CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/3/2021 (Webinar, QAnon, KKK, Podcast, Acting Classes, Terms, Cult Definition)

Webinar, QAnon, KKK, Podcast, Acting Classes, Terms, Cult Definition

CFI: The QAnon Storm is Upon Us: Mike Rothschild on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Aug 5

"Once dismissed as just another set of wacky conspiracy theories from the internet, the phenomenon known as QAnon has grown into a malignant force, infecting minds with dangerous fictions and amassing real power. What is this movement trying to achieve, and what happens next?

Thursday, August 5 at 7pm ET, on the next Skeptical Inquirer Presents live online event, journalist Mike Rothschild will untangle the many threads of myth and misinformation that make up QAnon ideology and why it's outrageous beliefs are no laughing matter."

AP: Inside a KKK murder plot: Grab him up, take him to the river

"Joseph Moore breathed heavily, his face slick with nervous sweat. He held a cellphone with a photo of a man splayed on the floor."

" ... It was 11:30 a.m. on March 19, 2015, and the klansmen were celebrating what they thought was a successful murder in Florida.

But the FBI had gotten wind of the murder plot. A confidential informant had infiltrated the group, and his recordings provide a rare, detailed look at the inner workings of a modern klan cell and a domestic terrorism probe.

That investigation would unearth another secret: An unknown number of klansmen were working inside the Florida Department of Corrections, with significant power over inmates, Black and white."

Indoctrination: Playhouse Abuses w/ Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin

"Andrea and Michael teamed up to create a code of ethics for acting classes with one goal in mind: to create a safe and healthy environment for actors and acting students. After experiencing the unhealthy and cult-like culture fostered within many acting classes where sexual, financial, and psychological abuse were the norm, they created Find Your Acting Class and wrote a code of conduct for acting teachers to agree to and endorse, as well as guidelines to help teachers ensure that they are running their classes ethically."

Lewiston Tribune: What makes a cult

"New religious movements or cults are found around the world and throughout history. The word cult conjures images of brainwashing, abuse and violence, although many of these groups can be fairly benign. What is a cult?

"Defining 'cult' is a tough one because the word has so many different definitions," said Rob Balch, a retired sociology professor from the University of Montana in Missoula.

Balch began researching cults in the 1970s and has done in-depth case studies of groups like Heaven's Gate." 

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Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Playhouse Abuses w/ Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin

Indoctrination

July 21, 2021

Returning this week are actors, Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin. 

Andrea and Michael teamed up to create a code of ethics for acting classes with one goal in mind: to create a safe and healthy environment for actors and acting students. After experiencing the unhealthy and cult-like culture fostered within many acting classes where sexual, financial, and psychological abuse were the norm, they created https://www.findyouractingclass.com/ and wrote a code of conduct for acting teachers to agree to and endorse, as well as guidelines to help teachers ensure that they are running their classes ethically. 

Andrea is a Los Angeles native. In addition to acting and piano, she has studied singing, guitar, and flute. She currently is in school earning a b.s. in nutritional sciences while she pursues her career in acting. She is also a freelance writer for online publications, including where she originally wrote about the cult-like atmosphere of acting classes. 

You can find her article here.

Michael Laskin has been a working actor for over 40 years, across all platforms: film, theatre, and television. Twelve years ago he started The Michael Laskin Studio, an acting studio in Los Angeles. His book, “The Authentic Actor - the Art and Business of Being Yourself” has been praised as a fresh, newly examined, and non-dogmatic approach to the work and the life of an actor. In the second half of Rachel's two-part discussion with Andrea and Michael, the actors break down their code of ethics and describe the personal experiences that directly inform many of the guidelines. Andrea explains the feelings of vulnerability and helplessness that acting students often feel and shares about the emotional abuse she experienced from teachers. Michael provides more insight from his perspective as an experienced teacher and explains how his outrage at the abusive practices became a catalyst to join Andrea in pursuit of a healthier and safer environment for students. 

https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/playhouse-abuses-w-andrea-geones-and-michael-laskin/

Hero Worship w/ Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin

Indoctrination

Rachel Bernstein

July 14, 2021

"This week our guests are Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin. Andrea and Michael teamed up to create a code of ethics for acting classes with one goal in mind: to create a safe and healthy environment for actors. After experiencing the unhealthy and cult-like culture fostered within many acting classes where sexual, financial, and psychological abuse were the norm, they created www.findyouractingclass.com/ and wrote a code of conduct for acting teachers to agree to and endorse, as well as guidelines to help teachers ensure that they are running their classes ethically.

Andrea is a Los Angeles native. In addition to acting and piano, she has studied singing, guitar, and flute. She currently is in school earning a b.s. in nutritional sciences while she pursues her career in acting. She also is a freelance writer for online publications, including where she originally wrote about the cult-like atmosphere of acting classes. You can find her article here:

www.wordsbetweencoasts.com/actors-bewa…-in-a-cult/

Michael Laskin has been a working actor for over 40 years, across all platforms: film, theatre, and television. Twelve years ago he started The Michael Laskin Studio, an acting studio in Los Angeles. His book, “The Authentic Actor - the Art and Business of Being Yourself” has been praised as a fresh, newly examined, and non-dogmatic approach to the work and the life of an actor.

In part one of Rachel's discussion with Andrea and Michael, The actors share their respective experiences and explain what led them to create their unique code of ethics. Andrea explores the link between Scientology and the Beverly Hills Playhouse and the origin of certain cult-like techniques in acting. Michael explains the abuse inherent in the pedagogy of some acting teachers and gives his perspective on a healthy teacher-student relationship.

Before You Go: Rachel explains how important a code of ethics can be in any industry, how it helps both teachers and students alike, and the dangers that exist when no support or oversight is available in a group."

https://youtu.be/rYlnsqPO6Zs

Breaking the cycle of abuse and cult-like behaviors in acting class structure

​FYAC

A guide to helping you find a safe and ethical acting class.

Acting class should be a safe space for students to explore and dig to find emotional depths in a healthy environment.

Acting is a personal and intimate artform.

Unfortunately, an unhealthy culture has been fostered within many acting classes. Sexual, financial, and psychological abuse has not only become the norm, but expected. It is commonplace for teachers to yell, scream, and degrade their students. Actors are sometimes coerced into doing scenes of a highly sexual nature, even when they feel unsafe doing so. Teachers have encouraged sexual relationships with students, kept tabs on their students’ personal lives, and taken advantage of students financially.

We believe this cult-like atmosphere needs to stop.

It is imperative that both teachers and students realize how destructive these practices are. Our mission is to break the cycle of abuse and create one of safety and care.

We have created a code of conduct for acting teachers to agree to and endorse, as well as guidelines to help teachers ensure that they are running their classes ethically.

You can see both in the tab above. Actors can also find guidelines to help them distinguish ethical practices from unethical practices, no matter how subtle they are, and decide for themselves whether or not a class is right for them.

https://www.findyouractingclass.com/