3-Part Documentary Series

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE: A TEENAGE HOLY WAR (Amazon Prime Video) exposes the brutal truths of Teen Mania, once America's largest evangelical youth organization. Founded by Ron Luce in the 1990s, Teen Mania attracted millions of young people through stadium events and its Honor Academy internship program. This season exposes disturbing practices including ESOAL (a Navy SEAL-style endurance test), mock persecution simulations, and dangerous missionary trips. Following the tragedy at Columbine, the organization shifted toward militant rhetoric and political activism through its “Battle Cry” movement. Behind the inspiring façade, interns endured grueling conditions and damaging psychological manipulation. Though Teen Mania dissolved, its legacy continues, and the generation shaped by its militant ideology has matured into today’s culture warriors. Through powerful archival footage, raw survivor testimonies, and expert analysis, “Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War” exposes how a combination of religious fervor, psychological manipulation, and political ambition forged a generation primed for battle—with devastating consequences still unfolding today.