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Sounds Like A Cult

All Things Comedy

Putting the “cult” in culture… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about the Royal Family? What about Disney Adults? Or spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? We’re Sounds Like A Cult, an iHeart Radio Award-winning podcast that analyzes a different fanatical group every week to try and answer the big question: This ~sounds~ like a cult, but is it really? Created and hosted by New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Montell, co-hosted and produced by Chelsea Charles and Reese Oliver. For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We want to make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy 

Location:

United States

Description:

Putting the “cult” in culture… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about the Royal Family? What about Disney Adults? Or spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? We’re Sounds Like A Cult, an iHeart Radio Award-winning podcast that analyzes a different fanatical group every week to try and answer the big question: This ~sounds~ like a cult, but is it really? Created and hosted by New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Montell, co-hosted and produced by Chelsea Charles and Reese Oliver. For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We want to make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy 

Language:

English


Episodes
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The Cult of Nickelodeon

2/4/2025
Few pop culture phenomena have commanded such fierce devotion while hiding so many skeletons in their neon-colored closet. This week, Chelsea, Amanda, and Reese dig into Nickelodeon—not just as a childhood staple, but as a world built on loyalty, odd rituals, and unsettling secrets. From the hypnotic allure of The Kids' Choice Awards and the iconic green slime to the troubling revelations surrounding Dan Schneider and the exploitation behind the scenes, we’re breaking down how Nickelodeon crafted a universe that felt rebellious and freeing, while masking a much darker reality. Was the network’s quirky, anti-establishment vibe just smoke and mirrors? How does nostalgia shape the way we process these unsettling truths? Join us as we peel back the layers of an empire that shaped generations, for better or worse. Nick-Nick-Nick, Nick-Nick-NICK-NICK! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT You have got to take advantage of this brand new deal from Adam & Eve at https://www.adamandeve.com/cult Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:00:25

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The Cult of Neil Gaiman

1/28/2025
Very rarely does a culty news topic compel us to the mic as urgently as this week’s subject, a nerdy literature fandom turned…collective traumatic experience? In the wake of a bombshell Vulture exposé that straight-up reads like a Sounds Like A Cult script, Reese and Amanda are unpacking the nightmarish tale of multi-bestselling-author-turned-sex-abuser-slash-cult-leader, Neil Gaiman. You know this guy’s work, even if you don’t recognize his name, and the cult he created has so many entry points, if you are a lover of Coraline, American Gods, The Dresden Dolls, or a variety of viral Tumblr DM reply screenshots from @neil-gaiman, there’s a chance you’ve skirted the edge of a few of them. We, along with the rest of the online book-nerd world, were flabbergasted by the release of Lila Shapiro’s article “There is No Safe Word” revealing that underneath Gaiman’s seemingly wholesome dynamic with his doting fans was a campaign of lovebombing, sexual assault, and bizarre rituals, involving the author’s ex-wife Amanda Palmer and a history with the freaking church of Scientology. It’s truly a heartbreaking, stranger-than-fiction story. Join Amanda and Reese, as they analyze it chapter by chapter. P.S. While we for the most part try to keep things fairly lighthearted here at SLAC, this week’s episode is obviously covering a genuinely dangerous individual, and therefore some very sensitive topics. This is a content warning to maybe skip this week’s episode if the following are especially uncomfortable territory for you: sexual assault, emotional and verbal abuse, suicidal ideation, emotional abuse, abuse against LGBTQ+ individuals Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT. Stop putting off those doctors’ appointments and go to https://www.Zocdoc.com/CULT to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:50:28

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The Cult of Harry Potter

1/21/2025
A missive has arrived in your mailbox, dear cultie! What’s this? An invitation to an exclusive, mystical, and splendidly nerdy episode of Sounds Like A Cult that’s only a short ride from King’s Cross station away! YES, your most British, nostalgia-packed dreams have been realized because this week Amanda and Reese are hopping aboard the Hogwarts Express to every 90s baby’s starter cult, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Joined by the hilarious and wise podcasters Sequoia of Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them and Mike of Potterless, Reese and Amanda are drinking the butterbeer and covering everything from Hogwarts houses to Snapewives. Follow us as we attempt to dissect the undeniably world-shifting franchise, fandom, and capitalist dreamscape that might have more mommy issues than Harry Potter himself… Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Embrace your ritual with extraordinary hydration from Liquid I.V. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and use code CULT at checkout. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:15:43

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The Cult of Sephora

1/14/2025
Calling all beauty ~insiders~ 💄👽 Prep your prayer, ahem, swatching hands and scrounge together your hard-earned points, because we are kicking off 2025 with one of society's most glamorous everyday cults: Sephora. From 6th graders worshiping at the altar of retinol to 35-year-olds going to inexplicable lengths to maintain their VIB status, Sephora followers are undoubtedly held in the vice grip of this cosmetics boutique-turned-billion-dollar beauty mecca. Sephora’s black-and-white walls provide a sanctuary for makeup and skincare fanatics, but look between the fruity-scented snail goop and $50 eyeshadow duos, and you might just find some unexpectedly sinister influence at work 👀 Tune in as all 3 of your favorite beauty queens, Amanda, Chelsea, and Reese, ~unbox~ one of our favorite cult analyses yet! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:13:41

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I'm Right You're Wrong Podcast Trailer!

1/13/2025
Listen and subscribe on Spotify Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow the podcast @imrighturwrongpodcast and the host @isaamedinaa <3 ok love you bye! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:02:09

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The Cult of Synanon, Part 2

12/17/2024
Buy tickets to The Big Magical Cult Show in Vancouver, Canada on February 21, 2025! Time for Part 2! Father Craigo helps us wrap up 2024 with the rest of his brain-tangling life story in the cult that inspired this whole dang pod, Synanon. This week, he's answering unfiltered listener Qs, sharing the harrowing tale of Synanon's downfall, and leaving us all with some takeaways for how to stay culty but not too culty in 2025. We simply cannot WAIT for next year, when your shameless cult leader trio Amanda, Chelsea, and Reese return to cover a slew of long-awaited topics, including a certain cult-followed beauty retailer, a book series that's turned into a full-blown religion, a freakishly ritualistic education system, a "nonprofit" "performance troupe" run by a "new religious movement," and more! Thank you so much for tuning into another fanatical year, culties. See you in the next evolutionary level above human!!! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles Thank you to our sponsors! Go to squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/CULT Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout. Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:52:48

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The Cult of Synanon, Part 1

12/10/2024
Buy tickets to The Big Magical Cult Show in Vancouver, Canada on February 21, 2025! Father is back!!! No, not Father Algorithm, but *actual* Father. Indeed, Amanda's sweetie dad, Craig Montell, returns to the pod after his featurette on last year's cult of Military Wives episode, for an extra-special end-of-year, two-part deep dive into the cult that he survived and that inspired this entire show: Synanon. Craigo brings his dad charm and cult experience to break down exactly how this well-intentioned drug rehabilitation program spiraled into a full-on '70s compound complete with paranoia, hypocrisy, and some very strange hairstyling choices. This "classic cult" discussion may not be typical SLAC fodder, but the story is actually more relevant than ever. Craig is here not just to divulge his shocking past, but also to scrutinize how Synanon’s same rituals and methods of manipulation are alive and well in today's society, from our politics to our social media feeds. Cozy in for some culty parental wisdom, and stay tuned for Part 2 next week to hear the end of the tale! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles Thank you to our sponsors! Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Shop the SKIMS Holiday Shop at skims.com/cult. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at MINTMOBILE.com/cult. Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:10:48

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The Cult of Hallmark Christmas Movies

12/3/2024
It's officially Countdown to Cultmas! Make yourself a falalatte and keep your expectations for plot continuity ho-ho-low because this week, Chelsea, Reese, and Amanda are uniting for a guffaw-worthy 'sode on the escapist seasonal "cult" that is Hallmark Christmas Movies. These cheesy made-for-TV treats may look utterly innocent on the outside, but when you unpack the extreme parasocial idol worship of Hallmark's recurring stars, its tent revival-esque conventions, nostalgic-to-a-fault themes, and problematic practices that have led to major legal trouble, that egg nog starts to taste a little more like Kool-Aid (can we say that?). Tune in for lols and analysis as your hosts attempt to figure out if this jingle-jangly franchise is high-key sinister, or if we're just being dramatic. 🎄📺🍪🌟🎁 Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! Thank you to our sponsors! Go to BlueNile.com to shop the original online jeweler since 1999! Get Up to $100 off Litter-Robot bundles and an additional $50 off when you go to stopscooping.com/SLAC. Go to squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:11:32

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The Cult of Astrology Apps

11/19/2024
~A cosmic new episode of Sounds Like a Cult lies in your near future, Virgo~ No? Capricorn? Pisces, maybe? Whatever your sign is, today’s episode is sure to deliver all of the celestial wisdom you’ve been seeking straight from the comfort of your mobile device, much like today’s cult of discush, astrology apps! The astrologically inclined have fully infiltrated Silicon Valley (thanks, Elon), leaving in their data-farming path a vast plethora of galactic apps to suit whatever flavor of push notification strikes your fancy. Truly a product of the 21st century, astrology apps provide a dystopian look into the spiritual sects of our future, (which, spoiler alert, might not even have human leaders?!), giving us reason to question what “cults” might be lying right beyond our grubby screen protectors. Here to help Amanda and Reese navigate the digital cosmos is astrologer and astrology app co-founder Aliza Kelly, host of the Horoscope Weekly Podcast. Calibrate your sundials, clear up some iCloud storage, and suit up for a light-speed cruise through this astral listen! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! Thank you to our sponsors! Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/CULT. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout. Shop the SKIMS Holiday Shop at skims.com/cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:14:08

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The Cult of Gilmore Girls

11/12/2024
Brew yourself a giant pot of Luke's coffee because we’re diving deep into the fast-talking world of Stars Hollow. That’s right, the cult Gilmore Girls. We know what you're thinking! It's just a TV show! It'a not a cult! Relax! But hear us out: From the intense rituals (hello, annual re-watch), patron saints (looking at you, Luke Danes), and fan behaviors that border on worship, your favorite mother-daughter duo has evolved from a quaint fictional series into a full-fledged lifestyle and pseudo-religion. To help us take a closer look at how Lorelai and Rory have become the unofficial God and Jesus of fall, Tara & Haley of the Gilmore To Say Podcast join the pod. Whether you're Team Jess, Team Logan, Team Dean (really?), or don't even care because you think Rory is actually just the worst, we hope you enjoy this cozy episode. Oy with the poodles already!! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors! Go to squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at MINTMOBILE.com/cult. Go to joinbilt.com/CULT to start earning points on your rent. Get up to $100 off Litter-Robot bundles and an additional $50 off when you go to stopscooping.com/SLAC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:24:12

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The Cult of Free Birthers

11/5/2024
Munch on some ice chips and PUSHHHHH (sorry) play on this week's episode, in which we dare to apply our culty analysis to the ever-polarizing "free birther" community. Free birthing is a controversial catch-all term in and of itself, generally describing a style of medically unassisted birth that has turned into not just a movement but possibly a cult—why? Because this is America, and if something has the potential to turn culty, then it probably will! Doula (and loyal listener of the pod) Hehe Stewart joins for a discussion of power dynamics, misinformation, and why so-called free birthers have been pitted against the traditional medical establishment in a way that puts everyoneeee in danger. Trying our best to bring both cheekiness and empathy to this very casual and low-stakes discussion (joke). Love you culties!!! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Further reading: Listen to the Whispers before They Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States Racism During Pregnancy and Birthing: Experiences from Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern Women When Giving Birth, Opting to Go It Alone Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison Born Free: Unassisted Childbirth in North America Just ‘birth’: the phenomenon of birth without a healthcare professional She Wanted a ‘Freebirth’ at Home. When the Baby Died, the Attacks Began Thank you to our sponsors! Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app to start earning cash back and use code CULT. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/CULT. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:09:11

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The Cult of Reborn Dolls

10/22/2024
BOO! ‘tis the spookiest time of the year, dear culties, and this year we’ve whipped out our cauldrons to cook you an up episode on one of the scariest topics we could think of… complex emotions?! That is only half a joke, because this week Reese is equally embarrassed and excited to bring Amanda into the weird and wacky world of reborn dolls with the help of Corrine Vien and Sabrina Deana-Roga from Two Girls One Ghost. The "Reborners" community serves a wide range of acolytes, from grieving parents seeking therapeutic tools to fantasy lovers looking to adopt the most finely crafted infant abominable snowmen money can buy (no judgement!). This week, we’re sitting down to investigate exactly why people make, buy, and most cultily, wholeheartedly OBSESS over these fantastical silicone babies. No matter if you’ve been a loyal Britton Rose follower for years, or have never heard the words "reborn doll" in your life, this mystical Halloween-flavored episode of Sounds Like A Cult is full of tricks and treats just for you ;) Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @reesaronii @chelseaxcharles @amanda_montell Subscribe to the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors! Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/CULT. Go to stopscooping.com/SLAC and enter promocode SLAC to save an EXTRA $50 on any Litter-Robot bundle. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout Further reading: Effect of Doll Therapy in Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Systematic Review Inside the hyper-realistic world of baby doll collecting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:14:49

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The Cult of Boarding Schools

10/15/2024
Grab your trusty #2 and find the desk with your name tag on it, because class is in session this week at Sounds Like a Cult! Our /pedagogically inclined/ episodes are always RIPE with juicy insight, and today’s topic is no different. Be it Hogwarts or Pacific Coast Academy, boarding schools have long shrouded themselves in an air of mystery and exclusivity that has most recently led to a culture-wide obsession with the Dark Academia genre. But is this intrigue secretly supporting a sinister institution? What culty rituals and traditions lie behind the plaid and ivy? Let’s find out! Amanda and Chelsea are thrilled to be joined by the wonderful Ceara O’Sullivan from the Petty Crimes podcast to discover what lurks within boarding schools' hallowed (culty) halls. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @chelseaxcharles @reesaronii Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors! Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app to start earning cash back and use code CULT. Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Shop the SKIMS bras at skims.com/cult. After you place your order, select "Sounds Like A Cult" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Further reading: Psychopathology and Dissociation among Boarding School Students in Eastern Turkey National Museum of the American Indian: Boarding Schools Time for America to Get Over Our Ivy League Obsession A Brief History of Boarding-School Scandals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:09:41

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The Cult of Dave Ramsey

10/8/2024
NOT going to lie, this episode was a wee bit nerve racking to record!!! Despite the, ahem, LARGE number of requests we received for this topic (which would make you think it was ubiquitously reviled), the acolytes in this group ride HARD for their leader! Money and religion are the twin engines that make the world go ‘round, dear culties, and as such, they are the perfect mediums for sinister influence. This week’s subject has been ~blessing~ the airwaves and teaching your parents how to be debt free AND godly since the 1990s…the OG finance bro…the one and only… Dave Ramsey. This week, Amanda and Reese take a trepidatious foray into the chaotic, testosterone-filled, rapidly aging world of Ramsey Solutions with the help of seasoned Dave Ramsey experts (though, tbh, *survivors* is probably a more apt word) Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni from the Frugal Friends Podcast. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @chelseaxcharles @reesaronii Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors! Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/CULT. Shop the SKIMS bras at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, select "Sounds Like A Cult" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:12:56

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The Cult of Mormon #MomTok

10/1/2024
Who’s your #mommy culties: Taylor or Whitney? That’s right, fresh(ish?) off the release of Hulu’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reality series (for which Amanda and Reese attended a blissfully tinsel-adorned premiere party #notsponsored lol), this week we are covering the cult of Mormon MomTok. This coalition of young Mormon mothers turned TikTok stars raises a truly baffling number of questions: Are these girls really Mormon? Does that matter? Where are their garments? Are they even friends? And most importantly, will MomTok survive the "swinging scandal" that overtook headlines a few years back, earning these gals their own TV show?!?!?!??!?! Grab your heaviest Stanley, fill it with Fruity Pebbles ;) and settle in to have all of your most sacred prayers answered. Potentially cultier than the sum of its cults (and trust us there are plenty), Reese and Amanda are determined to get to the bottom of the drama-filled, diet Dr. Pepper flavored mom-strosisty that is #MomTok. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @reesaronii @amanda_montell @chelseaxcharles Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! Thank you to our sponsors! Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Go to stopscooping.com/SLAC and enter promocode SLAC to save an EXTRA $50 on any Litter-Robot bundle. To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:58:16

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The Cult of Costco

9/24/2024
Settle in with a Kirkland brand sparkling water and a rotisserie chicken because this week, Amanda and Chelsea are going IN on the us/them dynamics, strange rituals, manipulation tactics, over-the-top passion, and lore of your favorite membership-only cathedral of affordable excess, Costco. Based on this episode’s fervent listener call-ins alone, it’s clear Costco is more than just a place to buy 500-packs of plastic cups, gold bars, and even your future casket (???) ⚰️ Costco is some people’s entire personality. But has it crossed over into full-blown cult? Tune into our lol-filled analysis to find out. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @chelseaxcharles @reesaronii Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors! Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app to start earning cash back and use code CULT. Shop the SKIMS bras at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, select "Sounds Like A Cult" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:13:10

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The Cult of Dance Moms

9/17/2024
We’re baaaAAAAAaaaaack!!! Join us for a 🪐transcendent🪐 new season of Sounds Like A Cult, whose opening episode features Chelsea Charles, one of our sparklingly hilarious new co-hosts. An unscripted TV producer by day, Chelsea joins returning host Amanda to unpack this week’s nightmarish topic: Dance Moms. Indeed, we’re exploring every culty corner of the fanatically followed Lifetime reality show, which centers on a group of competitive child dancers, their high-drama mothers, and their veritable cult leader of a teacher, Abby Lee Miller *shudders*. It mightttt sound dramatic to call this goofy little TV program a cult, but the sky-high exit costs, rampant verbal abuse, lifelong trauma, obsessed fan behaviors, and scandalizing financial crimes say otherwise!!! Tune in as Amanda and Chelsea dissect the show’s cultiest characteristics, and their broader implications, with the help of The Pyramid Podcast. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @chelseaxcharles @reesaronii Watch the new season of Sounds Like A Cult on YouTube! To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors! Shop the SKIMS bras at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, select "Sounds Like A Cult" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:20:09

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The Cult of Sounds Like A Cult (Meet Your New Co-Hosts!)

9/10/2024
This is Sounds Like A Cult, a show with two sparkling new cult leaders, ahem, co-hosts!!!!!! We’ve been keeping this secret for months, and it feels downright ~transcendent~ to let you culties know: Joining host Amanda for the next season of Sounds Like A Cult are two brilliant, kind, warm, and hilarious recurring voices—unscripted TV producer Chelsea Charles and theatre/rhetoric student Reese Oliver (whom you may already recognize as SLAC’s beloved coordinator). Tune into today’s surprise bonus minisode for some angelic wee introductions, teasers, and deats about what to expect from SLAC 2.0. The next season premieres Tuesday, September 17! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @chelseaxcharles @reesaronii To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast and/or watch full episodes on YouTube, click here :) Thank you to our sponsor! Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:30:05

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The Cult of Twin Flames

8/13/2024
New Age love & wellness influencers turned baby NXIVM: That's kinda the best way we can succinctly describe this week’s cult, Twin Flames Universe, one of the most chilling groups we’ve discussed on the pod thus far. Several months ago, Twin Flames survivor Jessi Hersey, whom you might recognize from the “Escaping Twin Flames” doc on Netflix, slid into our DMs and made a very generous and compelling argument as to why Twin Flames needed airtime on Sounds Like A Cult. After all, it’s important to represent the whole LYL, WYB, GTFO cult spectrum! This week, we're asking the fundamental questions: How did this niche online self-help “community” turn so destructive so fast, and how are its tenets low-key a threat to us all? Tune in to find out, and make sure to listen to the very end of the episode. We’re making a highly exciting announcement about the next season of SLAC… let’s just say there might be a couple new “cult leaders” (ahem, co-hosts) in your future! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell @reesaronii To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast and/or watch full episodes on YouTube, click here :) Thank you to our sponsors!! Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout Further reading: How ‘Twin Flames Universe’ YouTubers Monetized Heartbreak and Trauma “Everywhere I Went, They Went With Me, Because They Were on My Phone”: Inside the Always Online, All-Consuming World of Twin Flames Universe Why We Can't Get Enough of Cult Documentaries Twin Flames, Explained Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:15:39

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The Cult of Mission Trips

8/6/2024
Pack your hammer and your lack of cultural awareness, because this week on Sounds Like A Cult, we're interviewing Tia Levings, a former Christian fundamentalist, mission trip devotee, and survivor of church-sanctioned domestic violence. Tia is also the author of the brand new memoir A Well-Trained Wife. She joins to discuss the ever-so-common culty practice of recruiting church kids to go on white savior vacations all under the guise of bringing Sky Daddy and ultimate nepo kid Jesus into the lives of people who most certainly never asked for that. Aka, mission trips! Many thanks to all the listeners who submitted call-ins for this episode! Be sure to listen to the end, because we’ve got a verrrrrrrry exciting announcement about next season coming :) Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell To order Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, click here. To subscribe to Amanda's new Magical Overthinkers podcast and/or watch full episodes on YouTube, click here :) Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/cult. Shop the SKIMS Soft Lounge Collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, select "Sounds Like A Cult" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app to start earning cash back and use code CULT. Further reading: Mission trips are an evangelical rite of passage for US teens – but why? YouTube channel: ExMoLex Stop going on Mission Trips Why I'll Never Go on a Mission Trip Again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:13:56