Was I In A Cult? - John Frum Movement: “GI Joe, The American… God?”

Episode Date: May 27, 2024

Today we pay homage to Memorial Day by uncovering the bizarre and captivating tale of the John Frum Movement. Yes, that’s ‘from’ with a ‘u’, homies.  We dive into the South Pacific volcanic island of Tanna, where WWII soldiers inspired a cult devoted to a mystical American GI promising endless cargo. Yup, infinite Spam. Think of it as Amazon Prime meets religious zeal. Join Tyler & Liz as they explore this fascinating slice of history, filled with bamboo runways, makeshift military drills, and a whole lot of hope.  If you’re ready for a wild ride through the enchanting and eccentric world of cargo cults, buckle up. We’re sorry—and you’re welcome. Don’t forget to join “Tyler’s Boring Book Club” by supporting his book recommendations here: "Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond  "Prisioners of the Castle" by Ben Macintyre And support us on Patreon to keep the weirdness coming Follow us: @wasiinacult Have your own story and want to be on our show? Email us: [e-mail]

The views, information, or opinions expressed by the guest appearing in this episode solely belong to the guest and do not represent or reflect the views or positions of the hosts, the show, podcast one, this network, or any of their respective affiliates. Hey everybody, welcome to Was I In a Cult. I'm Tyler Mesa. I'm Tyler Mesa. No, you're not Liz. I know you want to be. That stick is over.

I'm Tyler Mesa. And I'm Liz Iacuzzi. Now, if you're a listener to the show, we give cult survivors a chance to ttake their power back. So if this happens to be the first time you're tuning in to our show, first of all welcome, nice to have you, come in, help yourself to some tea. But if I were you, I would start on another episode and then come to this one because today why it's just Liz and I folks. Yes, today we're doing something a bit different and to today, and to to to to to to today, and today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, their, today, today, their, to today, today, their their their their their their their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, the day where we honor the brave men and women who have lost their lives in service to our country, we thought what better day than today to talk about a little known cult in the South Pacific. And as one who has members of his family in the service and has lost relatives in

battle we salute the men and women who are in the military. And if you're like me and I have no idea about the history of this day, well, the first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30th in 1868. Then known as Decoration Day, the holiday was proclaimed by Commander John A. Logan to honor the Union soldiers who had died in war. In 1971, Congress standardized the holiday as Memorial Day and changed its observance to the last Monday in May. Because apparently Mike Mansfield was getting a colonoscopy on the 30th, so it made more sense

to just make it the last Monday of the month. Did you just Google that? Who is that guy? Yeah, of course. My main man. Huge fan of him. Mike Mansfield was the the the the the to to to to to to to to to to to to. Huge fan of him. Mike Mansfield was the Senate Majority Whip from 1957 to 61 in 61 after Johnson resigned from Senate

to become vice president. Mansfield was unanimously elected the Democrat floor leader and thus Senate Majority Leader. There you go. Thankfully corporations have honored Memorial Day by lowering the flag and having blown out Memorial Day sales. Thanks for your service my new top was only 1999 guys. That's what our fighting men would want. But Memorial Day is also a day when there is no school and no work. Yeah so in keeping with that tradition we are also not going to go to school today we're gonna play hookie here at Rob's house so that we can get in line early to go to school today. We're going to play hooky here at Rob's house. So that we can get in line early to honor the fallen soldiers by shopping.

Yeah, right. But wait, we're still working. I think we miss the memo guys. Yeah, the memo-roarial day. So, okay, so no guest today, but fear not you will still get me and and list. We're sorry. And you're welcome. Keeping in line with Memorial Day, we're going to transport you to a tiny island in the South Pacific Ocean. This... You know, we can add sound... We can add sound effects. We actually have a sound effect library.

We don't need... I had a bad feeling about this episode. You're all red, you didn't use any sunscreen? We're going to transport you to a tiny island in the South Pacific Ocean. This is a cult story that strangely involves World War II, US soldiers. Give them hell, boys. Now, as you can assume, from my gender and age, and your flowing blonde locks. And my whiteness, I am slightly obsessed with World War II.

I've read all the books, I've seen all the movies, I've watched all the documentaries. Oh yeah, me too. Yeah, my favorite is the joyful siege. I haven't heard of that one. Dancing in the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub the rub, the rub, the rub, 't heard of that one. Dancing in the rubble. No? Friendly fireworks. This is me ignoring you, Liz.

Those are really good movies. Rob, have you seen them? They are not real. She's just making fun of me for once. The joyful siege? It could be. Springtime for Hitler. So today, dear listener, we're taken a the taken the to the the their their their their their their their their theeaea. thiiiiolea. thiolea. thiolea. thiole, thiole, thiole, thiole, thi, thi, thiole, thiol. thiol. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thitaking a trip to the South Pacific to the nation of Vanuatu.

Known for its vibrant traditions and rich history influenced by both local customs and colonial encounters. So it's basically paradise with the Sida. Who invited these guys? We are specifically discussing the enchanting island of Tana. This island is volcanic with lush rainforests and rugged terrain. You could be the perfect voice for like Wikipedia read aloud. I'd listen to that. Now many people in this island live in traditional thatched huts.

The community life is organized around family and clan structures and their primary language spoken is Bislamma, an English-based Creole language. Here I found some of it listen. But we're not here to talk about the island specifically, the haught them a today to beau. But we're not here to talk about the island specifically. We are talking about the island's own cult. Because that's kind of what we talk about on this show. And this cult is known as the John From movement, F-R-U-M. Also known as a cargo cult.

I first heard about cargo cults two or three years ago. And in the island of Tana, such a cargo cult is going on at this very moment. That's the voice of one very young and sexy David Attenborough. That is Sir, David Attenborough to you, ma'am. Oh yes, I apologize. Young David's got this kind of Eddie Redmayne vibe to him, you know? Yeah, it's that damn jawline. It's sharp. It's enviable.

Yes, it's enviable. Now, you might know biologists and historian Sir Attenborough's voice from his narration, the narration of his many nature shows, including Planet Earth. Which is only my favorite television show ever, especially on mushrooms, but you know. We humans are the fools who are ruining this great earth. It is us who are the true part of ours. Did he really say that? I don't know. You may not put words in Attenborough's mouth.

He would say something like that. If children didn't grow up knowing and appreciating nature, they will never understand it and if they don't understand it, they won't protect it. He did say that. He did say that. He did say that. Okay, I like that. But the clip we just played is from a 1960 BBC show entitled People of Paradise. Guys, you should see him in this clip though. Oh, he's just like a widow baby. He's like this delicious pocket squared adventurer with a voice to melt even Tyler's butter.

Yeah, it softened. It softened. So, Attenborough, would you mind narrating my life as well? Yeah, I'm sure that'd be really stimulating. See Liz, stumbled to the kitchen for her morning matcha. What the hell is macha? That's good. That's good. Yes, Surat and Burrow is 98 years old and he's still out there kicking ass and saying wonderful things about the polar bears. And praying for all of us heathens who are ruining our great earth. We'll put some of this video of him on our Instagram for you guys. Tanner is a place where missionaries have been working for a very

long time. Over a hundred years ago they were there. Now nearly all the natives of Tana believe in this strange man who will come and will bring all the cargo and they call him John Frum. The John From story begins in 1942. During World War II when American troops were stationed in the South Pacific. The beaches hung with activity as CBE unloaded the Rolson's cargo on the island, which is rapidly transformed into an advanced American base. Now, mind you, this was the first time these islanders had ever encountered an American.

Imagine that you've lived all your life in what is virtually the stone age. You've never seen metal or any of the other strange things that Europeans have. And then one day you meet a strange white-faced man who has the most incredible things. And when the troops arrived on Tana, they brought with them an incredible array of goods and gadgets that left the islanders in awe, having never seen anything like these items before. Every modern device is used to speed the unloading. For peaceful, though this tropical paradise may appear,

this is a vital the theater of war in the Pacific. The sudden influx of quote cargo sparked the imagination of the locals. They couldn't believe all the items they were seeing and not believing that they were made by man. So if spam wasn't made by a man guys, who made it? Oh God, naturally. I think span was invented by the devil personally, but I digress. Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, beautiful spam, glorious spam. You know the money python song, but spam?

You can cut that out. No. Keep it in. He has jeeps, he has petrol damps, he has glasses, he has all simple things like a fountain pen. And you look at a thing like this, and the first thing that you say is that whatever else this is, this couldn't possibly have been made by man. But who wouldn't be impressed by a bunch of guys showing up with crates full of transistor radios, not to mention Coca-Cola, cigarettes, and howitz or cannons. Speaking of this, there is a

great book about cargo and cultures that have less cargo. It's called Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. It will kick your ass. It's a great book. The Tyler Boring Book Club will meet on the last Monday of every never. Because no one wants to be there. There'll be snacks. Great time. You just got half of our listeners to join your cult. Regardless, okay.

The influx of cargo from American soldiers led to the birth of the John From movement. John From, the legendary figure at the heart of this cult is a fictional American soldier said to have promised the return of prosperity and endless supplies of cargo. His followers believe he will one day return, bringing planes full of wealth and happiness. And at the same time you believe that there is going to be a sort of messiah who will bring all this cargo to you in either a great white ship or an airplane when the day of judgment comes. Nearly all the natives of terror believe in this strange man who will come and will bring all the cargo and they call him John Fromm. But in order to do that they needed to worship. So basically they're waiting for

the ultimate delivery guy and here I am getting excited about the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same their to to to the ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship their their their their their their their their their their their their their their the same their the same the same their their their their their their to to their ship. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship ship. to do that, they needed to worship. So basically they're waiting for the ultimate delivery guy. And here I am getting excited about the same day shipping. You know what's a great feeling? You know what's a great feeling is when you see the FedEx truck stop in front of your house. The best. You know the worst though is when the driver gets out and he goes to the neighbor. That's the worst? What's is then is then is then you then you then you then you then you then you then you th is th is th is th is th is th is th is th is th th is th th th th th th th th th th th th tho tho tho tho tho thi thi tho tho tho the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their goes to the neighbor. That's the worst. What's worse is then you don't know what's inside them. We're like, what are you delivering to them? Right.

We are all in a cargo cult. And then just go next door and you just take their package. No. You don't do that. Oh, you don We did that once. We got a really nice package delivered to our house from someone who lived there previously and we'd been there a couple years and it was very nice from a very nice place. We're like dealt with it let's open it. Yeah, he was in it and it was really nice and expensive clothes and they didn't fit. Which is good

because like a day later someone knocked on her door and just think, Hello, Exel, he sent the package to this house. We're like, oh, it's right here. We opened it. We went on autopilot and opened up the package and tried them on. So don't do that. Nonetheless. So cargo cults are religious movements, basically, that hold a belief that some deity or supernatural element will soon bless them with a bunch of... Stuff. Speaking of stuff, we're about to take our own little break and sell some.

Buy our cargo guys. Okay, Tyler, so the other day I got one of those fishing texts, you know, like, it says, hello dear, where have you been? Is everything okay? You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, I know. It's common. So I was like, you know what, I'm gonna actually write back to this gentle person. And I was like, no, it's not okay actually. I've just been attacked by a rumba. Yes, very nice. And then I kept replying to them so much so to the point where they asked, they asked me to stop talking to them.......... their. their. their. their. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the, the, the, the. to the. to to theea. toea. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. the. the. the. they asked me to stop talking to them. You probably need some friends, Liz, but I like that their harasser doesn't like to be harassed. All that's to say is this is sadly just one of the many forms of people trying to scam you. Yeah, it's true, and it happens often. In fact, in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission, fraud losses reached over $10 billion.

Billion, which is horrifying, but I believe it. And that's why we here on Wazanakult are thrilled to partner with ORA. ORA is an all-in-one online safety solution that helps protect and stop. What information about you and your family is being sold without your consent from these data brokers by automatically submitting opt-out requests on your behalf. Because legally data brokers are required to remove your personal information if you ask, but of course they make it very difficult and time consuming to do so. Yes they do but ORA does that and that's not all that

ORA does. In fact it also monitors identity theft, financial fraud, and other online threats before they happen. See the way it works is it scans the dark web, and if anything is found, you'll receive an alert in real time. You know, hopefully they can find and remove those horrible pictures of me on the dark web. Ooh, you in your Mormon underwear. Yeah, thii. underwear. You know it's more just a bad hair day. Which is equally you know

life-friendly too. Yeah equally as bad. Look Liz as much as you love those fishing texts, Aura will help reduce annoying robo-calls, telemarketers, and junk mail. For a limited time, ORA is offering our listeners a 14-day trial plus a check of your data to see if your personal information has been leaked online all for free when you visit aura.com.s slash trust. That's aura.com slash trust to sign up for a 14-day free trial and start protecting you and your loved ones.

That's a you are a dot com slash trust. Certain terms apply so be sure to check the site for details. And maybe you'll also find pictures of Tyler and his Mormon underwear. Mm-hmm. Just Google that too while you're at it. Okay, so we're back. And if you have a very short memory we are discussing the cargo cult of John From. Now no one knows who the actual John from is. He is likely an amalgamation of a typical American GI and is described in various ways. Sometimes he's a black man, sometimes

he's a white man, and sometimes he's a spirit. Which is how I describe my Amazon delivery guy as well. Sometimes I'm like, is there even a person who delivered this or did it just magically appear at my door? Oh we love them don't?. th. th. th. th, th, the th, th, the th, the th, th, the th, the th, th, the the th, the th, th th the the th th the th thi is thi is the thi is thi is like thi is like thi is the is thi is thi is th. He's thi is thi is thi is thi is th. He is like is like th. He is like th. He is like is like is like th. He is like is like is like th. He is like th. He is like th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi is like thi is like thi is like the the thi is like thi is like the thi. thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi is like thi is like thi is like a person who delivered this or did it just magically appear at my door? Oh, we love them, don't we? But the extent that the villagers go to worship this John From is impressive. You guys, they actually pray to him. And they believe that John actually resides in a volcano called Mount Yazer, which incidentally

has been erupting continuously since the 18th century, and that John Frum uses the volcano to go back and forth between the island and America. I'd say that's better than flying spirit. Oh! Nice. There goes our sponsorship with spirit. The first checked bag is 50 bucks. Fuck that. Basically a bus with wings. Anyway, back to the magic of spam. The John From movement has had quite an influence on the community in Tana by providing a sense of unity and identity. It's also a form of gentle resistance

against the colonial rule and missionary activities. So basically it's their way of saying, hey guys, thanks for the stuff. Now kindly, get the hell out of here. Don't let the door hitch you on the way out. You know what I'm saying? The metaphorical door because paradise has no doors. Even today the movement continues to thrive as Tana opens up to globalization and tourisum. It's actually a tourist attraction where visitors can come to the is the is the is the is the is to the to the to to the the to the the the to the the the the their. th. th. th. thi. the. thi. thoosk. thoosome. thoom. thoome. thoe. thoome. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae. thae....................................................................... And, t........ And, t....... And, t.. And, t.aa.a.a.a.a.a.a. And, t.a.a.a.a. And, t.a. And, t. And, t. And, t. And. And. And, tourism. It's actually a tourist attraction where visitors can come to the island and experience vibrant John from rituals firsthand. And like Memorial Day, there is a specific

day dedicated to Mr. John from himself. John From day. Can't wait to go to the great John From mattress sale at Serta. John From day is celebrated every February 15th. Great, pick me up after eating chocolate in bed alone, crying yourself to sleep. Thanks, Holmark. Yeah, because Valentine's Day is the day before. He has jeeps, he has petrol lamps, he has glasses, he has all simple things like like a fountain pen. And you look at a thing like this and the first thing you do say is that whatever else this is this

couldn't possibly have been made by man and if it isn't made by man then it must come from the gods and if it comes from the gods why does it come to these white-faced people? They've done nothing to deserve it. In fact, they do senseless, useless things. And then they dress up people in similar uniforms and march them up and down in a senseless, useless way. And then it dawns on you. This is the secret. The man is due, the white people are doing this as a sort of ritual designed to make the gods or the ancestors send the goods to them, the cargo.

Therefore, if you want the cargo, you yourself must do these extraordinary things. So every February 15th, followers gather to honor John from with songs, dances, and ceremonies hoping to hasten his return. And they take it very seriously, Liz. On this day, you will see people parading in military-style uniforms with American flags, painted faces, and military-style drills. They will tote bamboo rifles on their shoulders, and they sport the letters USA, painted in red on their bare chests and backs.

Hell, that's just a Tuesday night in Darden Hill, Arkansas. A common sight on the island is the Red Cross, which is probably copied from the U.S. military ambulances and is now an important symbol for the cult. The villagers will even build makeshift runways, radios, airplanes, and bamboo control towers, ready to welcome the anticipated cargo planes. I just hope their airport has a cinnabun. We went to Tanner to find out what John Frum looked like, what they believed he looked like.

So we set out southwards to try and find this stronghold of a cult. Another interesting aspect is the role of the Nakamal, which are traditional meeting houses, and this is where the leaders of the movement, known as the John from men, gather... Some not women. You heard what I said, the John from men gather to discuss beliefs, plan rituals, and guide the community. So one afternoon I drove up up to the large clearing, the Namakal, which is found outside each village, where every day the men gather to drink Kava. Ah, the inner circle no girls allowed part. I was wondering when that was going to come up. It is a cult after all. I had to be a little careful, for this is a semi-sacred ritual ground forbidden to women and anyone who goes

there during carver drinking must walk very slowly and keep quiet if he's not to break the taboos. Taboos. I had to be a little careful. The Buffalo Wild Wings is a sacred space forbidden to most women. And anyone who goes there during playoffs must walk very slowly, wearing the correct jersey if she's not to break the guy code. These prophets and leaders claim to receive messages, or in some cases actual visits from John Fromm himself, which can guide the community's practices and beliefs.

I began talking to one of the few men in the village who spoke understandable English. How many people here belong to John Fromm? Many people here on this side? Yes, all of us. All of us. Will it be good? Yes. He said when he comes, he'd be a good living. And the men will be happy and keep everything they want. You heard John talk and you shook hands with him.

Yeah. What does he look like you? He looked like me? Yeah. Does he speak about Gargo? Although some contend that the appearance of John from comes via a spirit vision induced by Kava, a native plant with mild psychoactive properties. Kava is the root of a pepper plant which is made into a drink and here on Tana it's prepared

by a young man who choose it. This unhygienic custom was one of the first things forbidden by the missionaries. The resultant drink is extremely potent and must be thrown back in one gulp. The drug it contains is so strong that it makes people moody and irritable when they've drunk it. I want to try Kava. I actually have. You have?

I did. I was in Fiji and I wandered off the resort and I went into a village and I saw some guys hanging out and I drank Kava out of a wooden bowl and it was not didn't task good, but the effects of it made Fiji even fijier. The Fijiest. Is it like mushrooms or is it? No, I mean it's pretty mild. It's just relaxing and kind of, you know, you can buy it. Here, I don't think it has the same effects, but you can buy Kava. Is that why Fiji water tasks. Perhaps. It's also expensive and ridiculous that you're flying water all the way from a fucking island to LA so you can drink it. But I like cold, dang. And during the 1950s, the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement the movement. the movement the movement. the movement th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thithe 1950s, the movement even had its own political party. It was called the John From movement, and they advocated for the preservation of traditional customs and resistance to colonial rule. Imagine voting for John From. He's like the ultimate right in Canada. Yeah, he promises to bring great things and then he never shows up.

Sounds like every other candidate. Kind of. Except he never shows up. Sounds like every other candidate. Kind of. Except he's probably younger. Auditions for presidential audition. Tries out, Liz. From, from, from, from, from. From, from, from. From, from.

Now, the John from movement also has a fascinating relationship with the modern world. Despite their traditional beliefs, they're not completely isolated. They are aware of global events, they use smartphones, and watch TV. First the enigmatic John From arrives, then they discover shows like the real housewives. They must watch Americans and be like, these are definitely the weirdest animals at the zoo.

The John From Cargo cult is a testament to the human spirit's the the their their th.... their their thiiii. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi. I thi, th. I th. I th. I has th. I th. I th. I is a th. I is a th. I th. I is a th. I th. I th. I th. I is a th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. th. the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the zoo. The John From Cargo Cult is a testament to the human spirit's ability to adapt and find joy in the face of change. It's a story of hope, creativity and resilience. And a reminder that a little bit of magic and belief can make life a lot more interesting. Everyone's got their thing. Some people believe in John From, some people believe in pineapple on pizza. It's a travest thing. Some people believe in John From, some people believe in horoscopes. Some people believe in pineapple on pizza. So Travis me. It is. My Italian grandmother would turn over in her grave. Haunt you? Haunt you? Haunt me if I ever put pineapple on pizza.

They say money can't buy love, but it turns out, you just have to wait till the end for the check to come. We trade uncomfortable truths for comfortable lies, imaginary solutions to real problems. I'm James Sexton, host of unlikely sources. You may know me from my books or my many interviews, such as soft white underbelly, Lex Friedman, or one of the many other I know a divorce lawyer isn't the first person you think of for advice on how to keep your relationship strong, but wisdom is found in unexpected, counterintuitive places. In sickness we see the value of health. The godfather, it can teach you more about business than an MBA. Fight Club, it's actually about religion. The most valuable practical wisdom comes from unlikely sources, and it's time we sit up and pay attention to what they can teach us. So if you're looking for compelling conversation, blunt talk about culture, religion, romance,

and how to navigate life in the machine of modern society, I'll look forward to spending some time with you. I'm Jim Sexton. Unlikely sources will be available May 28th. Okay, List, look, I've had some time to think about it, and I actually, I love your idea of the book club that you brought up earlier. Oh, the Tyler's Boring Book Club, yes. Do you think it would have some members? Yeah, I do.

You were making fun of me, weren't you? I'm just realizing that. Yeah, you were making fun of me. You know what, from the dirty coal mine, sometimes a shiny ds thiny You just made that up? I did, I did make that up. I was going to say every rose has its thorn, but that would just be stealing from Brett Michaels. So, but I do think in our show notes we will list a link where you can purchase the book Guns, Germs, and Steel from Jared Diamond, and why not my most recent World War II book I read? Oh, is it called, this is the book that makes me fall asleep faster than any book. No, it's a great one.

This is the book to read right before bed when you need to absolutely fall sleep in five seconds by Tyler Mesa. No. No. This is a book about war, the end. No, it's called Colditz, Prisoners of the Castle by Ben McIntyre. It's. It's. It's. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. This is a book about war. The end. Nope, it's called Colditz, Prisoners of the Castle by Ben McIntyre. It is a great read. It's about a castle turned prison in World War II where the Germans put the toughest POWs and these daring men would plot, plan, and escape. I love that book. So that actually sounds pretty, pretty kick good. It's actually pretty kickass. So he's the same author who wrote Operation MinceMeat another really great World War II. All right, I know you're really pushing this book club. Here, look, we'll put all these books in the show notes so Tyler doesn't feel so alone. Yes. And if you in turn want to be a part of this book club, um, I'm sorry for your personalities.

Thanks, Liz. And in turn, folks, you actually will be supporting us. It's a two-fer. Yeah. On this Memorial Day, cargo, call blowout. Everything must go. If you want to be a part of this book club, email us at My Life is More Boring than Tyler's at Was I Nicole.com. Or don't email us that I'm a Philistine and I don't read.com.

Or I just finished Twilight for the third time. Dot com. Now back to Frum. The John From movement also has a somewhat contentious relationship with Christianity on the island. Missionaries have tried to convert the John From followers, of course, missionaries. But with limited success, the followers often see John From as a counterbalance to the influence of these invading missionaries. It's like religious time of war. Who knew spiritual battles could get so creative? Now if you think John From and the belief of John from is rather strange. And weird and unbelievable and silly like why would

anyone worship some random dude that's going to come back one day and give you a bunch of stuff. Lest we forget that many cultures believe in the return of a mysterious man will one day bring about wealth, prosperity, and eternal salvation. What were you talking about, Tyler? Tubuck? His brother. Some people criticize us, and they say that we've waited a long time for John's promises.

Too long. But this is exactly like the Bible. You go to church, you pray, and those things you ask for, they don't come easy. And then on the last day of our visit, Namba said something which showed quite clearly that he was either a rogue or a madman. I see you put across on the volcano. He's got a man inside, Volcano there? He's got man inside the volcano. I would see he get man inside. There's a man inside the volcano. Yes. One man or many men? Many men. Many men. Many men. Men belong John Frum. And that was the nearest answer I got to my questions about John Frum. Perhaps

Nambus was deluded, but if he was then the whole of the population answer I got to my questions about John Frum. Perhaps Nambus was deluded, but if he was, then the whole of the population of Tana is deluded. In any way, delusion is a rather odd word to use when you're talking about religions. But I guess it's more about the belief and what it does in bringing community together, instilling hope and joy amongst the people. So to that, I say, we all celebrate John Frum Day on February 15th.

John Frumday, it's in the calendar. It's right next to February 15th, Singles Awareness Day and National Frankfurter Week, which is no relation. But you know what when I was single single I ate a lot of hot dogs on Valentine's Day Gonna now I'm just gonna I'm just gonna what's like I don't wanna make any jokes no I'm a little like I'm a little like I'm a little like I'm holding I don't do anything I don't do anything I don't to say anything I don't to say anything to that Say it's an ex penis penis it's like a penis it's phalic don't want to say anything to that. Say it! I'm the dix! Penises! It's like a penis! It's phallic!

Don't you see that! No, I just like protein. Holy neck! Hold me neck! Hold me back! All right, back to penises. Dicks! Gone from!

Boys will be children. Dicks, gone from, today's today. Thanks everyone for listening and for actually getting through this. We will be back next week with actually a real story and episode. Wait, wait, wait, what, what, what? We should share with our audience some of these letters we've been receiving recently. Sure. And updates. Because that we, we get them and we're like awestruck and, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, we????? we, we? we, we? we, we? We, we? We, we? We, we? We, we? We, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, th. We, we, we, th. We, th. We, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. We, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. We, th. We, th. We, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. to, to, thi. thi. th. thi. th. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. these letters we've been receiving recently. Sure. And updates. Because we get them and we're like awestruck and I'm sure our listeners would be just as excited to hear them as well. Sure. Now, as you guys know, we do shows where we feature individuals who tell their cultic story. And about every week we get a story or an email from somebody who because they listened to our show had an awareness of being in a cult or a family member in a cult.

A couple weeks ago we did a show where a woman, a Leah, was in a teen center, she wrote us after the episode aired and she said this. She texted, wow, oh my God, thank you Liz. Thank you for helping me share. Oh Liz, I'm sobbing. My mom has always said, quote, if we knew what we know now, we never would have done it. And I always tell my therapist she's never just straight up apologized without an argument. She walked in crying just now and told me how sorry she was. How sorry she was for what I went through. I am in tears. She's thanking me for being forgiving and graceful with them. This is literally unreal.

You and your team have truly impacted my life in a huge way. I'm forever grateful. That's nice. She was a wonderful storyteller. Yes. She also forwarded us some news that she got via Instagram and somebody said, quote, my sister is in this program. We are saving her as I write this. You saved her by telling your story, thank you, heart emoji. So, thank you everyone for listening. We do love making this show and we do love telling the stories of individuals who were in and out of cults. So thank you for joining us on this wacky fun episode today, guys. We had a ton of fun.

I hope you also now have your next dinner party conversation to bring up to sound. Actually, did you know there was a drawn from Colts and the tiny island and Vanuatu? And make certain you will never be invited back the said cocktail party. So thank you everyone for listening. We will be back next week with a kick-ass guest and an amazing and heartbreaking cult story. I remember one time when I was reading the Quran to the teacher and I remember making a mistake and I realized my mistake and I tried to correct it but before I could correct it I just I remember just like this intensive pain that came over me and I realized that I had

just been struck by the teacher and then before I could even process my thought I was having my head slammed against the wall. Was Anacald as written produced and hosted by me Colonel Ayacousy. And I do some stuff too I'm Captain Tyler Miesim. Sound engineer and audio editing from Bombadier Rappadir Rappara? Executive producer is private, Stephen Labram. Is it Bombadier? Bombadier. It is?

Bombs away, Rob. Mom's away! And Shannon Payton, our drill instructing, social media, Maven. A little reminder to sell all of your belongings and kindly give all that money to us on Patreon. This will help us to continue to make the show. By traveling to the Vanuatu Islands for research. And snorkeling.

Do you think John Frum brought any blenders and tequila? That's why they're, that would be the modern John Frum. Whoa, smoothies! God made this! The present day John Frum would pull up and I like a cruise ship with just fat Americans coming out. It's like, oh, where's the Starbucks? And the islanders would be like, ah!

Run! Fuck you, John Frum! What's the Bislama word for zip line? Thank you to a couple of our newest Patrion members, Daniel Luna and Elizabeth Kimberly. Who are now guaranteed a spot in th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, with, th, th, th, with, th, th, with, th, th, th, th, th, with, th, th, th th th, with, th th tha, tha, tha, tha, with, that, with that, that, like, like, tha, tha, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, tha, tha, that, that, the that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, the that, that, that Patreon members, Danielle Luna and Elizabeth Kimberly, who are now guaranteed a spot in heaven. Where you will have all the spam you desire. And the white beaches of Anuatu. Now, incidentally, there is a band named John Frome.

So we will leave you with a bit of their melodic tones, as you imagine white sandy beaches and precious cargo being unloaded. All hell John from. That is enough. That is enough. I'm sorry I did that. Okay, enough. Stop. Stop. Stop. That is enough. I'm sorry I did that.

That was... 12 seconds was sufficient. Yes. Thank you, John From. You may go back to America. Leave our little island. If that's John from, uh, guys, stop waiting around for that.