Sounds Like A Cult - The Cult of Tik Tok Social Houses

Episode Date: July 4, 2023

It sounds like an episode of Black Mirror: 18-year-old kids are sacrificing their futures and signing their incomes away for the chance to move into a #sponsored Southern California mansion and dedicate every waking moment to the pursuit of online virality. Are TikTok Social Houses an innocuous influencer trend or something more like Heaven's Gate for the 21st Century? This week, Amanda and Isa are joined by performer and Scam Goddess host Laci Mosley to figure out if these uncanny little dystopias are a Live Your Life, a Watch Your Back, or a GFTO-level cult! To support Sounds Like A Cult on Patreon, keep up with our live show dates, see Isa's live comedy, buy a copy of Amanda's book Cultish, or visit our website, go to https://linktr.ee/soundslikeacult ! Sponsors: Dipsea: For listeners of the show, Dipsea is offering an extended 30 day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Stitch Fix: Try Stitch Fix today at StitchFix.com/cult and you’ll get 25% off when you keep everything in your Fix. BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.

With Dipsy's sexy audio stories, you can indulge in your blooming desires, newfound passions, and the thrill of taking risks. Dipsy is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipsyStories.com slash cult. That's 30 days of full access for free when you go to D-I-P-S-E-A Stories.com slash cult. Thank you to our sponsor, StitchFix. With StitchFix, you'll have access to real stylists who will work with you to create a word drove that is tailored just for you. Try StitchFix today at StitchFix.com slash cult and you'll get 25% off when you keep everything in your fix. That StitchFix.com slash cult for 25% off today. StitchFix.com slash cult. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. The views expressed on this episode, as with all episodes of Sounds Like a Cult, are solely

host opinions and quoted allegations. The content here should not be taken as indisputable facts. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Would you rather have to live in a TikTok social house for the rest of your life, or never be able to use the internet ever again? Ooh, that's not fun. Okay, so if I live in the TikTok side house, do I have to be daisling?

Okay, I just lived there. That's a good question. The contract was not specific, so interpreted as you may. Okay. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ This is Sounds Like a Cult. A show about the modern day cults. We all follow.

I'm Amanda Montel, author of the book Cultish the Language of Phenaticism. I'm Esa Medina. I'm a stand-up comedian, and you can catch my tour dates on my Instagram. Every week on our show, we discuss a different fanatical friend group from the cultural zeitgeist, from corporate America to Coachella,

to try and answer the big question. This group sounds like a cult category does it fall into? Live your life, watch your back, or get the fuck out. For our newest nurse, a Live Your Life level cult is like a baby cult. Definitely fanatical, but mostly harmless. A watch your back level cult is borderline dangerous, checks off some of the culty boxes but isn't totally destructive. And then we have a get the fuck out level cult, which is like, QAnon level, Manson vibes,

aka run for your life. After all, what classifies a cult is up to interpretation. Today, we are talking about the quintessential representation of what a cult in social media age looks like and it sounds like and it feels like and it embodies your brain and it takes over your brain and then it controls your sleeping patterns and then it doesn't let you go into REM sleep. We're talking about the cult of TikTok. Social houses though because that's next level.

It is, it's next level. It really sounds like a fucking episode of Black Mirror. Get this. A bunch of 18 to 22 year old kids. Sacrifice their futures, sign their incomes away for the chance to move into a hashtag sponsored Southern California mansion and dedicate every waking moment of their life

to the pursuit of online virality. Hello, it sounds like a cult. It sounds like a bunch of documentaries are gonna be made like 20 years from now. But they're all gonna be unfortunately vertical because all of the found footage is gonna be from fucking TikTok. I know they're just gonna be like 30

second documentaries because that's where our attention spans will have devolved. Yeah, damn it. We always get suggested to do like TikTok in general but we kind of felt like TikTok houses had more to look into because it's physical and in person and I feel like if we did TikTok it's kind of a little on the nose. Well and it's also if we did TikTok, it's kind of a little on the nose. Well, and it's also so broad. I mean, it would be like someone requesting we do the cult of Christianity.

It's like where to begin. We have to start with the sub-culture. A sub-culture that is actually tachyllable within the space of 45 minutes. But, you know, TikTok social houses are, one of those everyday cults that really exploded during the pandemic. And obviously the pandemic and all of the loneliness and the uncertainty really lent itself to cultishness.

So on one side of the spectrum, you had Q and honors and Maga and people freaking out over. I like the way you said Maga. It sounded like a cator. You were like on one side of the spectrum you have Maga and it's like okay Gucci d'olche I'm realizing that I've never said it out loud. I'm not gonna read it.

Yeah. I've never said it out loud. I never said it out loud. I like it. I like it. That hurt me. Okay, okay. Well, that's what I guess clearly it's not a group that I interact with all that much

because I don't even know how to fucking pronounce it. Yeah, but it's not a group that I interact with all that much because I don't even know how to fucking pronounce it. Yeah, but it's funny. Yeah, sorry, maga, maga, however, but um, yeah, so on one end you have, you know, the right wing conspiracy theorists, and then you also have the side of things where there are sort of new age essential oils, girlies, and MLM, mom, and you who are trying to reclaim some agency of their health and of their finances during the pandemic by saying, do Tara can save you from the pandemic

in many ways. And then with the younger generation, you have getting recruited to become a more than full-time tick tocker glamorous but housebound, dancing your way through the apocalypse. And that is the other kind of cult that emerged in a big way. Yeah, I mean, these are younger genders ears.

They're not like me, you know, like I am gendersy, but like I'm not 17. You're cussing. You're cussing, let us not forget. I'm a cuss, but they are actually children, and that is such a ripe age for someone to get pulled into a cult and at a pivotal time in your life when like you could be choosing to like start a career or go to college, find who you are, you're instead going into this house with one manager lady or man or person telling you

how to spend your time, how you make your money, and then being deeply influenced by every other 17-year-old around you, that's like how people stay in cults for the rest of their lives. They get infiltrated early on. Totally, and I think it's easy to dismiss them as some sort of teen trend. It's so innocuous. It's adolescent. They'll grow out of it. But there's a lot of money at stake. And to your point, these are really formative years. And I think when you are coerced to believe that your value lies in your virality, that can probably affect how you value yourself and how you value others for the rest of your life. And even if one day you'd pursue another career path, I think that mentality

will kind of be baked into your perception of the world forever. And that's culty and scary when you think about it. We don't know how things will turn out for ticked talkers of today. I've said this before on the podcast, but I haven't said it in a while. I also think it's a lot easier to control people who are controlled by social media. So the fact that these influencers are so under the influence of the algorithm and on their phones at all times and kind of rainwashed in a way,

they can then be controlled by not just their TikTok house mom, but their larger influences in life. Yeah, the system in general, I think if nothing else, they are some of the most distracted people in our culture right now. And a main cult tactic is to distract the living shit out of their followers so that you can very cleverly and surreptitiously influence them to behave in ways they wouldn't before. I also can't help but notice the optics

of these TikTok houses, when you gather a bunch of young, starry eyed people who are seeking something larger than life like fame, when you gather them up in a mansion, in Los Angeles or Orange County or whatever, and you tell them they can't really leave. Not in so many words, but that is the implication because they always have to be dedicating their time

to the cult. It literally looks like Heaven's Gate. That's what Heaven's Gate was. It was a bunch of people in a San Diego mansion who thought that they were on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. This is that for the 21st century. Yeah, and they all think the Kingdom of Heaven is David Dobrik.

And that man is not happy. I don't think, bro. What has become of the generation? But also, I don't wanna be sensationalist and alarmist about it, like maybe it's fine. That's what we're here to figure out. Are these TikTok houses a living life, a watcher back, or a get the fuck out?

And we have a very special guest joining us to analyze how Coltie and Scammy, these groups, can get. We are so excited that she was available to come on our podcast. Please welcome the host of the scam goddess podcast, our girl Lee, Lacey Mosley. Can you introduce yourself to our listeners and describe your relationship to cults? What's up y'all? My name is Lacey Mosley, and my relationship to cults is very close.

I joined a cult when I started doing improv, just a cults shout out to UCB, and you pay to play, you get in there, and you make friends, and you never leave, and you get entrenched in the drama, and it becomes your whole world. I love a good cult and a good scam. Yes, ma'am.

What do you personally think that cults and a good scam. Yes, ma'am. What do you personally think that cults and scams have in common and how are they different? Well, I would say that a cult falls under the umbrella of a scam. And the difference is, is that this type of scam is in it for the long haul. Like, you know, if you do like a,

hey, I can't, I don't have my wallet, like give me some money for the train type scam. That's a quick like, you know, exchange you do like a, hey, I can't, I don't have my wallet, like give me some money for the train, type scam. That's a quick, like, you know, exchange your cash, right? In and out. And then you leave that person alone forever. Or maybe you see them again randomly, you don't remember and you try to run it again, you know? But then a cult is like, you want to ingratiate people

into this belief, into this society, into this friendship. It's like, hey y'all's it starts with like a little hangout Let's play volleyball let's do a hike or maybe it's a charity a charity event like let's do charity for You know less fortunate and then why don't you come on down to our church later? We're gonna be fixing the roof and then before you know it you're giving all your money to these people. And these are your only friends because they isolate you. They keep you up really late at night, which is a great way to brainwash people. And then if you leave the call, it's like, wouldn't, if I leave the call, I don't have no friends and no family because I've been

isolated. And this is all that I have. This actually does connect to the topic at hand because we are ultimately talking about young people who will go to the ends of the earth to achieve some level of fame, which is a type of enlightenment in this culture. We are talking about TikTok social houses, and how they are very much like a modern day gold. If you don't know what a TikTok social house is,

according to a capwing.com blog post by Grace Winheim, TikTok houses are literal houses, often mansions, where primarily Gen Z TikTok influencers live together and create videos for social media platforms. Yes. So the members are very young. They're usually 18 to 22. They might be recruited by a manager or other existing members of the house. They might and usually do skip college to join the TikTok house.

It's these young people from middle America mostly who popped off on social media while they were home with their parents and then they're like, oh, I want to make this a full-time job. And there are leaders who are there to take advantage. I want to know from you, Lacey, what was your first impression of TikTok social houses when you first heard of them and did they seem culty to you off the bat? Yeah. Hi Pouses is how I've known them.

And they are culty for sure. It's like, let's get a bunch of people at a house who, like a mansion, you know, it's like a really nice house. There's a pool. There's many different bedrooms. They're all packed in there and they're whole soul job to turn out content all day long. And yes, that's a cult. Like anywhere where you live, but it's also your job is a cult.

Like I don't want to move into my job. Like I need to have a home outside of my job. How we sleep in that work? That's weird. Like literally describing work from home though. Oh my God. It's actually, it's interesting. I think boundaries are a part of what separates

a living life from a watcher back, from a get the fuck out level cult. And you know, when you work from home, your your home is your office and there are a few boundaries there. But when you're in a TikTok house, rather than your own home, maybe you have even fewer boundaries.

And they're also recording every aspect of their life, but it's not like a reality show where they have camera men recording it or something like that. They have to record each other and themselves. And so like, even when they're cooking eggs for breakfast, they have to pretend it's like a bit. That's so, so weird to me. I mean, it's exhausting.

And it really sort of robs you of your ability to live in the present or even figure out who you are because you're just optimizing for virality. So there is this great vice mini documentary about this whole topic called these kids are skipping college to be TikTok famous. We got a lot of our info from this episode from that. The so the vice documentary stated even their real life social engagements are for the benefit of social media.

So these teens spend their days constantly collabing with each other in the hype houses and making videos. And because, to your point, they all live and work in this house. They're motivated to turn every little life moment into a viral moment from brushing your teeth to going on dates.

And it makes it really difficult to learn, you know, what your true likes and dislikes are. Yeah, I mean, it can kind of lead to an artificial, like, uncanny existence. Like, it can affect their ability to connect with people in real life. And it often does. I mean, like, I've interacted with plenty of TikTok folks and... Femme. I don't know, dude. Going to a TikTok party is kind of awkward. It's not like a normal party.

No, because the whole point is to get content So you're just watching a lot of people film themselves or film each other or do dances or create something that feels Fun and inviting and you're not actually living the experience because it's all about getting the content Like that's it and it's all about getting the content. Like, that's it. And it's really bizarre because these events will be fun. They'll have drinks and food and all this stuff, but nobody's there for that. They're there to get the shot off and get the content. And it's interesting to me too,

because as a black creator, there's a lot of theft on TikTok when it comes to us. Like, I know you would probably know about like when the renegade happened, that dance move, right? Yeah. Just created by a black girl. And then TikTok, everyone's going to like stitch or, you know, recreate the dance themselves.

Like however, when so many black TikTokers are creating things that are popular and then it's being stolen by skinny white women and then they profit off of it like late night Yeah, they go on Jimmy Kimmel to teach the black girls dance and they get to perform at the Lakers game to teach the black girls dance But what the black girl get she didn't get any money she didn't get any cloud and I think sometimes people get exhausted with the whole like Appropriation or theft and it's like listen if you go to Bahamas, as a white girl and you let the Bahamians break brage a hair and put some pokershells in it. Live your life queen, get your pokershell braids off.

But live your life, I have nothing against that. I do have something against when black creators make things and then you steal it and then you get money and you get clout. It's like when they build a whole career off of it. When they build a whole dare I say cult. Yeah. Based on stolen property. The Addison Raes, the, you know, like they,

they can dance well and they're cute skinny white women, but they get to be pushed to the top. They get to make the money. They get to work with the Kardashians. Meanwhile, they stole all this shit from black girls who are not getting nearly as much traction. So for me, it's just about the money. Like, I don't give a shit if you do the same dances me.

I have viral TikTok sounds, and it's kind of weird hearing people use my voice, but at the same time, I'm like, I got paid. So for sure. Something that's really culty about it is that these original videos were made by Black creators, and then stolen by White creators to then create the illusion

that you can make money off of TikTok because only like two to three skinny white women were picked to then like project to the front of TikTok fandom, right? And then that like a cult brings in more creators of all backgrounds thinking, I can do that too. And so more creators of all backgrounds join the platform thinking like, oh, I can get to that level too. And it's like, no, no, not

it not even anymore. It depends what you look like, but it also depends when you joined the platform because some people like joined it when it was like depths of the pandemic. And now the whole idea is like, anyone can go viral. And it's like, no, they can't bake. They change the algorithm every five minutes. It's such a lie. And also, I don't understand why regular people want to go viral. It's very bizarre to me. Neither.

Like, I don't want to say regular in this kind of back feels like I'm saying in a class this way, but I mean, like, if you a nurse, do your nurse job. Why are you on TikTok talking shit about people who are, you know, having babies and now you fired from Emory Hospital? Like, bitch, you were, why are you wearing your scrubs

and your name tag trying to do a TikTok dance in front of the babies in the NICU? Like, what are you doing? Why are you dancing? Like, I'm in a coma. I'm in a coma. And you were here doing the sway. Like, why?

I know. And it really, I really think that TikTok has played a role in fucking with our sense of like what's valuable in this culture. Pixar didn't happen. It's this very uncanny. Also, I don't think people understand fame. You might have a viral video and people click

and look at it, but people's attention spans are so short. I have been a series regular on four television shows. I'm in movies. I have all this shit coming out. I'm still not famous. So why do you think that your weird little video is going to like make you a movie star? Like it's not. And like doing, creating that kind of content is hard work because you have to constantly be churning it out

And people don't realize that because it looks so easy when they're seeing the final product Yeah, and I mean that's a great point because I think social media has changed fame in general because like There are people online who will have like five million followers and it's like who the fuck who argue? You know who literally are you if I saw you walking down the street online who will have like five million followers. And it's like, who the fuck, who argue? Who argue? You know, who literally argue? If I saw you walking down the street, I would not know. And that also like changes the way people think of themselves. I feel like it's created a really like narcissistic culture

because like almost everyone is an influencer. In a way, I don't think people are addicted to the idea of fame. I think people are addicted to like notifications and fame. I think people are addicted to notifications and attention. Because I noticed myself, I recently moved in alone, and so I don't have anyone to chit chat with, and sometimes my friends don't answer my FaceTime calls. And so I'll post.

All post on Instagram. We're looking at you, Amanda. Do take up the FaceTime calls. Listen, I'm responsive. I, right? Amanda is very responsive, but it's like out post on social media, literally when I'm feeling lonely,

just because I need like the reciprocity of some type of attention, which is in the form of notification. And it's like dopamine, like those commonly. And it's like those likes, it's you feel like self-actualized and you feel that dopamine, that high.

But it doesn't last for long. So you have to go back and replenish. And it really relates to cults because like, what is the ultimate deficiency that cults take advantage of? It is a lack of social connection. It is a lack of a sense of identity. And so when you're feeling extremely lonely, like during the pandemic, when TikTok and TikTok social houses really popped off,

that was a time when people really tried to fill the void with social media, but it's like a type of hunger that cannot be seashreated on the internet. So it's really delivering a false promise in the way that cults often do. Yeah, so I feel like a lot of people think that like these TikTok social houses, or as Lacey was saying, a lot of people call them like hype houses.

A lot of people think it was a new idea that came around during the pandemic as a way to like get around, you know, lonely and just being like, well, I also think a lot of TikTok houses during the pandemic happened because they were like, oh, we'll all get tested and then we'll all live together. We'll pod and so it'll be like safe supposedly,

but then they would go to each other's houses and it was like a nightmare. But these social content houses have existed for a while. There was the houses with like Jake Paul's team 10 and there are these YouTube collaboration houses. The Cloud House appeared around 2016. I mean, David Dobrik, I know like lived with a bunch of his friends when he was first starting out. So the idea was co-opted by popular TikTokers and it led to the formation of the first two TikTok houses located in LA, which were the Hype House and the Sway House. And those are the two most known houses.

It was sort of something that had already existed on YouTube and then TikTok just took it to the next level. And then these houses helped a lot of the biggest TikTokers, you know, pop off on the internet. Like we mentioned Addison Ray, Charlie Demilio, Dixie Demilio, Noah Beck, Chase Hudson. And these kids are now, they have their own reality TV shows.

They are starring in movies. They are starting production companies. They're getting pictures deals. Like Netflix pictures deals. So it's very lucrative, but again, like Lacey mentioned, it's like all the people we just named are white, who stole from Black Creators. And then there was a time where the Black Creators

kind of like got really fed up with being stolen from and they were doing protests, I guess, or like a strike, almost. So like if a hot new song came out, like I remember there was Megan the stallion had thought shit come out And I was like hands on my knees and things I'm a thash Right? So all the black creators decided which sucks because like I love Meg So like I wish they would have hyped Meg, but I understood that they were like whatever the hot new song is

It's a no and so they didn't know what it was gonna be. So when thought shit came out, they did not do any dances, right? So then all the white creators were doing dances, and it's so funny because the song literally says, hands on my knees, and all of the TikToks with them, like flailing their hands in the air, and like looking just so sad.

And then like it's in the lyrics. Y'all could have figured this out. But they can remember when that was happening because I was like, why are these dances so bad? And this was like August 2021 and this is kind of when Triller stepped in for black creators and was like, Hey, y'all come to our high-past and we're going to actually pay you black people and we're going to do right by you. And then you know how that's going to go.

The payments weren't being paid. And like, they had such a demand for content output. One of the creators who went to this like, Black Triller, High Pows had to death in the family. And because they were like, well, you still have to put out content. Like, you're gonna have to bank some content or something while you go to this funeral.

Cause we need these posts. Jesus. And that to me, I was like, damn, which I want him to be dancing next to the casket. Like, which I want. Like, for real, it's really, damn, watch out, I want him to be dancing next to the casket. Like, what's out, what, like, for real? It's really, it's raw, because it has become so lucrative and these brands have noticed how profitable these TikTok houses in particular can be.

And we'll talk about how like the finances are set up. They don't care about the humanity. Even out of corporation, like, if you're gonna Amazon, if your family member dies, you're still getting that time off. In a TikTok house, it's so fringe, the industry is so new, you're gonna Amazon if your family member dies You're still getting that time off in a TikTok house. It's so fringe the industry is so new You're not getting those rights. There's no unions No, and the person I'm talking about is Nikolo

Kakla Natali if you want to look him up he's 20 years old, but his cousin died and they were like So sorry, but you still need to get back to work because there's no unions. There's no laws They they had all these people, and these people tried to escape TikTok to do Triller, and they had like rules about not doing TikTok or how much you could do on TikTok. And like, it was still bad, it was awful, they weren't paying them. Have you heard of Dipsy? If you've listened to this podcast, you probably have, because we're obsessed with it.

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That's betterhelp. H-E-L-P dot com slash cult. I want to talk a little bit more specifically about how these TikTok houses, Hyp houses, tomato, tomato, Kleenex tissue, whatever you want to call them are structured in terms of the power and the finances. So according to this vice documentary, these Hy palses often have like a den mother type, who might be in middle age, they recruit and sign the members to their agency, they're the ones who move them into these houses, and they take giant cuts of their earnings.

These managers may take up to 50% of earnings, which is a way above 50%. 50% is not crazy. I have a manor as an agent standard. 10% is the standard and for your employees. Five. Yes. One of these house members in the vice documentary was fully aware of the scammery and this tiktok house member told vice they're suckering these kids who come

from Nebraska or Ohio. They recognize it's bad, but they don't know what they can do about it, right? Because so much money is at stake. And a lot of these kids fall into the trap of what we call the cult of Hollywood, which is their super young and and their managers or the people who reel them into the like new group, have them sign contracts that they don't understand. And so then they are legally like under obligation to do something that they didn't know they signed up for, which is super culty and scammy. Oh no!

Something that's kind of crazy about these houses is the way that they work is that the manager or the quote-on quote, like, adult that puts the house together, they invest in the house. So they put in like $10,000, $ 20,000, $50,000 down payment. And then they have these TikTokers sign a contract that they're gonna like pay it back, but there's no oversight whatsoever.

And so then these kids are pretty much locked into these contracts that they didn't really understand what they were getting themselves into. And they have to make that money back plus profits in order to make any money at all. Yeah, which is honestly, I would call that a 360 deal. Like in the music industry where you get a 360 deal and they're like, we're gonna pay for your touring

and your outfits and your stylists. And then the music that you make and the touring that you do will then supplement that. And once you've made that money back, you'll actually start to make money. And it's the horse deal in the fucking world And they know that young people because think about it There's no financial literacy when you are in high school

Like which is so wild to me like why do I need to know how to use a protractor? Why don't you have the protector and theorem but I can all know how to pay my taxes I can tell you everything about Magellan, but I can't tell you shit about contract negotiation. And then immediately when you leave high school, you immediately go into some type of contract. So if you decide not to go to college, maybe you do a trade school, that's less shady. But if you decide to go to college, you're going in, signing up for loans that you don't understand, like putting yourself in debt that you'll never realize how horrible it is until you get out of college,

or you go into a TikTok house, where you sign in a way that you can pay the rent on a mansion and you can't leave. That is fucking right. No, that is so true. And I wanna talk about how it connects to people who join more classic cults like the Mansons or Jones Towner,

what have you because we have this idea that those people are desperate, but they're not desperate. They have big dreams. That's what makes you vulnerable. They're vulnerable because they're young and they don't have financial literacy to your point, but who among us does because we don't learn it. So the system sets us up to fail. But also the American Dream System sets us up to have these giant lofty ambitions and

aspirations for our life. So then a new cult like industry like the TikTok social house comes along. It's like, come here little boy, little girl. I'm going to show you glamour. I'm going to show you fun. You don't have to work in a cubicle. You get to dance on camera and you're like become famous. But then you're literally shackled to this mansion with no clear exit strategy.

It is nuts. Because what are you supposed to do afterwards? You fore went college. You have even less education. And the stick dockers don't know they're gonna be paying rent on a mansion for the rest of their life. These kids are still, I mean, they sign when they were 18.

It's been now three years since the pandemic. They're probably like 21 okay math, but they're still young. They're still paying off the rent on these houses. Can you just imagine when they're like 45 and like still doing the rent again, don't pay rent? They can't!

You can! It's not sustainable, right? What I think the whole dream is that you would rise to the Addison Ray level and like all your dreams come true, right? Like I think they sell them that dream. So yeah, you're signing your life away, but you're thinking you're gonna become a star.

It is funny, it really does mirror the structure of say a new age cult from the 70s. Like you think of them as you people who are like down and out and who are like turning to the screw because they don't know where else to go, but it's literally just like a cult wants the popular girl in school. Yeah.

Because that's also gonna make it attractive for other people. I think the cults, like in the past were a little more like downtrodden lost people that we can, you know, abuse. Whereas I feel like the cults now are like, oh, look at all these sexy people. Oh, like I want to be so true. You guys are so true.

I'm so true with them. Yeah. Something that I found that was really wild when we watch the Vice documentary, which you should watch anyone listening if you want to learn more about these TikTok houses, is that when they interviewed these kids, they were literally interviewing them, asking them questions, like,

do you think you're in a bad position? Do you think you're gonna get out of it? How do you think you're gonna come out on top? And they all said the same answer. They were like, yeah, I mean, I have big dreams. I wanna be a movie star. I wanna write a show. Some of them were like, I wanna go into real estate.

And it's like, what are you actively doing to make that happen? None of them were doing much because they were so treading water with the content of day to day. That's what happens is like they flood them with day to day activities, like a cold, like a summer camp,

where they don't realize that they're busy every second of the day, and so they continue to push and push off their big dreams. That's right, because the person in power has a bottom line, and their bottom line does not involve that person learning how to do real estate. Yeah.

And it's just like the cult of America. We want to keep poor people busy and spending their money and giving them some sense of happiness, but while stealing everything from them, like you can even use Twitter, when Elon took over Twitter, he was saying free speech, but all, everybody go have the free speech.

Actually, the free speech is gonna cost $8. Actually, a month. So if you got $124 a year, then you can have some free speech and a blue chick. It's like, how quickly did that shift? So much cult like hypocrisy and busy work. And it all comes back to access to abortion. Yeah, you really think about it.

That's actually so true. Take it to the root. We just have to stop having babies. They keep women and poor people busy. There are just so many parasocial relationships going on here because not only is there a parasocial relationship between the TikTok or in their followers, there's a parasocial relationship between the TikTok

or in the system. It's like the TikTok or in the algorithm. It's just this hierarchy that there's no conversation happening. It's just a chain of command. It does feel like a lot of times like, well, one, it is a privilege to have parents who also do have financial literacy,

so that's like most of America doesn't. I recently read a statistic that was like 45% of Americans have a thousand dollars in their savings account. According to Bank Rates 2023, annual emergency fund report, 57% of American adults are currently unable to afford a $1,000 emergency expense. That's wild to me.

Like most people in America don't have financial literacy. So these kids are a lot of times coming from households that are like that. And so it's like they can't go to their parents and get advice either. Yeah, isn't it like most people are three paychecks away from being homeless? I'm gonna fact check that. Oh shit. It's actually 59% of Americans are just one paycheck away from being homeless.

Shut the fuck up. No one ever rejoin calls. No one we pay check. I said three, one. There's something about the human existence where I understand this deeply. You're happier when you're busy. Like you're happier when you have tasks and you have things to do in front of you.

And if those tasks are fun or they feel easy or they feel like community, it's so much easier to get sucked into a cult. Like, I've always thought to myself, like, if I wanted to go to the science house you'd be on there and see what El Ron was up to, like, I'm in the mop and that bitch. And working there. It's really nice building.

I thought a pretty girl in there. That's why I went in. They have beautiful people in there. And actors and everything. And then the people that they have doing the audits are like little kids. So it feels like less intimidating when you're telling your deepest darkest secrets

to a 12 year old who's writing it all down and giving it to the church. But my point is that with the hype houses and Amanda you saying they had all these dreams, but obviously weren't pursuing them. There's also a type of person who has a dream, but doesn't actually want to fulfill it. Because sometimes dreams are just like this fantasy

that you can like jerk it to and you're like, oh man, like what? Like dreams are like that one guy in college that you still talk to every now and then and if you're in the same city, maybe fuck. But like, you're never gonna be with him. You're never gonna be with him. This might be kind of a cynical take,

but maybe in America deep down, we know that having a big dream is just a kink. And it's like kind of a masochistic one because it might not work out. Like, it's something that I'm gonna like dip my toe into when I'm feeling naughty at night. It's like, but it's not necessarily something that you're going to pursue for real.

I've learned that since moving to LA, like a lot of people who move to LA move here with a dream and then they don't take the steps to accomplish it. Now, and I'm like, what are you doing to make it happen? And it seems like most people are scared to actually try because they're scared of failure. And so that is like a lot of the kids that get recruited into these TikTok houses.

But I think that's the allure because there are just people in the world who have lofty dreams, but don't actually wanna get in the mud to get them. And there's nothing wrong with that. You fantasize about it, maybe you sing in church, but you thought maybe you would be Whitney Houston, but you actually don't want to do Whitney Houston work.

I get it. Like, oh, you want to be an actor, but you don't want to enter the most CD fucking business in the world and be abused and used and worked like a meal. But it's like, some people don't actually want the underbelly, the ugly side of the dream. And I've known people like that.

I lived with someone who wanted to be an actor too. And would always tell me how these lofty things or tell me how they met someone, or they're gonna help, or that, that, that, that. How American is that? And that attitude, that delusion, is so American, and it's so the reason why America and Colts have this extremely consistent relationship.

Well, it reminds me also a lot of like the American dream of like buying a house, like everybody wants to own property. But then when you actually get into looking at everything that comes with like owning and buying property, it is so much responsibility. And like, sometimes it's easier to rent. It just is because you don't have to be the one who's on the insurance if something happens.

You have someone to call to fix your shit, but it's like everyone has the dream of owning property. No, but I will say it is interesting that we made our way to a conversation about real estate because the TikTok house cult is ultimately about real estate. Like, yeah, they are moving into a home and I want to talk about how these homes can screw with these young people's values and empathy in a truly insidious way. I want to talk about a couple examples. So in 2020, deep in the pandemic, there was this one British hype house called Wave House, which made a super creepy announcement video

where all the house members unveiled their identities by coming out of a helicopter wearing creepy black masks, which they removed to reveal their faces. And in another announcement video, a member attempted to walk on water like Jesus. And all of the followers were like, what the fuck is going on? Because no one recognized these individual TikTokers. So it was just this massive bluff to manufacture hype based on nothing.

Yeah, it's like throwing money at a problem. And what's weird is that TikTok house members are not only cult followers in this way, they're also in a sense cult leaders, because they're exchanging their followers' brain chemistry and loneliness for clout and money, and so the power structure is very strange. You know, it's like they're oppressed,

but they're also taking advantage of others. And also living in Hollywood, people will act like their bodies are forseek, like anything about them is natural and hard work and gym work and they've, you know, they use filters, they use everything to like make themselves look more appealing. But and then that warps everyone's brain because if you're on TikTok as a normal person and you're looking at these influencers on TikTok And they look so pristine, poor, list, so thin, you think like oh, maybe that's something that's attainable in Diating and working out. It's like no babe. You need to go on ozimpic and you need a good Dermatologist who's gonna give you great Botox and lip fillers and Jupiter. Yeah. Like, it's not natural, but they sell it that way.

And that also like is bad for their children. Yeah, like the cult doesn't stop with social media and that houses, it continues on to like, looks and the way that like, people are perceived and then it gets into regular Americans brains thinking that like, it's that easy. The tentacles reach so far. So we wanna play a little game with you, Lacey,

and it's called, Would You Rather? And we give you a couple scenarios that are cult and TikTok house related to see what you would rather do. Hmm. Round number one, Would You Rather? Have to live in a TikTok social house for the rest of your life,

or never be able to use the internet ever again. Ooh. Ooh. That's hard. That's tough one. Okay, so if I live in the TikTok side house, do I have to be daisling? Okay, now just live there.

That's a good question. Oh, that's right. So the contract was not specific, so interpreted as you may. Okay, so, honestly, I will live in the TikTok house. We're gonna go to the best parties. It's gonna be a big house. If I don't have to do no dances, that's good.

And I need the internet, I need it. She needs it. Yeah, you do need it. She's about downstairs. I was thinking also maybe it has a pool house or something. Yeah, I feel like I could be the house mother. Yeah, you're the dad. Yeah, be like Johnny Three Hands. It's show day to take out the trash

Melissa booty like why the dishes not in the dishwasher You know like mr. Beast sweep the ceiling And then you're like give me my 50% okay And then you're like give me my 50% okay I'm gonna win the lawn make that content but also mode along but make a content Moth is shit and get the ring light out so it's contents. You'll be a really good social I love it. Okay. What do you rather only be able to have cult followed tick-tock teens as your podcast guests for the rest of the time. Or only be able to have conspiracy theorists as your podcast guests for the rest of time. That's easy. Conspiracy theorists. They'll know how those are funny. Like come over here, which are foil on your head. And

tell me about the aliens that Joe Biden's son led into America, like let's do it. That's like, I'm gonna die. Who killed Greta Steyanna? Tell us. Oh, because you're serious. You're serious. TikTokers, not that funny.

No. They can only do what they do for a few seconds and then like some edits. I won't say that all TikTokers are back because I do enjoy a lot of TikTok. However, I will say that like translating it into like long form entertainment is difficult for a lot of them.

Right, so as a podcaster, you would prefer the conspiracy sale of these. Oh yeah, cause they're gonna have stuff to say. The conspiracy theorist is gonna tell me why I got 5G in my body cause I got the vaccine. And that's gonna make me live. Exactly. Okay, would you rather live in a TikTok social house

or live in a sorority house? That's hard. Because I feel like a sorority house is like a bunch of women who come together and sometimes hate each other and it might be cleaner because there's always someone in the sorority house who has a chore chart on the fridge and they're like, Jenna got you didn't take off the trash. Alpha pie is coming tonight. They're gonna think we're dirty

horrors. You know, so I feel like that could be a vibe. Lots of drama. I do love drama when I'm not in it. But then the take-tack house, this is how it's gonna be dirty. And true. Everybody gonna be filming videos all the time, film and film. And you don't want to have to be the mom, you know, like you can be the mom if you are having fun. You don't want to have to be the person who like yells at people to clean. And like the Tix-Tack House is gonna have very main character energy. Everyone is gonna have main character energy, whereas if I lived in the sorority house, there's always like two girls who barely got in,

who I could be like, y'all bitches. You do what I say. It's more like a proper traditional cult in that way. Yeah, I'm gonna go to the sorority house. Love that. Okay, last would you rather, would you rather reside on a remote

Manson family style ranch where you have to make your own food and clothes and can't communicate with the outside world for the next six months, or live in a TikTok social house for the next year. Now, when you say, Manson, do I have to do murders? No, it's great question. Manson style.

Manson style. Manson style. Okay, murder files. So you can just chop some legs off, but no murder. Interpret it as you may. I'm gonna go with a TikTok house for a year. Fuck, I look like someone on my own pants-tac house for a year. Fuck I look like someone on my own pants.

Like this is not a little house on the prairie. Like you want me to go to the well when I need water? You want me to blow that shit for a bath? I don't say that for you. That's sad. What about you, dude? I think right now I would probably do the Manson House only because I need a break for reality.

Yeah, it's a good excuse to get off social media, but if it was for a longer period of time, I think I might have to do the social house because it's like, you know, the having to get your own water thing. I don't want to do that. No, six months is a sabbatical. It's gorgeous. Yeah. It is, but I can't, the dexterity in my hands, very little.

I totally understand. Also air conditioning Underrated you won't be sleeping all hot on a bed a hay. That's what I imagine They're stuffing the biz with hey Yeah, Lacey. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast if our listeners want to follow your culture join your cult Where can they do that? Please join my cult. It's called the congregation capital C-O-N for cons. Scam Goddess Podcast, anywhere you get your podcast, Scam Goddess Podcast, and if you wanna follow me,

D-I-V-A-L-A-C-I-D-V-A-L-A-C on all platforms, to just see myths, okay? And then watch the Lopez show on peacock, I'll be on air. Yes, like Harlan comes out June 1st. And the outlaws on Netflix from Adam Sandler's company comes out July 7th. So watch me in a bank. I'm already watching Lopez, VLopez.

You're great in that. You love it. We love to see it. Thanks so much for coming on. Thank you. Thank love to see it. Thanks so much for coming on. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Thank you. Okay, Esa.

Out of our three cult categories, live your life. Watch your back. And get the fuck out. What cult category do you think TikTok houses fall into? I think TikTok houses fall into a get the fuck out because when you are so young, every moment is so precious. And I actually think like every moment in life in general is very precious.

And I feel like we are already all so sucked into social media. It's kind of like a way to make time go by faster. Like if I order food on DoorDash, then I am like, oh, 45 minutes till it arrives and I'll go on Instagram Reels just so that it will go by faster. And that's essentially what these young adults are doing with their entire early 20s.

They are getting sucked into this algorithm, sucked into this physical home, and away from like living life and exploring like relationships and hiking 20s. They are getting sucked into this algorithm, sucked into this physical home, and away from like living life and exploring like relationships and hiking and going outdoors and just like living. I know they're becoming basically professional killers of time. And I've been thinking about how corrosive it is

that we even use that phrase kill time. Like how fucked up is it that whenever we have like a spare five minutes or a spare hour, we don't say like, oh, what a gift. I want to live in this time. I want to look around me or I want to try to become more present. Instead, we like log onto our phones. We're like, kill it, kill it, kill the time. Like, it's just so violent.

And that's what they're pursuing as their profession. They're becoming killers of time. And I think it's frightening. And that's why I think you might say, oh, but what they're doing with killing time is not that violent, but it's like, I think when a cold is a get the fuck out, it's when you do something that you literally cannot take back.

And that changes your life forever. And I think with these houses, it's this suction of important moments in your life that are gonna change the trajectory of your life forever. And you can't take that back. Yeah, only time will tell what the exit costs of these TikTok houses really are, but they seem higher than you might think.

I was like kind of shocked when you said to get the fuck out, but yeah, I think it's at the very least a high, high, high level watcher back to borderline cusp GTFO. Yeah, I still think GTFO, but I agree with a high watcher back. Well, that is our show. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back with a new cult next week,

but in the meantime, stay culty. But not too culty. Sounds like a cult was created, hosted and produced by Issa Adina and Amanda Montel. Our theme music is by Casey Colt. This episode was edited and mixed by Jordan More of the Pod Captain. To join, our cult follows on Instagram at Sounds Like a Cult Pod. I'm on Our theme music is by Casey Colt. This episode was edited and mixed by Jordan more of the pod cabin. To join our Colt, follow us on Instagram at the sounds like a Colt pod. I'm on Instagram at Amanda Under Square Montel and feel free to check out my books, Coltish,

the language of fanaticism and word slept of feminist guides taking back the English language. And I'm on Instagram at Esa Medina, I-S-A-A-M-D-I-N-A, where you can find tickets to my live stand-up comedy shows or tell me where to perform. We also have a Patreon, and we would appreciate your support there at patreon.com. Such sounds like a cult.

And if you'd like our show, feel free to give us a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. And if you don't like our show, rate other podcasts the way you'd rate us. Hahaha!