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Introduction
When you think about a cult the first thing that comes to mind is usually a bunch of crazy or strang people standing around in a circle and making sacrifices to some higher power or different belief that they believe in. Now do not get me wrong, there were definitely cults that were active in our history and even present day that were very extreme with the beliefs and actions regarding their beliefs. -
Introduction
Take the Manson Family for example, they went around killing people in their own homes and terrorizing California for a few years. They would do these awful acts because their leader would give them LSD and manipulate them to do what he said and wanted. Or look at the Children of God for another example, a cult also from California around that same time. Their leader of the cult would order the followers to sexually abuse children while also telling them that hell is coming down on earth and -
Introduction
The actual definition for a cult is "a relatively small group of people having beliefs or practices, especially relating to religion, that are regarded by others as strange or sinister or as imposing excess control over member."-1. This definition of what cults actually are and how we know them are on opposite ends of the spectrum for certain reasons. One reason for that would be the news coverage we have heard and seen about the cults. -
Introduction
Another reason they are opposite is because of how the horror genre has depicted them in their movies and shows. Those depictions in the horror films are usually pretty close to being accurate if you ignore all the extra cinematic exaggerations. Granted you need the extra exaggerations to keep viewers watching but it also warps and amplifies the ideas that the viewers already had about cults. -
Introduction
If you have ever seen the show American Horror Story: Cults then you know that the show was based on a true story and actual real events that took place regarding that cult. However, the show amplifies the details in order to maintain that fear factor for the viewers while also magnifying the intensity of the cult itself. -
Introduction
The horror genre has depicted cults accurately in the sense of what they are, and how they go about doing their religious ceremonies. Additionally, they have also added a fear and negative connotation to cults and cult members. -
Cults Under Fire
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/80992#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0
This object is a picture of a newspaper clipping written by Wallace Wood on December 17, 1978. The purpose of the article in the paper was to inform the local community about recent cult activity and show remorse for the nine hundred and fourteen deaths at Jonestown, Guyuna. -
Cults Under Fire (2)
During this time period, many sad deaths like the Willow Island Disaster and the Mullin and Kempur were happening and causing a lot of grief and heartaches for communities. Another event that happened was the infamous Ted Bundy who was a serial killer attributed to thirty murders between nineteen seventy four and nineteen seventy eight. -
American Horror Story Posters
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/American-Horror-Story-Cult-Posters-43868793#photo-43868797
This object is a cover picture of the show American Horror Story’s season about cults. It is a complete picture intended to attract the viewers that would sit down and watch a scary show about cults and cults activities. -
American Horror Story Posters
The purpose of the show is to first entertain any person who would like the show, while also informing them of true stories about what a cult did throughout its history. One major thing that separates this show and its own depictions of cults is that it is one of few that are actually based on true stories and are not just made up by screen and play writers. -
Charles Manson Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbW0agGFv88
This object is a video of Charles Manson the leader of the Manson Family cult in prison years later after being convicted. The interviewer is Tom Snyder from sixty minutes Australia and is only a seventeen minute long clip of the whole interview. The interview took place in Corcoran State Prison located in Central California, and the clip was published to youtube on March 30, 2019. -
Charles Manson Interview
The purpose of the interview was to give the viewers an insight into the way Charles Manson thinks and try to get answers to why he did the things he did. This interview was also the first interview of Charles Manson after he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for first degree murder for the death of the Tate-LaBianca victims.