Podcast
Sounds Like A Cult
Hosted by Studio71 · EN
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, Reese Oliver, and Iman Hariri Kia.
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80episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Cult of Chess
4d ago00:49:02Summary readyThe timer starts now, cultie. This week’s cult is one that some find boring, some find thrilling, and some particularly fell into via a certain Netflix show starring Anya Taylor Joy (guilty). Whichever way you slice it, we can assure you the world of chess is far cultier than the cute little horsies would have you think. Whether you’re a total noob or grandmaster status, this week’s conversation with chess expert and cult survivor Danny Rensch (@dannyrensch) will have you on the edge of your seat. Come along with Reese as she looks beyond the cute academia aesthetic and into the strategic and not-so-black-and-white cult of chess. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. To pre-order Iman's new book, Once in a Timeline, click here! Thank you to our sponsors! For free shipping on your order and 365-day returns, Head to https://Quince.com/slac Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/slac with code slac. Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Tradwife Influencers
2w ago01:15:14Summary readyWhen we first aired this episode, the “tradwife” trend felt like a bizarre internet niche. Two years later, tradwife culture has only exploded. This week, we’re revisiting our episode with culture reporter Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelenpetersen) , alongside then SLAC intern turned permanent co-host and producer of the show, Reese Oliver, in her debut episode! Together, they unpack the aestheticized world of “traditional womanhood,” where hyper-curated domesticity collides with political extremism, anti-feminism, and the growing influence of manosphere ideology online. What once looked ironic or fringe now feels deeply embedded in the zeitgeist. So while the Sounds Like A Cult team takes a much deserved break, we’re falling back down the tradwife rabbit hole. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thanks to our Sponsors: Join the loyalty program for renters at https://joinbilt.com/cult To Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain, Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/slac with code slac. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Homesteaders
3w ago00:56:14Summary readyHave the events of recent years made you want to walk off into a grassy meadow, never to return? Does the idea of being in touch with nature, totally separate from the digital rat race of modern life appeal to you? Have you ever wanted to learn how to install a DIY sewer system for greywater? Then you’re a perfect candidate for today’s ever-growing cult. This week, Chelsea and Reese are getting their hands dirty and getting into the nitty gritty of Homesteading. Tradwives and rock climbers alike romanticize the nomadic lifestyle, touting freedom, survival skills, and an inner peace unachievable from civilization. But is the self-sustaining choice all it's cracked up to be, or does shoveling manure eventually become a little too culty for comfort? Come along with us as we learn from ex-homesteader Kirsten Lie-Nielsen (@kirstenlienielsen) just what homesteading is actually all about. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and get 20% off your first purchase with code CULT at checkout. Head to https://acorns.com/cult or download the Acorns app to get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Renaissance Faires
4w ago00:49:01Summary readyHear ye, hear ye! These culty wenches doth have-est a new episode for thine ears. Grab your turkey legs and your chainmail because we are galavanting into the culty lair of Renaissance Faires! Amanda and Iman are joined this week by the fair maidens of Morbid (@morbidpodcast), Alaina Urquhart (@alainatothemax) and Ash Kelley (@ashkell83) to discuss the cult-like rituals, language, and charismatic leaders of the Ren Faire, from ye olde accents to full on immersive experiences. We’re talking the tight knit communities, the rules of the realm, and asking the real questions like: when does cosplay become identity? How many “huzzahs” does it take before you’re fully indoctrinated? And why is Mark Hamill here? Is this a Live Thine Life, Mind Thy Back, or Get Thee to a Nunnery? Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! To Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain, Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://www.article.com/discount/cult and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. If your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order at bit.ly/3OdtU5X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Botox
Apr 2800:51:47Summary readyCancel your frown lines and lean in… because this week on Sounds Like A Cult, Amanda and Chelsea are getting into the wrinkle relaxing world of Botox. What started as a medical treatment for eye twitching has evolved into a beauty mainstay, one that promises to erase your crows feet... for 3 months. From preventative Botox in your 20s to the normalization of injectables as routine maintenance, we’re unpacking how this once taboo procedure became a beauty baseline. We're trying to answer the question a lot of people are asking but not always saying out loud: are we doing this for ourselves, or because everyone else is? Is Botox just modern self-care, or is it giving cult? Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! Join the loyalty program for renters at https://joinbilt.com/cult For free shipping and 365-day returns, go to https://Quince.com/slac Head to https://factormeals.com/cult50off and use code cult50off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year! To claim your Double Roses offer before they're gone, visit https://1800Flowers.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Neurolinguistic Programming
Apr 2101:02:12Summary readyWhat if the right words could rewire your brain… or at least make you feel like they did? This week, Amanda is joined by journalists and hosts of the podcast Mind Games, Alice Hines (@alicehines_) and Zoë Lescaze (@zoelescaze), to unpack the cult of neurolinguistic programming, the self-improvement framework that promises transformation through language, mindset shifts, and a little bit of psychological sleight of hand. They dig into how NLP showed up inside NXIVM and explore why these techniques can feel genuinely helpful in everyday life, and how the line between self-help and manipulation often comes down to who’s in charge. Amanda even tries an NLP session herself, which is equal parts intriguing and slightly unsettling and begs the question: is NLP a useful set of tools… or a very persuasive vibe? Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Thank you to our sponsors! To Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain, Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and get 20% off your first purchase with code CULT at checkout. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/slac with code slac. Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Christian Nationalism
Apr 1401:19:19Summary readyWhat does the Mormon curl, January 6th, and the rapture all have in common? Christian Nationalism! This week Reese and Amanda are joined by Jennie Gage (@LifeTakeTwoJennie) of Life Take Two, to unpack what we (spoiler alert) feel is one of the most insidious cults taking over America today: Christian Nationalism. From the 7 Mountains Doctrine to Trump taking over as a charismatic leader (despite never having read the bible lest his hands and eyes burn), our cultie hosties discuss the culty tactics that kept Jennie in, the lesbians who got her out, and and the behaviors that make this 'divine and patriotic calling' sound like a cult. Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and mental health so please take care when listening. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Thank you to our sponsors! Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://www.article.com/discount/cult and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Head to https://acorns.com/cult or download the Acorns app to get started. To claim your Double Roses offer before they're gone, visit https://1800Flowers.com/CULT Join at www.functionhealth.com/CULT or use gift code CULT25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Kidfluencers
Apr 700:57:20Summary readyWelcome to the internet, where a kid can lead a cult. From Ryan’s Toys to Piper Rockelle, the world of child influencers is vast, brain-rotted and constantly changing. This week on Sounds Like a Cult, Amanda, Iman, and Reese have journalist and author of the book Like, Follow, Subscribe, Fortesa Latifi (@hifortesa) back on the show to get a look behind the curtain at the workings of the kidfluencer ecosystem. We reminisce on the kid and teen influencers of yore (hello Tana), discuss the parents at the helm of family vlogging operations, and unpack just how much we hope the kids will be alright. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Thank you to our sponsors! To Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain, Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Join the loyalty program for renters at https://joinbilt.com/cult Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of Pantone (the Color Conspiracy)
Mar 3101:01:37Summary readyWhat does it mean for a color to be official? This week, Amanda is joined by lexicographer and writer Kory Stamper (@harmless_drudge) to dive into the oddly powerful world of Pantone, the company that turned color into a global authority system complete with sacred swatches, cryptic numbers, and an annual prophecy known as Color of the Year. They unpack how Pantone became the high priest of hue, shaping everything from fashion runways to corporate branding. Why does the word cognac feel more chic than brown? And how did a company convince the world that a very specific white or millennial pink can define an entire cultural moment? Is Pantone simply helping us speak the same visual language… or are we all just obedient followers of the color industrial complex? Either way, pass the swatch book. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Thank you to our sponsors! For free shipping and 365-day returns, go to https://Quince.com/slac Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Cult of OneTaste, Creepy Church of Orgasms
Mar 2401:00:10Summary readyThis week, Amanda and Chelsea dive into the cult of OneTaste, the controversial wellness company that built an empire around “orgasmic meditation.” To help break this one down, they’re joined by journalist Ellen Huet (@ehuet), whose reporting pulled back the curtain on the organization’s rise from buzzy Silicon Valley sex startup to full blown scandal that involved allegations of coercion, manipulation, and high control group dynamics. They unpack how OneTaste marketed intimacy as enlightenment and why so many got pulled into its orgasmic orbit. Is this a groundbreaking sexual wellness movement… or a textbook case of culty self help? Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events Thank you to our sponsors! To Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain, Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Head to https://acorns.com/CULT or download the Acorns app to get started. Head to https://factormeals.com/cult50off and use code cult50off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year! Learn more and join Function using my link. Visit www.functionhealth.com/CULT or use gift code CULT25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary