The Cult of Podcast Hosts

Summary

Sounds Like A Cult

Episode: The Cult of Podcast Hosts

Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Amanda Montell, Chelsea Charles, Reese Oliver
Podcast: Sounds Like A Cult

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Overview

This special end-of-year episode of Sounds Like A Cult takes a meta turn, as hosts Amanda Montell, Chelsea Charles, and Reese Oliver reflect on podcast hosting itself as a “culty” phenomenon. Through listener-submitted questions, the trio explores the nuances, in-jokes, power structures, and shared vocabulary of the podcasting world—drawing connections to traditional cultish behaviors and examining their own dynamic. The format is looser than usual (“unfiltered, unhinged,” as Amanda says), with plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, rapid-fire responses, and playful admissions of their own cultish temptations.

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Key Discussion Points

Introducing the Meta-Cult: Podcast Hosts

• Amanda frames the episode: "Sometimes your very own favorite parasocial disembodied voices can be cult leaders." (03:06)
• The hosts acknowledge that podcasting creates an exclusive-feeling world, “an obligation to have to kind of get into it, but… I know you just won’t get it. That’s what I feel is culty.” – Chelsea (05:20)
• Amanda: “There is a lot of clownery on this show… The girls who get it, get it. And that statement alone makes Sounds Like a Cult a cult.” (06:27)
• Emphasis on laughing with the audience rather than at sensitive topics, but sticking staunchly to their comedic (and sometimes controversial) tone.

Behind the Scenes: Host Dynamics & Origin Stories

• Chelsea: “I slid up in Amanda’s DMs after being a cult listener for a while... It was just one of those kismet situations where I was like, I’m going to put myself out there. And now here we are.” (09:08)
• Reese: Came up via fan interactions and live shows. “I, too, was just but a humble listener and a reader of the books... An intern was needed. I stepped up. The rest is history.” (10:38)
• Discussion about their age differences and genuine chemistry, despite having met through the podcast.
• Chelsea: “Yes, New Friends!” (13:06) – Upending Drake’s old mantra.

Cults They've Secretly Wanted to Join

• Amanda admits to being tempted by “witchier, more spiritual cults,” e.g., Etsy witches. Later reverses her stance on “Labubu,” a whimsical mascot. “I like reverse indoctrinated myself… groups like that where it’s ultra feminine, mystical.” (13:07–14:55)
• Chelsea: Boarding schools—“It made me so sad that I didn’t get to partake because of all the rituals. Y’all know I’m the most susceptible to cults in our fabulous trio.” (15:44)
• Reese: “Van life and roller derby. I think both of those things sound incredibly fun, even though both roller skating and driving terrify me.” (16:44)
• Amanda: “The cult is always greener…” (17:42)

How They Pick Topics & Assign Hosts

• Amanda explains their topic selection calculus: “Certain cults are too easy to categorize… Some are too polarizing. Some are just too on the nose… There’s a certain tone that we’re trying to capture with every single episode.” (23:07)
• Preference, niche interests, pop-culture timing, and listener suggestions all play a role.
• “If we suggest a topic, it’s kind of implied that we’d like to cover it.” – Reese (25:12)
• Listener persistence pays off, e.g., the long-requested “marching band” episode (26:00).

TV, Documentaries, and Cult Content of the Year

• Praise for cult-heavy series:
  • Wayward on Netflix—Amanda consulted for the show (21:07)
  • Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, The P. Diddy documentary, and Mormon wives drama (22:08)
• “Just recording our episode on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders made me more obsessed with them.” – Amanda (22:08)
• “Oh my God, there’s so much Mormon wives drama happening right now... I do feel like for the first time, I’m kind of getting the Housewives thing.” – Reese (22:11)

Most Unhinged Conspiracy Theories (26:51)

• Chelsea: “The chicken wing industry has been infiltrated by quail.” (28:27)
• Reese: Musicals based on movies are really just “being made to sell performance rights to high schools and middle schools.” (29:10)
• Amanda: “My favorite conspiracy theory that I believe in is that Hitler had a micropenis. Without a doubt, the evidence is there.” (30:14, with Chelsea’s resounding agreement at 30:14)

Regretting Cult Ratings?

• All agree: “No. Because they’re not that serious.” – Amanda (30:31)
• The hosts discuss the subjectivity and context behind their “Live Your Life / Watch Your Back / Get The Fuck Out” scale and how listeners get defensive over the ratings.
  • Amanda: “It’s just for fun. It’s kind of a framework to better understand and discuss. It’s also just a technique to get people to listen all the way to the end of the episode. It’s really not that deep.” (31:48)
  • Chelsea: “None of us purport to know everything… we learn new information every single fucking day.” (32:56)

Favorite Cults (34:31)

• Chelsea: “Cult of Beyoncé. I just feel super connected to her. That is a cult that I am so proud of.” (34:39)
• Reese: Nickelodeon—it shaped her sense of humor, but “I’m not condoning any problematic behaviors…” (34:50)
• Amanda: The most fascinating: Synanon (her dad grew up in it), but also “wherever evangelicalism and pop culture intersect”: purity culture, Christian pop music, megachurches. (35:18)

Lightning Round Q&A

• “Do you tell people in your life if you think they’re in cults?”

  • Amanda: Depends on the person, generally prefers a gentle approach. (39:42)
  • Chelsea: Lost a friendship over being brutally honest about a friend’s cult involvement; now approaches it more delicately. (40:53)
  • Reese: Loves to call out “slacky type cults” in new acquaintances, but is sensitive to beliefs “near to someone’s worldview.” (41:56)

• “Cult more people should join?”

  • Amanda: “Something in person that has to do with nature… a community garden…” (37:55)
  • Reese: “The cult of mutual aid” (38:11)
  • Chelsea: “Cult of Pilates. Community, hotness, stability, core strength.” (38:25)

• Favorite Italian food in LA? Amanda: Felix (Venice), Spina (Atwater Village) (47:15)

• Fashion Styles:

  • Chelsea: “A mix of troubled teen and cat fight at a bar.” (45:50)
  • Reese: “If I had all the money, period accurate outfit from 1955–1985 every day.” (46:05)
  • Amanda: “Brunch Princess, Professor Coquette, and little Orphan Boy.” (46:39)

• “Is this podcast a cult?”

  • All: “Live your life”—hosting is “a great life… What a year it has been.” (47:45)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I feel kind of like a wizard behind a curtain, but also, there’s literally no way to show you what’s behind here.” – Amanda (05:48)
• “If you can’t laugh at yourself, then… it’s just hitting a little close to home for you.” – Amanda (07:44)
• “My favorite thing, and honestly, this might be the cultiest thing about hosting this podcast, is when listeners take the cult classification system so seriously…” – Amanda (30:48)
• “Joining the cult of a community garden.” – Amanda (38:01)
• “Community, hotness, stability, core strength. Who doesn’t need it?” – Chelsea (38:30)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:06 – Podcast hosts as potential cult leaders, show format for this episode
• 05:20 – “Culty” feeling of podcasting; cultural vocabulary and exclusivity
• 09:08 – How Chelsea joined the show (DM sliding lore)
• 10:38 – Reese’s entry to the team via fan-to-intern pipeline
• 13:07 – Cults the hosts almost want to join, including Labubu and boarding schools
• 23:07 – Deep dive: How topics and host assignments happen
• 26:51 – “Most unhinged conspiracy theory you believe in?” rapid fire
• 30:31 – Regret any cult ratings?
• 34:39 – Favorite cults covered on the show
• 39:42 – Do you confront friends about their cults? Where’s the line?
• 45:50 – Hosts’ fashion sense: Letting their aesthetic colors show
• 47:45 – Is the podcast itself a cult? Yearly reflections and tease for 2026

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Tone & Language

The conversational tone is loose, invited, and irreverent, with a "wink and nudge" attitude toward both cultishness and their audience. Banter is affectionate and self-aware, peppered with Internet in-jokes, quick-witted asides, and a clear message: self-mockery is key to self-awareness.

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Conclusion

This episode blurs the line between host and content, embracing the meta-cult of podcasting with warmth, vulnerability, and humor. Whether discussing the magnetic draw of in-group rituals, the not-so-seriousness of their ratings, or the surprising depth of fandom, Amanda, Chelsea, and Reese reveal both the potential dangers and immense joys of building “culty” communities—even when you’re the ones behind the mic.

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Transcript

[A]

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online. I've been a Squarespace user for many, many years.

[B]

Sounds like a cult.com is a Squarespace.

[A]

Website and updating it is super easy thanks to Squarespace's features including their design intelligence which combines two decades of industry leading design expertise with cutting edge AI technology. Squarespace Payments is also an iconic feature and if you are a content person person, Squarespace makes it possible to sell images, courses, blog posts behind a paywall. Head to squarespace.com for a free trial and when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.com cult to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code Cult oh God. It is the holidays. A time that is of course joyful and jolly, but also stressful. And if you don't already have a therapy practice, now might be the time.

[B]

Enter Rula.

[A]

Finding a good therapist is hard enough, but finding one that actually takes your insurance makes the challenge ten times as hard. But Rula does things differently. They partner with over a hundred different insurance plans, making the average CO pay just 15 per session. No wait lists, no frustrating back and forths. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high quality therapy that's actually covered by Insurance. Visit rula.com cult to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them know we sent you. That's r u l a.com cult. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget. The views expressed on this episode, as.

[B]

With all episodes of Sounds Like a Cult, are solely host opinions and quoted allegations. The content here should not be taken as indisputable fact.

[A]

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only.

[B]

Okay, I'm gonna like switch up the energy here because my favorite conspiracy theory that I believe in is that how to microphone grow penis.

[C]

Without a doubt, the evidence is there.

[D]

Yeah, it's a nice thought. Even if it's not true.

[B]

It's true. Okay, next question. This is Sounds Like a Cult, a show about the modern day cults we all follow. I'm your host Amanda Montel, author of books including Cultish and the Age of Magical Overthinking.

[C]

And I'm Chelsea Charles, your co host and unscripted TV producer.

[D]

And I'm Reese Oliver, your other co host sounds like a Cult's resident rhetoric scholar.

[B]

Every week on the show we discuss a different group or guru that puts the cult in culture from Disney adults to mlms to try and answer the.

[C]

Big question, this group sounds like a.

[D]

Cult, but is it really?

[B]

And if so, which of our three culture categories does it fall into? A live your life, a watch your back or get the fuck out. After all, cult influence falls along a spectrum, and it doesn't always show up in the places you might expect it. Sometimes your very own favorite parasocial disembodied voices can be cult leaders. Today we have a very special end of year episode. It's not traditionally formatted. I hope that that's okay. We're letting you know up front. Did you two see there was a comment when I did a feed drop of my Magical Overthinkers episode about weddings on the Sounds Like a Cult feed? Because I was like, this was going to be a dark week. I'll just throw this in there so people have something to listen to. And someone commented and was like, I was so disappointed that you didn't announce earlier that this wasn't a traditional Sounds like a Cult episode because I had already gotten in the shower and I wasn't able to and I was like, okay, that feels like an overshare.

[D]

I'm so sorry to whoever that listener is. We are unfortunately not responsible for your shower behavior.

[B]

I know. I was like, I don't know if you meant to say that out loud, so.

[D]

First time I don't.

[C]

Come on now.

[B]

But in case anyone is in the shower, I'm letting you know right now that this is gonna be a great episode. It's gonna be unfiltered, unhinged. Unstructured. Actually, no, that's a lie. This is a structured episode. We're talking about our experiences as culty podcast hosts, and we're doing that by answering a bunch of listener submitted questions sent in via our Instagram at Sounds Like a Cult Pod. And they're really juicy and fun. But before we get into the questions, I wanted to ask both of you, rhys and Chelsea, 2025 was the first full year that you both were co hosting this podcast with me. I. I don't want to get like, too love bomby too early on, but, like, it has been the joy of my life. I am just so grateful for you both. But I wanted to ask, now that you've hosted this show for a year and change, what do you think is the cultiest thing about being a podcast host? Especially if sounds like a cult.

[D]

Well, first of all, I don't know why I said first of all, as if I have Something this day because I. I was just. I just wanted to respond to the love. I also love you, and I love this job. And I have so much fun getting culty every week and chatting with all of you culties as well. I hear the cultiest thing about the job.

[C]

I have something.

[B]

Okay, go.

[C]

I think the cultiest thing is that it feels like anytime that I say that I'm a podcaster, that I'm in some, like, exclusive world that other people just don't understand. I think it's extremely culty because, like, you know, people have all these questions, and then I feel, like, this obligation to have to kind of get into it, but it's coming from a place of, like, I know. You just won't get it. You know, that's what I feel is culty.

[B]

So, like, you feel kind of like a wizard behind a curtain, but also, like, there's literally no way to show you what's behind here.

[C]

Exactly.

[D]

Yeah. I have similar feelings about a different aspect of the work. Like, I find most people I talk to, like, the podcasting thing, once I kind of explain what I do, that's relatively straightforward. It's when they get to the, like, what do you talk about on the show part? And I explain that we talk about cults, and there's always a reaction there, and that reaction there lets me know that I am part of a very. Of a very special group of people that like to giggle in this cult space. And it's.

[C]

It's.

[D]

It's polarizing. Not everybody's down. Not everyone's down to clown.

[B]

Yeah, because there is a lot of clownery on this show, which is allegedly about cults. And as you both know, doing, like, a funny teehee treatment of groups that are sometimes pretty seriously harming people is not always easy. And not everyone who tunes in is down, but the girls who get it, get it. And that statement alone makes sounds like a cult. A cult.

[D]

Y podcast.

[B]

It's like, of course, I think we're all open to feedback with regard to, like, how to make this show better, but we're not open to feedback that wants us to, like, completely change who we are or completely change the premise of the show, even though it might come across as, like, a little bit offensive to uncertain people. I, like, see comments sometimes that are like, stop making fun of Christianity and, like, respectfully.

[D]

Noon.

[B]

No, it's tough. Like, we're laughing alongside our fellow culties. That is a core value. Sounds like a goal.

[C]

Core tenet.

[B]

Yeah, a core tenet. A core commandment. But at the end of the day, like, there are some groups that I will be laughing at and keep. Just the Abdul Mormons are one of them.

[D]

And the whole point of the show is like, honestly, the more you're able to laugh at yourself, the safer you are. So why are you getting so stressed about it anyway? Like, I feel like if you can't laugh at yourself, then, like, I don't know, maybe it's just hitting a little close to home for you and you feel a little.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is a humbling show as we've all. Like, Chelsea and I just got off a recording about the cult of Pilates. That's a scoop for 2026. And it was humbling for me. I'll speak for myself as someone who's.

[D]

Been to exactly one Pilates class. I believe you.

[B]

Yeah, I'm fully in that group. Okay, so. So now we're gonna get into this long list of listener submitted questions. Thank you so much to everybody who asked us a little something about our dynamic, our regrets, our favorite cults, et cetera. And yeah, like, cozy in. It's the end of the year.

[A]

We've had a big year.

[B]

We've released more Sounds Like a Cult episodes this year than ever in the show's history. It's been a maximalist year. Thank you, Culty, so much for tuning in and thank you both for your very hard work. I am tired. So it's time to make a cup of te and get under a throw blanket and listen to an episode that's like, a little more Breaking the Third. Breaking the third wall.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Triangular Mean Girls. When she's like, I have a fifth sex. Breaking the fourth Wall. Okay, so the first question goes, how did we all meet?

[C]

So I slid up in Amanda's DMs after being a cult listener for a while, obsessed with the format, obsessed with the content. And I saw that there was room for me to slither in. That's my favorite word right now. And I DM'd. Amanda pitched myself. It was after a few glasses of wine, didn't think that anything would come of it. And she responded, like, the next day. And I don't know, it was kind of crazy. It was just one of those, like, kismet situations where I was like, I'm going to put myself out there. And now here we are.

[B]

That's what I'm saying. Like, that this is all so serendipitous because, like, no one has ever slid into my DMs. Being like, can I co host the show. Just a perfect.

[D]

That's very admirable.

[B]

Yeah, it was like a crash course and shooting your shot. And I was just like, what are the odds that, like, the only person to have ever done this would be right? And then we had, like, a bunch of conversations over zoom. And I guess that was two years ago almost, which is crazy.

[C]

Like, I even think about.

[B]

Yeah, it is. But it's just amazing to me how well we all click.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Chelsea and I met because she slid into my DMs.

[D]

Crazy. I feel like our lore is somewhat similar. I think it's pretty infamous. We've told it at our LA Live show. I believe we told the culties how we met. But for those of you who don't know, I, too, was just but a humble listener and a reader of the books. And through being parasocial, an online rapport was formed. An intern was needed. I stepped up. The rest is history.

[B]

And you came. You came to a. Sounds like a cult live show.

[D]

I did.

[B]

I came to 2022, dude. I revisited that photo recently. It freaked me out because, like, it was such a representation of the passage of time. You look so. Baby. Like, you were 19. I was 19 or younger. And you look so young. I don't know if I'm, like, delusional. I feel like you look a lot.

[D]

Younger in the picture, too. I'm, like, seeing it in my brain as we're talking about it. God damn it.

[B]

I'm like, I have an age.

[C]

Like, I'm ageless.

[B]

Like.

[C]

And Reese is like.

[D]

No, I'm not saying you look old. I'm just saying I think it might be because I look younger, like, in the pictures. Stop it. You know, I'm not trying to call you.

[B]

No, I'm okay with aging a little bit. Just a change.

[D]

That's what I'm saying. We were talking about the other. The other day, the three of us were talking about how we feel. Amanda was always meant to be in her 30s, and that's just what I'm like. What I'm trying to convey is, like, I feel like now you're settled into the 30s woman you're supposed to be.

[B]

Oh, thank you. Yeah, no, I was only just barely 30, so I wasn't. I hadn't quite hit my stride. And Chelsea and I are both the exact same age. And Reese is like our daughter and our mother and our sister.

[C]

Oh, one time with Jesus Christ.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know what to say. It's, like, very strange how nice our dynamic shaped up, considering that we didn't go to college together, we didn't grow up together, literally. The podcast brought us together.

[C]

Dude, every. Every time I hear Drake's song no New Friends, I have never not resonated with a song as much as I have not resonated with that song. Yeah, because what are you even talking about? Yes. Yes, New Friends.

[B]

So let's keep moving down this glorious list.

[D]

Amanda, Chelsea, has there ever been a Watch your Back cult we've discussed on the pod that you have wanted to join afterwards?

[B]

Ooh, that's a great question. It's an interesting question because I feel like some of the cults we discuss on the show, I just have the ick the whole time. Like trad wives or Waldorf schools, whatever. Mark Zuckerberg. Sometimes the ick gets worse. But then sometimes, as we're talking through even a watcher back level cult, I find myself like jealous of the sense of connection that the people within it have. Because for whatever reason, like the flavor, the aesthetic, the sense of unity that that particular group has really does it for me. And there have been, there have been a few of those. I would say some of the, like, witchier, more spiritual cults have made me want to lean into my more mystical side. Like our Halloween episode this year, the Cult of Etsy Witches, which I think actually maybe that was a Live youe Life. But yeah, groups like that where it's like ultra feminine kind of mystical, especially during these crisis ridden times. Those groups make me kind of want to lean in. Oh, and of course the Cult of Labubu. I did a live show in Canada earlier this year and I was like, I was so anti Labubu. And then Occulte listened to our Labubu episode, learned what Labubus were from that episode, fell in love with the Labubu and that was our fault, and then brought me a Labubu indoctrinated live show. Yup. And now I low key like that Labubu. It's wearing a little beaded choker that says culty. And so I like reverse indoctrinated myself. So I guess Etsy witches and Labubu dude with shame.

[C]

It's also so interesting to think about how what we put out is all like up to the interpretation of whoever is receiving. Because we got so much shit for that episode from some people. And then other people were like, I discovered Le Booboo. And even though you talk so much shit about lovable, it made me want it more. So much so that I'm gonna buy. I'M gonna buy you one.

[D]

Yeah, it really doesn't even matter. It's just the fact that you're putting it in front of people's face. Any semblance of nuance is just beyond.

[B]

I mean, that just goes to show, like, how inherently addictive Labubus are that someone could talk shit about it for an hour and still no one wants.

[D]

It less literally made in a lab to be a culty totem plastic crack.

[B]

What about you two boarding schools?

[C]

Ooh, without a doubt.

[B]

It just. It intensified your fire.

[C]

Yes. It made me so sad that I didn't get to partake because of all the rituals you already know. Y' all know I'm the most susceptible to cults in our fabulous trio. And for me, when we were talking about boarding schools, I was like, yes, man, I should have.

[D]

I'm dead.

[B]

Come on, Bon. Yes. It's like I saw on our Chick Fil? A episode that someone commented that, like, unfortunately, that episode just made them crave Chick Fil A. And, like, the Dance Moms episode that we recorded just made me want to.

[D]

Watch Dance Moms Moms.

[B]

Like, it's this podcast, unfortunately, like, it's maybe doing the opposite thing it's meant to do. It's like, all press is good press. Yeah.

[D]

The first step to recovery is awareness of the problem. Yeah. Adopting the problem is the first step in being aware. If you're aware of the problem before you adopt the problem. Solar preventative work being done there.

[B]

Oh, yeah. No, I agree. I agree. I agree. Eyes wide open.

[D]

And with that, I will say that I have been tempted. I. Full disclosure, I don't remember if these are fully. Watch your backs. But I have been tempted by van life and roller derby. I think both of those things sound incredibly fun, even though both roller skating and driving terrify me. Yes. But I would like. I would like to turn up. Ooh.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So if I were to classify each of our culty aspirations based on our answers or our culty identities, Chelsea's would be, like, elitist, dark academia.

[D]

That's what I think of when I think of Chelsea. For sure.

[B]

I mean, like, the opposite. I guess we're all just curious about the thing that we're not. So, like, I'm really not, like, a blindly consumerist spiritual person. And that's probably why I'm so intrigued by witchcraft and the boo boos and, like, demons. Oh, Satanism. That's another one that I'm like, ooh, that's.

[D]

Ooh. Always. The cult is always greener.

[B]

And then, like, Rhys is very much like a grounded academic person who based on the like the van life and roller derby thing, maybe like deep down wants to let her freak flag fly.

[D]

Shrek reference on the pod today. All right.

[B]

Is that a Shrek?

[D]

I think no, Shrek is Shrek. It's just. It's in Shrek. I've been. I wrote. I was writing final about Shrek today so.

[B]

Oh, okay. Classic Reese Shrek references. An easter egg for 2026 though. No spoile.

[A]

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online. So whether you're just starting out or managing a growing brand, Squarespace makes it super easy to build a beautiful website that represents you, to connect with your audience and to sell absolutely anything from products to content to time. I've been a Squarespace user for many, many years.

[B]

Sounds like a cult.com is a Squarespace.

[A]

Website and updating it is super easy. And that is thanks to Squarespace's features including their design intelligence which combines two decades of industry leading design expertise with cutting edge AI technology. Squarespace Payments is also an iconic feature that allows you to sell one time only purchases or subscription based purchases to your audience using the payment method that is most convenient for them. I've even used Squarespace Payments to sell books at a live event that I did for Sounds like a Cult just right there on the spot in person, which was really convenient. And if you are a content person, Squarespace makes it possible to sell images, courses, blog posts behind a paywall. Literally anything you want to do with a website can be done with Squarespace. Head to squarespace.com for a free trial and when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.com cult to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code Culture oh God, it is the holidays. A time that is of course joyful and jolly, but also stressful. And if you don't already have a therapy practice, now might be the time. Especially with a service that makes it affordable and accessible. Enter Rula Finding a good therapist is hard enough, but finding one that actually takes your insurance makes the challenge ten times as hard. That's honestly where most online therapy platforms fall short. Many don't work with insurance at all, which means you're stuck paying out of pocket the full entire price. But Rula does things differently. They partner with over 100 different insurance plans, making the average co pay just $15 per session. This is real therapy from licensed professionals at a Price. That actually makes sense. Some online platforms just match you with the first available person, but Rula actually takes into account your needs and desires. No wait lists, no frustrating back and forths. Rula makes it possible to find a therapist who is accepting patients now and they can offer you an appointment as well, soon as tomorrow. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high quality therapy that's actually covered by Insurance. Visit rula.com cult to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them.

[B]

Know we sent you.

[A]

That's R u l a.com cult. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget.

[B]

Okay, next question. Chelsea, you want to give it to us?

[C]

Yes. Have you seen the Netflix show Wayward? What are your thoughts?

[B]

So the Netflix show Wayward is a Mae Martin show inspired by the troubled teen industry that a friend of theirs unfortunately had an experience with. Mae Martin, Friend of the pod, was a guest years ago on our cult of stand up comedy episode. I have seen a couple episodes of Wayward and. And I was actually a consultant on the show very briefly when it was first being developed and written like three years ago.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

So I'm biased, but I think it's a pretty well executed show. Anyone else seen it?

[C]

Not I haven't seen it.

[D]

Well, there you go. We'll have to add it to the list.

[C]

Right? My watch list.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, definitely. The culty watch list. Oh, maybe we can all say like our favorite culty TV shows or movies of the year. I, of course, loved the latest season of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Oh, that's another watch your back. That, like, just recording our episode on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders made me more obsessed with them.

[D]

I would do it. I would try. If I were athletic.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

I have my eyes glued to those Mormon wives, as does most of the country. Oh, my God, there's so much Mormon wives drama happening right now. And I do feel like for the first time, I'm kind of getting the Housewives thing where it's like my whole life I've been like, why are you interested in this? It is so clearly, so overtly manufactured. And then that is exactly what is happening right now. And I'm still every day online like, oh, wait, there's going to be an Orange County, California spinoff. What? Which, by the way, I will be tuning in.

[B]

Oh, my God, it got you. I'm glad to hear that you're susceptible to something.

[C]

I'm screaming this is just because it's fresh on my brain. But the P. Diddy documentary.

[B]

Oh, yes. Oh, my God, yes. I binge that in one night, which I don't recommend. Just like emotionally. That anyone do.

[D]

No.

[C]

Hell no. Unless you go into your prayer closet immediately following. Because, listen, I gotta build one of those.

[B]

Okay, next question. How do you choose each episode topic on the show? And how do you choose which host will cover which topic? It's a great, great BTS type question. I can sort of speak to that. So there's a little bit of a calculus as far as which episodes are selected and what order they go in. There's a certain tone that we're trying to capture with every single episode which disqualifies certain cults that are too easy to categorize. So, like, a lot of classic cults of yore that are no longer at large would not be right for the show. But also active cults that are so polarizing in the culture that the episode would probably just be divisive and cause more harm than entertainment are probably not right. And then, like, groups that are too kind of on the nose, Everybody already knows what there is to be said about this aren't right for the show. Like, for example, the cult of Maga. Not correct for. Sounds like a cult. The cult of Maga wives. Yes. Because, like, it's a little more niche. I don't know if you've seen these stats, but 85.5% of our listenership is female. So. So, like, whenever there is kind of a more feminine spin to an episode, that will probably set us up for success. And then there's a formula that goes into, like, not only does the episode topic have to be tonally right for the show, but it has to be culturally relevant. And yet we don't want there to be too many, like, super timely episodes in a row. We want there to be a mix of kind of like super zeitgeist y ones, but also more evergreen ones. And then a mix of like, really mainstream subjects that we know everyone will be interested in, like trad wives and super, super niche ones, like plant parents or roller derby. And then sometimes, sometimes we'll like, last minute toss in an episode if there's like a massive hullabaloo blowing up about a certain group, like the sex lives of Mormon wives or something like that. But yeah, that's how the episodes get chosen. It's like, kind of intuitive, but also kind of formulaic.

[D]

Yeah. And then usually if we suggest a topic, it's kind of implied. That we would like to cover it. But sometimes when we are doing more forward thinking, there is a list and we will draft accordingly. And it's pretty much just preference. I feel like that's part of what makes our dynamic so nice, is that we all do have our own little pockets of interest, so there's not usually much infighting. And if there is, the more the merrier. Everybody can do it.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, it's like, you know, it made sense for Chelsea to solo Beyonce because, like, that's your world. You know, like Rhys and I would have nothing to contribute that you couldn't like completely do 100% better than us. And then sometimes it's just a matter of scheduling. Like sometimes two out of the three of us are busy. And that's, for example, the reason why I soloed Anti Vaxxers. You know, it's not like I was the only one who could take that on, it's just that, you know, I was available. But I would say it's a mix. Like, we do have a spreadsheet where we choose topics ahead of time, but we also incorporate listener suggestions. So like, please do keep leaving those on our Instagram posts or emailing us at Sounds like a cult pot gmail dot com. We really, really do pay attention and sometimes we won't get to the listener suggestions until like years later. But like, the reason why we did marching band is because we had gotten such consistency, consistent requests for that for so many years. So we were finally just like, okay, this is Evergreen. There's enough kind of niche interest in this that we should ultimately do it. And so we did. So, like be persistent. We, we really do listen to the suggestions.

[D]

So Amanda tells me, oh, this is a fun question. What is the most unhinged conspiracy theory that each of you believe in?

[C]

So you know what, this is a funny question because I actually was just talking to my brother in law about this and he told me that I need to submit this to the My Mama Told Me podcast. My craziest conspiracy theory that I believe is that I went to Magic City a few weeks ago and you know.

[B]

You gotta get strip club in Atlanta for anyone.

[C]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Who doesn't know?

[C]

Yes, sorry. So strip club in Atlanta, Very famous. Referenced in so many songs. But it is a thing. When you go to Magic City, not only do you experience Magic City, but you have to get the wings. The wings are what they are famous for. So we got the special wings that had one of the NBA players leave the COVID bubble. The NBA Covid bubble. He snuck out, he went to get these wings and he was fine and he got in trouble. We got his special wings. My theory, when these wings showed up, they were the size of a quarter. They were the size of a quarter. Here's my theory. My family, I think I've talked about this a lot. My family has had the same farm in my family for generations. I come from a farming family. We raise quail, guinea turkey and chicken. I know the difference between a chicken a girl knows a poultry and a motherfucking quail. And I think, I think that the chicken wing industry has been infiltrated by quail.

[D]

That is scathing.

[B]

Yeah, it is. And your supporting arguments are very compelling. I'm on board.

[C]

That's all I'm saying.

[D]

I buy it. Fine.

[C]

That's all I'm saying.

[B]

She rests her case. Rhys, do you have a conspiracy theory?

[D]

I do. I stole this from my best friend because I. I'm not a very conspiracy theory laden gal, but she convinced me of this one. I think that a big part of the reason why there are so many God awful new musicals that are based on movies. So like I recently saw Romeo and Michelle the musical, and she recently saw Devil Wears Prada, the musical and both of them were like the worst pieces of garbage we've ever seen. See also Mean Girls, Beetlejuice. I could go on. Yeah. The theory is that I'm so seated.

[B]

For this conspiracy theory.

[D]

Right? The theory, which is not really much of a theory at all. And this might be anticlimactic and I'm like hoping that I'm not hyping it up too much. But the theory is that these shows are not being written and produced, like to actually be put on and to garner audiences, but they're pretty much just being made to sell performance rights to middle schools and high schools. And like that's why all the songs are so. Because they're written for 13 year old girls to sing and post on TikTok and so on.

[B]

Oh, I believe that 4,000%.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Like the, the whole, the IP engineering. Wild.

[D]

If you're producing a children's musical, if this is some behind the scenes knowledge you don't know, usually like just by the time you have like the rights and like script materials. So this is not the cost of your crew, your costumes, your set, anything literally just by the time you have the rights and your scripts, you're usually out probably like 7 or 8K.

[B]

Wow. Okay. It's giving MLM. Okay. I'm going to like switch up the energy Here. Because my favorite conspiracy theory that I believe in is that Hitler had a micro penis.

[C]

Without a doubt, the evidence is there.

[D]

Yeah, it's a nice thought. Even if it's not true.

[B]

It's true. Okay, next question.

[C]

Do any of you ladies regret any of the cult ratings? Like, something you went too easy or hard on?

[B]

No. Because they're not that serious.

[D]

That's what I'm saying. Like, I'm sure there are. And I know they're the ones that, in the moment, I have felt like about, but I just. If I made myself care that much about it, I would never say a rating confidently in my life. And that's. You listen to us for confident ratings. Hmm. Yeah.

[B]

I mean, for me, like, I'm sure there are ones that on second listen, I would disagree with or have a different take about. But my favorite thing, and it's so fascinating and honestly, this might be the cultiest thing about hosting this podcast is when listeners take the cult classification system so seriously. Like, some people sometimes will get, like, legitimately so, so upset and be like, I cannot believe you called Catholic schools a watch your back when you called Trader Joe's a get the fuck out. That's not a real example, but I'm just like, you know, this is, like, completely made up. It's there. I was just like, I'm loving that you, like, adopted our ideas and, like, and are really taking them to heart, but please take it with a grain of salt. Like, it's just. It's just for fun. It's just kind of like a framework to better understand and discuss. It's a framework, and it's also just a technique to get people to listen all the way to the end of the episode. It's really not that deep.

[D]

Well, and I think it's important to remember that these ratings are also, like, context dependent.

[B]

Like, Right.

[D]

Yeah. When you are raking Trader Joe's, we're talking about how dangerous it is. Like, in terms of what the most dangerous grocery store could be. Which, yeah, we're probably going to be more inclined to give a GTFO than, like, Catholic school. There's a pretty wide range of ways in which you could harm children and that might fall kind of low on the list.

[C]

Like, you know, I mean, technically, right now, I mean, Trader Joe's is pretty dangerous with the FDA rollbacks. Have y' all seen the list? They have been having the most listeria breakouts. I mean, breakout outbreaks and a lot of their stuff. So, whatever. Standing on it. But piggybacking off of Reese. I think that of course there are things that we would go back and be like, I changed my mind. But that's because even though we speak so confidently on the pod, none of us purport to know everything and to know it all. And we learn new information every single fucking day when we read. So maybe after we air something a few weeks later, we read new information that we're like, hey, you know what.

[B]

Maybe I should have totally. And also, like, some listeners allegedly binge and so they might hear us classify. You know, we do great on a curve, but if you're binging, you might hear some inconsistencies in our classifications. But we're living like week to week on this podcast. So, like, I totally forget what. I don't have like a catalog of like every classification that we've ever made in my head. None of us do. So we're kind of making the call based on, on like that week's analysis, but also kind of based on vibes. And so I regret everything. And I regret nothing.

[D]

There we go.

[C]

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[A]

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[B]

Okay, this person asks what is everyone's favorite cult and why Cult of Beyonce.

[C]

Got to yeah, feel so seen. I just feel super. It's very parasocial. But I feel super connected to her. And that is a cult that I am am so proud of.

[D]

I don't know, I feel like most of the cults that I'm in that we cover, I'm like slowly deconstructing from like I'm not as much of a glossier girl as I used to be. So this is kind of a difficult question. What comes to mind, I think is Nickelodeon because I was such like a dyed in the wool Nickelodeon raised child and like I feel like it was very foundational to a lot of my humor. So that's obviously not condoning any of the stuff we spoke about. In that episode, any of the problematic behaviors. But, yeah, that's where my head's at right now.

[B]

So funny that you immediately both jumped to favorite, as in the one that you like, genuinely love the most, because I interpreted what is your favorite cult? As like, what's the one that you ogle the most? The one that is, like, endlessly fascinating to you? And for me, well, a, it's Synanon, because that's the cult that my dad grew up in and is, like the seed that planted this whole fascination. But for me, it's also wherever evangelicalism and pop culture intersect. So all the episodes we have on, like, purity culture, Christian pop music, celebrity megachurches, we have an episode coming up in 2026 about modesty bloggers. Like, all of that stuff is my bread and frickin butter. It's just that juxtaposition of religion and spirituality with the Internet. And so the zeitgeist, you know, Did.

[C]

Y' all see that new podcast that's coming out? It's a set of twins. One of them is a modesty blogger, and she's, like, Catholic and all the things. And then the other one is an atheist, and she's like, grunge. And they are just going to be not debating, but conversing about the differences in, like, their belief systems.

[D]

So fascinating, the everyday conversations you have on your modesty blog.

[C]

Right? They were talking about their first conversation was yoga, and I was like, ooh, was it.

[B]

Was it interesting?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think they've got something. I think it's going to be super, super interesting.

[B]

Oh, okay. Hot tip.

[D]

What?

[B]

Do you remember what it was called?

[C]

No, but I'll find it.

[D]

Okay. Ooh, Amanda, how many colts can you name in 20 seconds?

[B]

Oh, Jesus. Is the timer going?

[C]

I'm gonna start it. Three, two, one, go.

[B]

Jonestown, Heaven's Gate, the Children of God, Scientology, the Way International, the Family, the Two by Twos, the Mormon Church, the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, the Amish. I mean. Oh, God, I'm like. About disputing problematic things.

[C]

Was that.

[D]

That was 10.

[C]

Oh, I thought that was 11. I miscount.

[D]

Maybe 11.

[C]

Okay, maybe 11.

[D]

Was it 11?

[B]

I think it was. It's a. It's a call every call every two seconds.

[D]

Yeah, no Synanon, though.

[B]

Oh, weird, weird. Okay, well, I'm glad that was only 20 seconds. I. I would have hit a wall at some point and just would have started, like, saying random words like the cult of the color blue.

[C]

Periwinkle. Okay, okay, ladies, what cult should More.

[B]

Of us join something in person that has to do with nature. Something that allows you to connect. Something hyper social and surrounding nature that also is either free. Yeah, maybe like joining the cult of, like, a community garden or something like that.

[D]

The cult of mutual aid.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Just something that makes you feel like really outside of yourself and, like, connected to your neighbors. Is that too earnest an answer?

[D]

Maybe.

[C]

Chelsea, Cult of Pilates.

[B]

Community hotness.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

Stability, core strength. Who doesn't need it?

[B]

What do you think, Reese?

[D]

I think plant parents is. Is a good answer.

[B]

What about the cult of theater kids?

[D]

I don't know if we want more people.

[B]

No, I do. I'm definitely like, I. If and when I have my little gay son one day, like, he's going to Theater Camp 100.

[D]

Well, I guess just. Yeah, the current state of theater saddens me, but I just look like probably how every generation has felt about, like.

[B]

The theater the kids these days are.

[D]

Getting is no guard. I'm sure that's been the sentiment for, like, millennia. So I'm grouchy, I'm crying, poor thing.

[C]

Amanda, it's so funny that you said that, because Scotty and I were talking yesterday and I was like, we are going to raise theater kids.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

No debate.

[B]

Yeah, no, I know. Like, what will Casey and I talk about with our child if we can't?

[D]

You guys are gonna be like Rachel Berry's standalone.

[B]

Yes, that's us, I fear. Oh, no. That's so unflattering. Okay.

[D]

No, it's not. Mr. Barry. Mr. Barry, are the bed.

[B]

Next question.

[D]

Do you tell people in your life if you think that they're in cults, or do you guys just kind of let them vibe?

[C]

Ooh, ooh, ooh.

[B]

It depends. My really close friend Amanda Core, who actually just launched her own podcast called this Feels Bi, and I've guested on a couple of episodes, and it's such a cute podcast. She's kind of a culty seeker as a person and has been in a lot of cults in her life, including Young Life for a brief spell when she was in college. She lived and worked on a Renaissance fair for six months after college and in the Pandemic, she was a part of this manifestation group called To Be Magnetic. And I was like, you're an adult. I was like, it's a. Watch your back, but just, you know, like, go in with a sense of critique. Don't like blanket worship. And I think she was appreciative of that. And I was also being, like, gentle and cheek in talking to her about it. But there are other people I know who it would not be helpful to say things like, you're in a cult. It would be totally counterproductive and alienating. And so my approach with them is.

[D]

A little bit different.

[B]

But what about you two?

[C]

I would say I have lost friendship with someone because they are more susceptible to culture. And I verbalized when they were teetering on joining a cult initially and they backed away and then they found another one. And so I will be honest in saying I was not very precious with communicating to them that you in danger, girl. But now in certain conversations, I don't really engage in that way anymore. I get too nervous that I will lose friendships over me verbalizing something like that.

[B]

So it's really tough because like, adults are just gonna do what they're gonna do and kind of have to learn the lesson themselves. And then, you know, as like an intimate outsider, one either needs to have the stomach to like stick around until they come to their senses or take a step away from that relationship. But it's really, really hard to like force someone out of those ideas.

[D]

Yeah, I think I take a similar approach to you, Amanda. Whereas like the more light hearted cults, like the, the slacky type cult, I don't even necessarily see as a bad thing because we talk all the time about how like cultishness is not necessarily a bad thing. So if I'm meeting someone new and you're, I don't know, you tell me that you go to the soul cycle, I'm like, oh my God, that's such a cult. And then like most of the time people are like, oh my God, it is. And people love to talk about it. And people get so. People love talk about the cult that they're in. People love it. So when it comes to the bigger ones or the ones that I guess feel a little nearer to someone's worldview, I tend to kind of be a little gentler with if anything, like my. My sister is a very spiritual gal. She loves her some astrology, she loves her some tarot cards, and I think she gets the vibe that I think it's a little bit culty. But I'm never like outwardly judgmental because that's mean and pointless.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. Should we do the rest as kind of like a lightning round?

[D]

Sure, yeah.

[B]

Okay. Favorite cult that we've covered. Strip Clubs, Reborn Dolls, Incels. I just. I don't know if I answered that question right. I just like loved that episode and it was our most popular episode.

[A]

Of the year.

[D]

Wow. Okay. Worst cult you've escaped or wish you escaped.

[B]

The toxic relationship I was in in my late teens and early twenties.

[D]

I'm gonna say the Cult of Car Drivers, which we haven't covered yet, but.

[B]

Oh, because you're a public transit girly through and through.

[D]

I am. I drive my Chevrolet legs girl.

[C]

I don't know. I'm. I'm. I. I gotta abstain from this one because I don't know if I've escaped from any.

[B]

I'm dead famous.

[D]

Yeah, you're still in all your cults.

[C]

The Cult of Preppers. How would you navigate the end of the federal government?

[B]

Yeah, well, we did an episode on the Cult of Doomsday Preppers a few years ago. The world does feel increasingly apocalyptic, especially with the AI race. And I do some light prepping for sure. I. I don't feel comfortable explaining what that looks like.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But I do. I have a slight plan for if the robots.

[D]

She has an underground cabin in Palm Beach, Florida, reserve with her and Casey's names on it, which is what I.

[B]

Not quite. But yeah, I think that doomsday energy is like, increasingly valid.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

I don't really have a plan because I think if I have too much of a plan, I can't give my brain to that. So I'm in.

[B]

No, she's in grad school.

[D]

She's in. My plan is blowtorch.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Oh, love.

[D]

I'm going to ask the next question because it's not applicable to me. Where is it on the boo boo right now?

[B]

It's to my left on like a shrine of tchotchkes in a hole in a sacred zone.

[C]

Sacred zone.

[B]

This next person asks for a book sneak peek. Cause I'm working on a novel and it's called where to Put yout Tongue. And it is about a Hollywood dialect coach who gets involved with a very alluring, highly aesthetic, very linguistically driven, but also sort of of pervy cult followed film director. And salaciousness ensues. Drama ensues.

[C]

I can't wait.

[B]

It's so fun. Book sneak peek. The working first line is the human vocal tract looks exactly like a vagina. That probably should have been the first sign I was getting myself into trouble.

[D]

Beautiful. I'm already so excited. It feels like Wordplot's fictional. Fictional sister.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, very much that. I'm working on it right now and it's so fun and it's gonna be great.

[C]

So good. Okay, how would each of you describe your fashion style?

[B]

A non culty Question. Thank you for asking. What would you two say?

[C]

I would describe my style as a mix of troubled teen and cat fight at a bar. That is what I like to exude. Always hot.

[B]

So hot. That's accurate.

[C]

Thanks, guys.

[D]

I think it depends. It depends on a lot of things. It depends on the day. It depends on the weather. It depends how much money I have. I think ideally, like, if I had all the money in the world, I think I would wear like a period accurate outfit from between the years of 1955 and 1985 every day.

[B]

Love that. Oh, my God. I love people who dress in period clothes.

[D]

I think it's so fun. Like, that's. Yeah. I don't know. I think I also find modern fashion very fun, but I think now just the trend cycles, trend cycling, it's just. It's not. It's not as fun anymore, honestly.

[B]

Yeah, that's fair. I have three looks and they are Brunch Princess, Professor Coquette, and little Orphan Boy. I cycle amongst those. So, like, if someone, if someone's like, like, what are you gonna wear to the club? I'm like, I have nothing. Like, I can't dress for that venue if I'm not going to like a garden party or like a faculty event or like whimsical and studious. Is the vibe whimsical and whimsical and studious or literally, like Artful dodger.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Best Italian food in la, where we all have lived. At some point. I'll say my favorite Italian food in LA is Felix in Venice. And I also really love spina in Atwater Village.

[C]

Spina is good. Spina is good.

[D]

I'm doing.

[B]

Yeah. I have one final question for you both, and that is do you think sounds like a cult is a live your life, a watch your back or a get the fuck out level? Cult? Hosting this podcast.

[D]

I'm living my life.

[C]

Live your life.

[B]

I feel like I'm living a great life hosting this podcast with you both. What a year it has been. 2026 is going to be fire. We have a very huge surprise announcement that we're going to be making in 2026, so sit your ass down. And that is our show.

[C]

Thanks so much for listening.

[D]

Stick around for a new cult next week, but in the meantime, stay culty.

[C]

But not that you.

[A]

Sounds like a cult was created by Amanda Montel and edited by Jordan Moore.

[B]

Of the Pod Cabin.

[A]

This episode was hosted by Amanda Montel.

[B]

Reese Oliver, and Chelsea Charles.

[A]

Our managing producer is Katie Epperson. Our theme music is by Casey Cole.

[B]

If you enjoyed the show, we'd really appreciate it if you could leave it 5 stars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It really helps the show a lot. And if you like this podcast, feel free to check out my book Cultish.

[A]

The Language of Fanaticism, which inspired the show.

[B]

You might also enjoy my other books.

[A]

The Age of Magical Notes on Modern.

[B]

Irrationality and Word A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language. Thanks as well to our network studio 71 and be sure to follow the Sounds Like a Cult cult on Instagram for all the discourse at Sounds Like a Cult Pod. Or support us on Patreon to listen to the show ad free at patreon.com soundslikeacult. The holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online and more personal info in more places that could expose you more to identity theft. But LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, our US based restoration specialists will fix it, guaranteed your money back back. Don't face drained accounts, fraudulent loans or financial losses alone. Get more holiday fun and less holiday worry with LifeLock. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com podcast terms apply.