iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

I’m doing something a little different this week on the podcast. Until now, we’ve been talking about cults & religion & what that has to do with marketing. This week we talk with marketing practitioners about how they think about brand cults vs. brand movements. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

podcasts.apple.com

Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein

Self-Improvement Podcast · Updated Biweekly · What if your favorite brand—or your favorite influencer—used the same playbook as a cult? Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein unpacks how modern marketin...

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Wonder how Bari Weiss feels about Skydance using Saudi money in the hostile takeover bid for Warner Brothers Discovery. Any journalists left to ask?

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

There are some podcast you do because you have to, and some podcasts you dream about doing. Had an absolute blast gabbing with Jane Marie about all things marketing on The Dream. Have a listen. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

Hoodwinkers Abound

Podcast Episode · The Dream · 11/21/2025 · 27m

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Will the economic blackout work? I don’t have a crystal ball, but a combination of factors suggest that corporations aren’t going to have a very good fourth quarter. Read more in my blog. www.drmaraeinstein.com/blog/economi...

drmaraeinstein.com

Economic Blackout — Dr. Mara Einstein

Can a mass economic blackout be successful?

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

So many Wicked collabs when people are worried about their jobs, rising health insurance costs & putting food on the table. Boycotts have been growing, & the big one is set to hit Thanksgiving weekend. Some of the topics I write about in this month's newsletter. open.substack.com/pub/drmaraei...

open.substack.com

Wicked, Boycotts, and Cuomo

Don't forget to check out my podcast!

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

In the first episode of Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein, I chat with Yale religion and history scholar Katie Lofton—a leading voice on religion and consumer culture—to unpack how our deepest systems of belief shape what we buy, who we follow, and how we build community online.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

My new podcast, Hoodwinked with Dr. Mara Einstein launches October 30th. We’re talking scams—consumer, religious, and political—with academics, ex-cult members, marketing practitioners, and more. Check my website (drmaraeinstein.com) for updates.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

In today’s Substack I explain the relationship among ABC, Nexstar, and the FCC. When you read this, you will understand why Nexstar caved. substack.com/@drmaraeinst...

substack.com

Kimmel/Nexstar/The FCC, Lush Cosmetics does it again...and ICE, not so great

To Understand Kimmel, You Have to Understand Broadcast TV

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Here’s a link to a conversation I recently had with Ellen Donnelly. I was glad we were able to get into the valorizing of the gig economy and hype of digital entrepreneurship, in addition to cults, MLMs, and coaching scams. ellen-fromtheask.beehiiv.com/p/drmaraeins...

ellen-fromtheask.beehiiv.com

"If they promise you $10k months: run, don't walk, the other way"

The Cult of Entrepreneurship: Not Everyone Should Join It. A Q&A with Dr Mara Einstein on | The Interview, Sept '25

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Some are suggesting the real reason Jimmy Kimmel got canceled is that Nexstar needs approval from the FCC to buy Tegna’s TV stations. This deal would enable Nexstar to own stations that cover 80% of the US. Current regulation is that no company can own stations covering more than 39% of the US.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

This week, I’m on IndoctriNATION. Cult recruitment and retention tactics, facilitated by digital media, are why the country is where it is now. I implore you to listen, and learn—not only how we got here—but how we could get out.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Ice recruitment advertising is, well, not the best. I talked about that with Johana Bhuiyan for The Guardian It was an interesting interview, because I had to balance between criticizing what DHS was doing wrong without telling them how they could do it better. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

theguardian.com

From Uncle Sam to social media memes: inside homeland security’s push to swell Ice ranks

Homeland security lowers hiring standards and floods social media with patriotic, often xenophobic, recruitment posts

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

This link is to a talk I gave at Michigan State University about greenwashing. The talk is contextualized within a broader discussion about the rise of cause marketing and the purpose washing that followed. muse.jhu.edu/article/965618

muse.jhu.edu

Project MUSE - Sustainable Consumption Is an Oxymoron

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

In new polling for NYC mayor, Mamdani is leading. Mamdani 50% Cuomo 22% Sliwa (R) 13% Adams 7% This race is not just about millennials and Gen Z. These numbers also mean that Jews are looking at him as a viable candidate. The MSM needs to stop acting like Mamdani is the also-ran.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Some people are saying the American Eagle ad is simply an homage to Calvin Klein and Brooke Shields in the 80s. Here’s the ad:

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Living in New York feels like being in a split screen. On one side, we see the hope and joy of Mamdani and the other we see the pain and terror of Trump and demise of democracy. youtu.be/yPbtARzHHHw?si

youtu.be

Wu-Tang, JB, and Zohran bring the ruckus

YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

“The fascination with cults fundamentally rests in the idea that people believe that they can’t be drawn into one,” says Dr. Mara Einstein, author of Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults. tinyurl.com/59a3afz3

tinyurl.com

The Cult Content Boom: What’s Behind Our Obsession?

Why can’t we look away from stories about cults? The real story may not be about those who fall prey, but about realizing that we’re all vulnerable to manipulation.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Reporters are asking for comment on the ethics of filming public concerts. That they are even asking this question means they’ve lost the plot.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

This isn’t an ad. It is AI art and a brilliant condemnation of fast fashion. What looks like a skirt is garbage, moving from billard to landfill in a single moment. The artist is Emanuele Morelli.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

People are losing the bigger picture when it comes to Stephen Colbert being fired. Colbert will be fine. That is not the point. CBS is free over-the-air broadcast television. Those airwaves are owned by the American people. The person looking to buy Paramount is David Ellis, son of Larry Ellis…

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

“Pertinent” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Here’s my Substack explaining why withholding the Epstein files is so important to the MAGA cult. I also explain why this—beyond everything else—is the reason we are seeing cracks in the cult foundation. open.substack.com/pub/drmaraei...

open.substack.com

MAGA believes the Epstein list is about the kids. It's not. It's about the grift.

Does this mean the cult is over? Well...not quite.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

It’s rumored that Bezos is buying Condé Nast so his wife can run Vogue. This sucks for Vogue but remember CN has other publications, like The New Yorker, Teen Vogue, & Wired. The last has been doing some of the best reporting about AI, & Teen Vogue has been doing top-notch to political reporting.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

When cult experts talk about people leaving a cult, it’s not described as the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. We talk about it being a bookshelf that breaks under the weight of too many inconsistencies. 1/2 tinyurl.com/2z5sja5t

tinyurl.com

Alex Jones Breaks Down in Tears After DOJ, FBI Release Epstein Memo Finding No Evidence of a ‘Client List’: It ‘Tears My Guts Out’

Alex Jones reacted with tears and anger after the DOJ and FBI released a memo of the Jeffrey Epstein case that found no 'client list.'

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

I refuse to believe Yaccarino is leaving bec. of antisemitic remarks. Those have been rampant on X for the last 2 years. My guess is her contract said she had to stay 2 years before she’d see a payout. I worked with her at NBC. To call her tough is an understatement. www.cnbc.com/2025/07/09/l...

cnbc.com

Linda Yaccarino steps down as CEO of Elon Musk's X

Yaccarino's departure comes one day after Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok repeatedly made antisemitic comments.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Today is Prime Day, an excellent time to remind you to watch the Emmy-winning documentary “Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy”. It is about overconsumption and its impact people and the planet, and includes commentary from me. After you watch, avoiding Amazon is easy. m.youtube.com/watch?v=OVfZ...

m.youtube.com

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy | Official Trailer | Netflix

YouTube video by Netflix

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Now that the Big Atrocious Bill has passed, let’s consider some of its social and business impacts: ✅ Any categories having to do with babies and kids will decline. Gen Z was hesitant to have kids before due to climate change, now they can’t afford it. 1/x

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

The fascination with cults rests in the fundamental idea that people believe they can’t be drawn into one,” says Dr. Mara Einstein, author of Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults. tinyurl.com/59a3afz3

tinyurl.com

The Cult Content Boom: What’s Behind Our Obsession?

Why can’t we look away from stories about cults? The real story may not be about those who fall prey, but about realizing that we’re all vulnerable to manipulation.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

While people are systematically trying to tear down Mamdani, let me remind you that Eric Adams ran on making New York City safer. You know, because he had been a cop. Tell that to the 16-year-old girl who got shot in the head last night.🧵 www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...

nbcnews.com

2 teens shot near Stonewall Inn after NYC Pride march, police say

One teenage victim was shot in the head while another is in stable condition after being shot in the leg. It is unclear if it was a hate crime-related incident.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

Who kicked Bill Ackman in the head? I learned of Bill Ackman from the documentary “Betting on Zero.” The film is the story of how he tried to take down Herbalife, an MLM preying on minorities and the undocumented. Fast forward and he is the DEI police and a Trump supporter. So…

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

You have to watch PBS News Hour tonight. Anna Nawaz interviewed Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokeswoman. *This* is the kind of interviews journalists must keep doing. Nawaz did not let up on facts. McLaughlin fell back on PR talking points and ad hominem attacks on the media. It was a masterclass.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Lots of folks are asking why people will vote for Cuomo. As a lifelong New Yorker, let me explain what I am hearing. People are concerned about Mamdani’s stance on Israel. There are A LOT of Jews in New York who won’t vote for him because of that. (Orthodox Jews went for Trump.) 1/2

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Reposted by Dr. Mara Einstein

Sooz Kempner @soozuk.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Today marks nine years since Jo Cox was assassinated by a far-right extremist, a terrible loss to those who knew and loved her and to politics. Zero lessons were learned though and the far-right continues to be pandered to. With more political assassinations in the US it all feels too familiar.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Out of town on business, but taking time to protest. Stay safe tomorrow.

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

News has come out that Catholics priests are joining migrants in court. Many people are now asking how they can help. I will be going via a coordinated effort with my union. Do others have suggestions? #immigration #courtappearances #mutualaid

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Dr. Mara Einstein @drmaraeinstein.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

The first U.S. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV has called for priests, deacons and parish leaders to accompany migrants to court and stand in solidarity with them. This is strategy. This is fighting. The Democrats could learn something from Pope Leo. www.newsweek.com/pope-leos-fi...

newsweek.com

Pope Leo's first US bishop takes action against Trump migrant crackdown

"The people of faith stand with immigrants and refugees," Rev. Michael Pham said.

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