Order a copy of Amanda's new book The Age of Magical Overthinking ! Catch Amanda on tour!!! Stereotypes say that homeschool kids are a little, well, ~quirky~ but is that because they grew up in a "cult" of sorts? The American homeschool landscape is currently undergoing an especially fraught *paradigm shift* with upwards of 2 million kids being taught at home as of 2023. This surge is fueled by a range of sociopolitical factors, from the relatable (school shootings are scary!!!!) to the undeniab...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Order Amanda's new book! https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Age-of-Magical-Overthinking/Amanda-Montell/9781668007976 Get ready to live, laugh, love, and possibly get into an “aisle fight” over this longgggg overdue episode, featuring the iconic Griff Stark-Ennis from the Petty Crimes podcast! In what may just be our *pettiest* episode ever, Griff joins Amanda to discuss the cultish fanaticism surrounding the pottery brand, Rae Dunn. You know those farmhouse-style mugs and platters found ...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Come party with Amanda on tour!!! Ahoy, and welcome to our first ever "Interview a Listener" episode of Sounds Like A Cult!!! Could you imagine a more tantalizing subject for this week's ~dive deep~ than this gazillion-dollar industry of floating compounds where the lines between leisure and obsession blur worse than a Carnival cruiser's vision after 12 "free" Mai Tais?? Joining the pod as Amanda's guest host is Sounds Like A Cult devotee/former long-time cruise ship employee (she's fine) Emmy M...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a cult of one dynamic almost too frightful for this show. When your very own caregiver poisons, manipulates, exploits, and lies to you for personal gain... it's the cult of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, a nightmare phenomenon made internationally famous by the notorious (iconic?) Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a victim of child medical abuse, who played a role in the murder of her cult leader of one, aka, her very own mother. To explore the many culty angles of this week's unique subject, host Amand...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast First of all, what the hell is going on with culty leggings companies that have too many Ls in their brand name: LuLaRoe, Lululemon... sounds like a conspiracy!!! Anyway, after many long years of listener requesting this topic, Sounds Like A Cult is finally diving into the spandex heart of darkness that is Lululemon. With the help of special guest hosts Taz and Marah, the ridiculously charming voices behind the Sistas Who Kill podcast, host Amanda is unraveling how this bougie "It Girl" athleisu...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast You're invited to The Big Magical Cult Show !!! Catch host Amanda on tour this April to celebrate her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking . Half the events are star-studded bookstore stops (where she'll be in conversation with the likes of Molly Ringwald and Pauline Chalamet!), and the other half are these wacky, witchy variety shows, featuring cult-followed podcasters (like Kelsey from Normal Gossip and Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes), drag burlesque, musical guests, and more. There ...
Feb 28, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Would you sacrifice your phone, passport, dignity, and freedom to move into an isolated pod for 10 days and compete against a sorority of strangers in search of True Love™, all for a world of fiendish reality TV consumers to see??? Sounds like cult behavior to me!!! This week, just in time for the Season 6 premiere, we’re FINALLY covering the cult of Love Is Blind, one of the most ~radical~ reality dating shows to have graced the airwaves. We’re joined by former cult member… ahem, I mean, contes...
Feb 20, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Grab your rosary and slap on your plaid skirt (although you WILL need to recite six “Our Fathers” if it rides even one millimeter above the knee!!!) because this week’s theatrical episode is here to validate and possibly trigger all our former Catholic School #religioustrauma girlies. Recovering Catholic Aiden Arata—writer, “queen of depression Instagram,” and Amanda's former college pal—joins the pod to unpack all the pageantry and horror of this objectively bizarre (and yet totally mainstream)...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have NEVER had such a hard time finding a guest brave enough to appear on the show than we did for the week's episode on the flashy, fanatical, downright culty (sorry!!!) world of K-Pop. Thank goddess that Lai Frances, music reporter and expert in the "cult" at hand, was down to come have both a chuckle and a legitimately analytical discush about the pros and cons of this "cult-followed" music genre, which is of course so much more than that... it's a lifestyle, an identity, a bazillion-dolla...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Sorry in advance for all the crack vs. quack wordplay coming in this week's episode, which we already know will push some buttons! Obviously #notallchiropractors, but it’s definitely scary how this industry of psuedo-doctors is entrenched in a cultural history of New Age scammers and conspiracy theorists with Jesus complexes, including dudes who believed they could talk to the dead and heal all that ails you with their bare hands. Joining us is professional chiropractor/mole/part-time critic of ...
Jan 30, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast A clandestine society aimed at indoctrinating a fleet of nationalist spies with an extensive entrance process, aliases, secretive language, isolation from the outside world, and no clear exit strategy... sounds like a cult, but it’s actually America’s most prized federal agency, the CIA. This week, former CIA intelligence analyst Christina Hillsberg joins the pod, fulfilling all our Carrie Mathison fantasies with a tell-all interview about how the CIA is high-key just like a fringey religious se...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome baaaAAAAaaaAAaack, culties!! Time to *ascend* to the 2024 era of Sounds Like A Cult 👽 Kicking off with a damn bang—the most colossal cult we’ve ever covered (as in ~1.5 million employees and 310 million users colossal). It's the multi-pronged monster of convenience, which spares no one, no matter the cost… you guessed it, Amazon. Duh, we know, Amazon is a cult—from its notorious treatment of factory workers to its uncanny world-domination energy to its “never leave us” messaging, it’s o...
Jan 16, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, but you know what is? Today’s brain-tingling interview with possibly the single best speaking voice in podcasting, Avery Trufelman, friend of the pod and host of the critically acclaimed fashion series Articles of Interest . Avery joins our season finale episode for a discush about the “cult” of the haute couture industry, from its elitism and exclusivity to its bonkers sense of conspiracy that (spoiler!!) affects us all, whether we realize it or not...
Dec 12, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Wowowow, today’s episode featuring Jill and Derick Dillard (whom you might recognize from TLC’s 19 Kids & Counting!!) has been a looooong time coming. Imagine this: You’re born into a family that’s already a little ~abnormal~ because your parents are polygamists or you have 200 siblings or whatever, then a reality television network comes knocking with promises of money and glory, slaps your whole clan of loved ones into a giant pair of golden handcuffs, a bunch of exploitation ensues, and o...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sounds Like A Cult has covered doomsday cults, political cults, religious cults ... and this week is where they all join forces – on the much requested: Cult of Reddit! Notorious for forming some of the most niche yet largely endorsed group-thinks on the internet, and even powerful enough to take down institutional pillars…is the Cult of Reddit a Live Your Life, Watch Your Back or a Get the Fuck Out Level Cult? This week, Isa welcomes friend, writer and soon-to-be co-host of their new podcast, L...
Nov 28, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast ChatGPT could never!!! Over the past year or so, A.I. buzz has obviously risen to cult status, but if you think about it, all this apocalyptic talk of robots rising up and taking over the world lowkey makes us all sound like $ci3nt0l0gists. Is A.I. the newest SciFi cult? And if so, how apocalyptic is it?? To help figure that out, internet reporter Kate Lindsay joins the pod for a thought-provoking discush that's less about the technology itself and more about our cultlike attitudes toward A.I. W...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast iF yOuRe rEaDiNg thiS yOuRe iN tHe CuLt o.0 This week we are covering the most meta cult yet and one that we are all most definitely a part of: The Cult of Podcasting. From the para-social relationships and us vs them mentality to the larger cult of the podcasting inDusTry – Isa and very special guest, Co-Host of That’s Messed Up, An SVU Podcast from Exactly Right, Kara Klenk, discuss all things Cult of Podcasting. But what do you think? Is it a Live Your Life, a Watch Your Back, or a Get The Fu...
Nov 14, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me, here with an update to one of our most-streamed episodes of all time, the cult of exalted idol bestie goddess mother queen angel (no, that’s not pandering to the standom! They're not intimidating at all!), Taylor Swift. Somehow, the pop icon’s “cult” has only exploded in size and religiosity since our last discussion, which was uploaded right as Midnights was dropping, pre-Eras Tour. Needless to say, there’s a lotttttt to catch up on. Whether you stan Taylo...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast At long last, the man/myth/legend, Amanda's dad, Craig Montell, whose riveting stories of his childhood spent in the Synanon cult planted her fascination with all things "cultish," joins as this week's guest. In this *extremely wholesome* episode, Amanda and her pop analyze a quartet of listener-submitted stories, documenting four firsthand experiences with “culty” groups (from military wives to Abercrombie & Fitch) comparing each one to the surreal mindfuckery and power dynamics Craig witne...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you've been paying attention at all, you know that this weeks cult is growing at a mighty pace. The rate at which Americans and individuals from all over the world have decided to blindly spend all their free time idolizing this secret force is astonishing. On this weeks episode we get into it and discuss the much requested topic of The Cult of Pickleball. From their exclusive language to their outfits, rituals and cliquey us versus them mentality towards other recreational sports this is one...
Oct 24, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Behold, a re-air of our most popular episode of 2023—The Cult of Momfluencers—which takes on new relevance, thanks to the disturbing recent case of (allegedly) abusive YouTube momfluencer Ruby Franke! Motherhood is hard, lonely, and exhausting... except, apparently, if you're a momfluencer. Since the mid-2000s, a crop of seemingly perfect, all-knowing mommy goddesses in billowy tunics have emerged on social media—and we can't help but feel that their highly monetizable (often misinformation-ridd...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Anyone who grew up evangelical Christian and/or plugged into teen celebrity news circa 2008 will be familiar with today's cult: Purity Rings. You know, the dainty piece of jewelry placed ritualistically on a teen girl's wedding finger to signify her vow of chastity until marriage, or else?? Purity rings are not just an accessory—they're a bonafide industry, complete with rules, ceremonies, secrets, veiled threats, and religious trauma up the wazoo... but are they a cult? This week, a very specia...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Cult of Bachelorette Parties is one we have all been a part of, whether from an observational distance or as a member yourself, this cult spares no one. This week, Isa is joined by a very special guest: comedian, host of Giggly Squad and Berner Phone Podcasts, and once a bachelorette herself, the hilarious Hannah Berner ( @hannahberner ). Tune in as they chat about how culty Hannah’s bachelorette party really got – we’re talking rituals, us vs them dynamics, exploitation, isolation from soci...
Oct 03, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast To his fanatics, he's an inspiring businessman, marketing guru, tough-love motivational speaker, and blue-collar-masculine embodiment of the American Dream; but, to his critics, he's just a bro-y blowhard—a grandstanding motormouth whom Fortune Magazine once called a "snake oil salesman." We're talking about Gary Vaynerchuck, aka Gary Vee, a serial entrepreneur whose multi-pronged "empire" and cult of personality scream god complex... but is this guy dangerous, obnoxious, or actually kind of ins...
Sep 26, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why does it seem like certain "life coaches" are exactly the kinda folks who shouldn't be giving life advice? The unregulated life coaching industry is perfectly set up to turn culty: It's rife with New Age quacks charging thousands to tell others how to live, but also... hiring a brainstorming partner to help you work through sh*t during times of uncertainty *does* sound beneficial? Tricky!! This week, Amanda and Isa are joined by comedian and host of the Self-Helpless podcast Kelsey Cook to un...
Sep 12, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Strap on your steampunk lewks and get ready to blast off to the dusty, glittery, and undeniably culty alternate universe that is Burning Man—an event explicitly inspired by the New Age fringe religions of the 1970s. ~Join us~ for Amanda and Isa's lol-worthy chat with Em and Christine, hosts of the paranormal-true crime podcast And That's Why We Drink. We're unpacking the countercultural carnival's eccentric (sometimes deadly) rituals, us vs. them dynamics, major controversies, and undeniable all...
Sep 05, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Before we return with regularly structured episodes next week (stay tuned for the "cult" of Burning Man!), here's another ad-free bonus episode featuring a rerun of our most-listened to episode of all time, The Cult of Disney Adults. Re-listen and/or skip to the 52-minute mark for a bonus Q&A with your hosts, Amanda and Isa! To support Sounds Like A Cult, keep up with our live show dates, see Isa's live comedy, buy a copy of Amanda's book Cultish , or visit our website, click here ! Or follo...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast A heavily controlled, totally isolated group of women who worship one "charismatic” male figure and aren’t allowed to read magazines, watch TV, or speak to their families… is this a cult or the most popular reality dating show in history? This week, we’re re-airing one of our fave Season 1 episodes with a new, updated intro. It’s the “cult” of The Bachelor Franchise, featuring special guest, former contestant, Kendall Long! We got the juicy inside scoop on how culty The Bachelor *really* is to t...
Aug 22, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Time to spill some never-before-heard culty tales: This week, Amanda and Isa are reacting to shocking cult stories submitted by you listeners! Many thanks to those who wrote in to share their personal brushes with New Age scams, love-bombing strangers, elementary school rituals that seem sus in retrospect, and more. Traditional religion may be on the decline, but our cravings for meaning and magic are stronger than ever, which isn't necessarily a bad thing... that's why we're here to determine w...
Aug 15, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast For an episode spicier than an inflight bloody Mary, Isa and Amanda are joined by comedian and frequent flyer Fumi Abi ( @TheFumiAbe ) for a conversation on the unexpectedly cultlike nature of airline loyalty programs. From spending countless hours chasing elusive miles to believing you're just one step away from flying on a golden unicorn, these programs can be as delusional and deceptive as a New Age compound in Hudson Valley. But just how cultish is the Airline Miles system? Prepare for turbu...
Aug 08, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
