About this episode
This episode explores the rise of Mormon influencers and their impact on pop culture, featuring insights from ex-Mormon podcaster Shelise Ann Sola.
Mormonism is having a pop culture glow-up. But did it happen by accident? In this episode, Akilah Hughes digs into the rise of Mormon influencers, the explosion of “MomTok,” and the broader cultural moment putting LDS aesthetics front and center. With reporting from New York Magazine’s Bridget Read, we explore how Mormon women helped shape modern influencer culture, and why that’s now paying off in a massive way. Ex-Mormon podcaster Shelise Ann Sola joins to unpack what life inside a high-control religion can actually look like, and what gets lost when that experience is repackaged as aspirational content. From the church’s controversial history to its quiet influence on tech and media, this episode asks a bigger question: What happens when a belief system becomes a brand and we all start buying in? If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Bridget's work including her story about this second "Mormon moment" Check Shelise's Cults to Consciousness show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Akilah Hughes
Guest: Shelise Ann Sola
Topics covered
- Mormon influencers
- pop culture
- MomTok
- LDS aesthetics
- influencer culture
- high-control religion
- belief systems as brands
Keywords
- Mormonism
- influencers
- pop culture
- MomTok
- LDS
- high-control religion
- influencer culture
- Bridget Read
- Shelise Ann Sola
- Mint Mobile
Sponsors
Mint Mobile
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Mormonism, New York Magazine
Books & works: Cults to Consciousness
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