest1:11
Yeah, love a good Mandela effect.
Sarah Marshall· Host1:13
A lot of internet cultural mysteries.
Ben Brock Johnson· Guest1:16
Yep. We'll take a Streisand effect if that comes along.
Sarah Marshall· Host1:19
Oh, yeah. Did the Fruit of the Loom logo have a cornucopia? Still wrapping my head around that one.
Amory Sivertson· Guest1:26
Okay, don't tell us. I feel like people need to walk on over.
Unknown speaker1:29
[laughs]