Sounds Like A Cult publisher

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

Bow down, because we're about to cover one of the most powerful, mysterious, and meticulously choreographed cults in modern pop culture: The Cult of Beyoncé. This week, Chelsea is joined by journalist and cultural critic Kathleen Newman Bremang (@kathleennb), to help break down how the Beyhive became less of a fandom and more of a faith. From the Church of Lemonade to the gospel of Renaissance, Beyoncé has crafted not just a career but a belief system, complete with rituals, relics, and sermons that make you cry in formation. But how did one woman become both artist and ideology? And when does admiration turn into devotion? Whether you’re a casual listener or a card carrying member of the Hive, this episode unpacks the genius, the grandeur, and the glorious groupthink of pop’s most divine following. 👑🐝 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood, wherever you call home, by going to https://joinbilt.com/culty London! Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE!! November 24th at Bush Hall. Get tickets before they're gone!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the definition of the word "cult" anyway, according to Sounds Like A Cult??? This week, for the first time ever, host Amanda Montell takes the mic to read from her New York Times bestseller Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, the book that inspired this entire pod. It’s a behind-the-scenes listen into the language of persuasion, belonging, and belief infiltrates everything from religious movements to self-help brands to our favorite podcasts. So relax and take a listen to the source material for all our juicy, culty lore. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors!  To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT ⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT⁠ Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood, wherever you call home, by going to ⁠https://joinbilt.com/culty⁠ London! Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE!! November 24th at Bush Hall. Get tickets before they're gone!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buckle up, because this week we’re spiraling into one of the internet’s darkest (and most tragically cringey) cults: Incels, a.k.a. self-proclaimed “involuntary celibates” who believe they’ve been cursed by the universe (read: women) to live a life without love, sex, or accountability. Joining Amanda and Reese for this delightfully horrifying deep-dive are cult comedy kings Henry Zebrowski (@drfantasty) and Ed Larson (@eddietunes) of Last Podcast on the Left (@lpontheleft), here to help us unpack how this chronically online community evolved from obscure message boards into a full-blown belief system complete with its own language, martyrs, and very questionable ethos. We’re talking “Chads,” “Stacys,” color-coded pills, doomer memes, and a whole lot of weaponized loneliness. Is this a support group gone wrong? A sad-boy doomsday cult? Or just a bunch of dudes who desperately need therapy and a hobby? Tune in for a wild ride through the cultiest corners of the manosphere—tinfoil hats optional, but encouraged.  Correction: The Toronto Van Attack happened in 2018 and claimed 11 lives.  Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ 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 For the bookings you’ve dreamed of, list your property on Booking.com! Check out https://Adamandeve.com/ and select any one item. Be sure to use this code SLAC to get your discount, 100% Free Shipping and get it fast with Rush Processing - Code SLAC! 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

Welcome to our life-changing, missional, intentional ministry for young people from all walks of life to strengthen their faith in Christ while having soooo much fun!! Evangelical youth groups (think: Young Life, Teen Mania Ministries, etc.) love-bomb vulnerable adolescent recruits into joining the Christian “cool” kids—a place where they’re promised to find both earthly acceptance and heavenly salvation—only to manipulate and indoctrinate them with oppressive, homophobic, legitimately terrifying dogma and providing zero exit strategy. Sounds. Like. A. Damn. Cult!!! This week, Amanda and Isa chat with former youth group kid turned TikTok comedy sensation Kevin James Thornton to unpack the cult-like tactics and ideology of Christian youth organizations. (Don’t worry, culties, a Jewish youth groups episode is coming l8er!!) https://www.kevinjamesthornton.com/ Go to Zocdoc.com/CULT and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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) marriage of religion and education. Bless the many listeners who submitted their voice memo confessions—you truly made this episode sparkle brighter than the Papal tiara. To order a copy of Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here :) For book BTS, news about her forthcoming Magical Overthinkers podcast, and more, consider subscribing to her newsletter! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell Thank you to our sponsors! Go to StickerGiant.com/cult and use code CULT at checkout to get 25% off your first order. 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 SKIMS Bras at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, select "podcast" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although the thumbs typing this are decidedly *not* green, this week’s exploration has been nurtured into fruition with love just for our botanically inclined culties.  Whether you spent quarantine scrolling through other people’s nurseries on #planstagram until your eyes glazed over green, or nobly undertook the task of cultivating an amateur jungle of your own leafy companions, in recent years it seems harder than ever to resist the allure of one of mankind’s oldest cohabitants: houseplants! But is the plant mommy life really the uber-zen, ultra-grounded, self-care-queen hobby we’ve been looking for, or just another tool of the algorithm to thwart the ~growth~ of our time, money, and IRL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS?!? Melodramatic? At SLAC? Never! Here to help Reese and Amanda plant the seeds of healthy skepticism into this seemingly wholesome pastime is arbiter of plant wisdom in both audio and print format Maria Failla of Growing Joy with Plants (@growingjoywithmaria)! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Find exactly what you’re booking for on ⁠https://Booking.com⁠, Booking.YEAH! Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/CULT to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. 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

Listen to I'M RIGHT YOU'RE WRONG Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stigma around the green text bubble alone could ruin a man's life. How has Apple's secretiveness, superiority complex, and (admitted) marketing genius put our culture's social dynamics and behaviors in such a chokehold? In this week's much-anticipated 'sode, Amanda and Isa analyze how Apple built not just a multi-trillion-dollar tech business, but a "cult" (allegedly!!!), and spoiler alert: We're all a part of it, whether we like it or not. To support Sounds Like A Cult on Patreon, 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She survived the Great Depression, she fought for women's suffrage, and for many of us, she was our first window into what it meant to be American. This week, Amanda and Chelsea are joined by culture writers and co-editors of An American Girl Anthology, Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler (@justineodashs) and KC Hysmith (@kchysmith), to unpack the cult of American Girl Dolls. Because these weren’t just toys… they were identity-shaping, history spinning, $120 personality tests. And behind the tiny teeth and perfect braids are much bigger questions: Who gets to be American? Whose stories are worth telling? And what does it mean when those stories are written by a brand who's bottom line is trying to sell you tiny matching accessories? From revisionist history to real emotional impact, this episode explores how American Girl Dolls didn’t just reflect American girlhood, they quietly helped define it. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Right now save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy at ⁠https://PrettyLitter.com/CULT Go to https://HelloFresh.com/SLAC10FM now to Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life!  Find exactly what you’re booking for at https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Please consider donating to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. The Big Magical Cult Show is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto on September 27th. Get your tickets before they sell out!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Chelsea, Amanda, and Reese dive headfirst into the wide-eyed, snaggletoothed, pastel-smeared world of Labubu…the culty vinyl toy phenomenon taking over your explore page and possibly your wallet. What started as a mischievous creature from the mind of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung has exploded into a full-blown lifestyle, complete with blind box rituals, resale hierarchies, and people tattooing their favorite figures like emotional support goblins.  This week, we’re exploring why Labubu has become the new “plastic crack” for millennials and Gen Z…maybe a soft, silent symbol of comfort in chaotic times? Labubu’s got a grip. And it’s cute. And it’s a little creepy. And it might be the face of late-stage capitalism. 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 Go to https://Adamandeve.com and select any one item. Enter offer code SLAC at checkout. This is exclusive offer specific to this podcast so be sure to use this code SLAC to get your discount, 100% Free Shipping and get it fast with Rush Processing - Code SLAC! Please consider donating to those affected by ICE activity in the LA Area. Team SLAC are donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, an LA-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, policy advocacy, and direct aid to those most impacted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, contestant… Stacy Snyder to discuss the pros and cons of this objectively cultlike approach to marriage. To order a copy of Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here :)  For book BTS, news about Amanda's forthcoming Magical Overthinkers podcast, and more, consider subscribing to her newsletter! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell Thank you to our sponsors! Go to HelixSleep.com/CULT and use code HELIXPARTNER20 for 20% off all mattress orders AND two free pillows. 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. Head to FACTORMEALS.com/CULT50 and use code CULT50 to get 50% off.  Dipsea is offering an extended 30 day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anonymity, prayers, sitting in a circle and sharing your deepest secrets and traumas, an intimate mentor program… is it a cult or a 12-step program? This week, Isa and Amanda are joined by comedian JF Harris to discuss groups like AA, NA, and OA whose ritualistic approach to addiction recovery is definitely culty… but is it a LYL, a WYB, or a GTFO? In honor of Sounds Like A Cult's one-year anniversary, we're hosting our very first ever live show! It's virtual, meaning anyone from anywhere in the world can attend. On June 15th at 9 pm ET, join Isa and Amanda to ask questions, play games, hear us talk about never-before-discussed cults, and dive into alllllll other things culty. Details and ticket info can be found at momenthouse.com/soundslikeacult Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders AND two free pillows for our listeners at HelixSleep.com/cult   For listeners of the show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at Calm.com/cult Go to HelloFresh.com/cult16 and use code cult16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 society and of course one ultra charismatic leader. But are Bachelorette parties a live your life, watch your back, or a get the f*ck out level cult? Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell Thank you to our sponsors! Go to DipseaStories.com/cult for an extended 30 day free trial  Go to RocketMoney.com/slac to manage your money the easy way  Go to Zocdoc.com/CULT and download the Zocdoc app for FREE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Amanda, Reese, and Chelsea are back from hiatus and joined by tech journalist Amanda Silberling (@amandasilberling) to take on The Cult of ChatGPT, the fast growing congregation of users who’ve turned an AI tool into a trusted authority, therapist, oracle, and romantic partner. We’re diving into why ChatGPT feels so intimate, how people are outsourcing thinking and decision making to a machine, and when convenience starts to look a little culty. We also break down the growing legal scrutiny around AI, including high profile lawsuits, accountability gaps, and what happens when automated advice collides with real world harm. Delete your em-dashes, because if you’ve ever named your chat bot (looking at you Chelsea), it might be time to ask who’s really in charge. 🤖🧠⚖️ Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia.  Thank you to our sponsors! This January, quit overspending on wireless with 50% off Unlimited premium wireless at https://MintMobile.com/cult Download the Acorns app to get started or head to https://acorns.com/CULT Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and mental health crises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you have an Instagram account, you’ve probably seen those beautifully curated infographics explaining "trauma,” “attachment theory,” and "boundaries" in 100 words or less... but when does mass-disseminating parasocial mental health advice on social media become cultish? This juicy episode dives into the world of Instagram therapists: mental health experts (and self-proclaimed “experts”) who have taken our era’s desperate need for accessible therapy and spun it into an influencer career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

A 2015 Harvard Divinity School study reported that among many young people, CrossFit has become a bonafide new religion. So much more than a gym, these dark-walled “boxes” full of jacked Paleo dieters flipping tires have become sites of community and transcendence (and a source of billions in revenue). But... how did CrossFit gain such a “cult” following? And what are the dangers? This week, Amanda and Isa discuss the fitness phenomenon’s hulking appeal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New York Times described him as “at once a capitalist hero, a glossy magazine celebrity and a bomb-throwing troll.” Multi-billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk, best known for his high-stakes investments in companies from PayPal to Tesla to SpaceX to Neurolink, is seen as not just a businessman to his nearly 90 million Twitter followers, but as a rockstar, influencer, and Christlike savior sent from the heavens to save the world. On the heels of his fancy new purchase of Twitter, Amanda and Isa discuss Musk’s cult charisma, his army of Musketeers, and what his rise to cult-leader-ish power says about our culture at large. Thanks to all our loyal culties who called in to lend their insight to this episode! Sign up for your free two-week trial at Monday.com/podcast.  Go to HelloFresh.com/cult16 and use code cult16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Known to her loyalists as the “spiritual catalyst” but to her critics as the “suicide catalyst,” New Age influencer Teal Swan is a controversial 30-something self-help guru who some say has saved lives and others say has ended them. Having launched a social media career in the mid-2000s (and still going strong), Swan doesn’t post about beauty products and travel inspo but rather spiritual-meets-“scientific” teachings on a wide range of topics from addiction to chakras to vaccines to suicide. Some of her most committed adherents follow her down to Costa Rica to experience her shady self-actualization techniques IRL. Swan is the subject of the new Hulu docuseries The Deep End, based on the fascinating 2018 podcast The Gateway, which was created and hosted by this week’s guest, Jennings Brown, who’s here to talk with Amanda and Isa about the fanatical “cult” Swan has built online. Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders AND two free pillows for our listeners at HelixSleep.com/cult. For listeners of the show, Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/CULT. For listeners of the show, Everlywell is offering a special discount of 20% off an at-home lab test at Everlywell.com/CULT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Catch Amanda on tour! First of all, we are downright GIDDY to share two iconic voices on this week’s episode—not only our expert guest, culture reporter (and personal hero of Amanda’s) Anne Helen Petersen, but also Sounds Like A Cult’s very own intern (actually recently promoted to coordinator 😎), Reese Oliver!!! Speaking of new voices, team SLAC has been cooking up additional cult leaders to add to the hosting rotation later this year, and Amanda is v excited not to have to converse all by herself 😂 In all seriousness, everyone at team SLAC has been feeling a lot of gratitude lately, and we want to thank you listeners for sticking around for this wacky roller coaster ride. NOW, onto introducing the “cult” of tradwives. Short for “traditional wife,” this disturbing cultural craze marries idealizations of biblical womanhood with romantic social media aesthetics to create a freaky wave of politically regressive influencers, who’ve rejected feminism in favor of oppression… but make it "cute?" In between churning their own butter and brushing their naturally birthed kids’ hair, tradwives evangelize a host of ideologies so racist and sexist, at first it seems like a bit… and then it’s not. SCARY!!!! Join Reese, Anne, and Amanda down the rabbit hole, as they attempt to puzzle out this confounding modern-day “cult.” 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 her new Magical Overthinkers podcast click here! Thank you to our sponsors, who make this show possible: Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout Go to stopscooping.com/SLAC and enter promocode SLAC to save an EXTRA $50 on any Litter-Robot bundle.   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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This *highly* requested topic has all the makings of a modern-day cult: mystery, unquestioned loyalty, and the future of children's hearts and minds at stake. But does that make it dangerous?? This week, Amanda and Isa dive into the cult of Montessori education, those idyllic primary schools where kids allegedly (!!!) access transcendant knowledge with nothing but wooden blocks and hippie vibes (oh, and $40,000 annual tuition). Are Montessori schools a brilliant alternative approach to learning or something insidiously culty? With the help of listener call-ins, @amanda_montell and @isaamedinaa are aiming to unpack just that. To support Sounds Like A Cult on Patreon, 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! Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first Liquid Death apparel purchase available exclusively at LiquidDeath.com/CULT Dipsea is offering an extended 30 day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/CULT   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about host Amanda's Italian writing "cult" ;) It's a Live Your Life!!!  https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/italy/italy-with-amanda-montell-oct-2024  If you’ve ever seen a suburban lady wearing a tee shirt that reads, “I wine because he whines” or “I’m not a normal mom, I’m a wine mom,” then you have likely born witness to a follower of this week’s “cult.” Wine moms may have nailed the merch aspect of modern-day fanaticism with their culture of “rosé all day,” and there’s certainly valid solidarity in venting about the hardships of American motherhood over a glass of Prosecco or two. But… ten? At the kids’ soccer practice? Is any group that aims to cutesify alcoholism en masse ever not at least a “Watch Your Back”-level cult??? To help figure it out, please welcome this week’s special guest, survivor of both the wine mom cult AND the cult of MLMs (no small feat!!), author and sobriety coach Emily Lynn Paulson.  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 :) Thank you to our sponsors, who make this show possible: Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I was never good at telling jokes but the punchline goes: If Taylor told her Swifties to kill a man, they would. They would kill a man for Taylor, because her music means *that* much to them. But the "cult" of country-pop sensation Taylor Swift is not just about the music. It's about the Swiftie community, the rituals, the beliefs, the aesthetic, and (of course) Taylor's cult of personality. This extreme fandom definitely seems classically culty, but is it dangerous just because it's fanatical? That's the question on Amanda and Isa's agenda today, and they've solicited pop culture connoisseur Jill Gutowitz, author of the essay collection GIRLS CAN KISS NOW, to help them figure it out.  Go to DAILYHARVEST.com/cult to get up to forty dollars off your first box!  Grab your Liquid I.V. in bulk nationwide at Costco or get 15% off when you go to LIQUIDIV.COM and use code cult at checkout. Frame your photos or send someone the perfect gift today at Framebridge.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are thrilled to be lovingly feeding you this episode as if it were a delightful sugar cube, and you our noble thoroughbred.  If you haven’t yet gotten the memo, (via the pony express? ) this week we are covering the beloved cult of horse girls. Along this trot we found that there are almost as many delineations of horse girl as there are breeds of horse, so along for the ride to help Amanda and Reese is IRL jesus/horse camp-alumn turned comedian Jamie Loftus!  We had a blast visiting as many stalls in the stable as we could, from haughty Charlotte York Equestrianism right down to the curious world of hobbyhorsing… Saddle up, culties, and get to listening! Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth ;) 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 Shop data plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Follow Don't Cross Kat on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Don't Cross Kat early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+.   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

You culties preyed and preyed for us to analyze the cult of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, and at long last, host Amanda Montell and coordinator Reese Oliver are blessing you with one of our favorite episodes in a very long time 🥲 To the undiscerning eye, Netflix’s new “America’s Sweethearts” series may look like an innocent little feature on the NFL’s most treasured cheerleading squad… but to us, this was a true crime documentary about a profoundly conformist, exploitative, isolating, hyper-patriarchal, physically perilous, but also inspirational and glamorous CULT. The question is not if the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team is culty—I mean, hello, duh—the question is how bad is it??? Tighten your Kelli knots and spritz another coat of hairspray, because we are not holding back this week 📣  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 :) Thank you to our sponsors, who make this show possible: 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 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. Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Fuck Out Level Cult?  Head to Host Isa Medina's IG or website to tell her where to perform stand up, keep up with her work and learn more about her new podcast coming in 2024! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod  Thank you to our sponsors:  Dipsea is offering an extended 30 day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult SKIMS Holiday Gift Shop is now open at SKIMS.com. Get free shipping on orders over seventy five dollars. For Green Chef’s best deal of the year, get $250 off with code cult250 at GreenChef.com/cult250 Hatch is offering our listeners $20 off your purchase of a Hatch Restore 2 and free shipping at hatch.co/cult.  But right now, they are matching their Black Friday - Cyber Monday onsite sale so you can get $40 off and free shipping using my link - hatch.co/cult Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matching satin robes. Bedazzled cowboy hats. A mysterious urgency to fly to Nashville and scream “Woooo!” from a pedal pub. This week, Amanda returns to one of the most glitter-drenched, mimosa-fueled cults in the modern social landscape: bachelorette parties, but this time, with Sociologist Beth Montemurro and journalist Annie Atherton to help us dissect how these pre-wedding rituals evolved from quaint luncheons to weekend-long rites of passage that often feel more obligatory than fun. Why do so many people feel spiritually compelled to wear matching t-shirts and cry in a hot tub? What does this highly curated “last hurrah” say about gender, capitalism, and the mythology of marriage itself? Grab your sashes and your emotional baggage—we’re diving deep into the psychological groupthink, identity performance, and pastel-colored chaos of this culty little tradition.  Listen to OVERTHINKING ABOUT WEDDINGS. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code CULT at checkout. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult  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

Defrauded Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has become the subject of countless books, podcasts, documentaries, and now the brand new scripted Hulu series, The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried. Holmes's cult of personality—everything from her sociopath-chic Steve Jobs cosplay to her roster of Star Wars quotes (delivered in that mysteriously affected low voice) to her tyrannical lying and exploitation—has made her more than just your dime-a-dozen tech bro scammer. How did Holmes cultivate such a cult following among Silicon Valley investors, and now, why are true crime junkies so inordinately obsessed with her case? This week, with the help of listener call-ins, Amanda and Isa unpack the notorious grifter's zealous qualities to determine whether she really was more of a cult leader than a con artist, and if so, was her “cult” a Live Your Life, a Watch Your Back, or a Get the Fuck Out? For listeners of the show, Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oops a politically flavored episode of Sounds Like A Cult!!!!! Would you believe it if we told you we recorded this nearly SIX MONTHS AGO and just crossed our fingers it would resonate whenever it ended up going live??? This week, host Amanda is joined by Puck reporter and former MAGA youth recruit, Tina Nguyen, author of the 2024 memoir The MAGA Diaries, who’s here to shed light on the culty modern movement that is conservative youth activism: why it exists, how it works, and why there’s no left-wing analog. Culty times people!!! Intrigued how this episode will land with you culties 👀😵‍💫✌️ 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 :) Watch Amanda's Offline with Jon Favreau interview Thank you to our sponsors, who make this show possible! Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout 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 stopscooping.com/SLAC and enter promocode SLAC to save an EXTRA $50 on any Litter-Robot bundle.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when a billionaire tech mogul starts to look less like a CEO and more like a modern-day messiah? This week, Chelsea, Amanda, and Reese team up with historian and authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) to explore the cult of personality surrounding Elon Musk. The man behind Tesla, SpaceX, X, and a growing empire of followers who treat his every post like prophecy. From the mysterious emerald mine origin story to estranged family ties, secret children, and that whole “saving humanity by going to Mars” thing, we unpack how Musk has cultivated a mythos that feels more like a belief system than a business plan. What does it mean when a company’s success is inseparable from the quirks of its leader? And how does social media supercharge a fanbase into a digital congregation? We’re breaking down the doublethink, the brand loyalty, and the bizarre Twitter-era sermons that keep the cult of Elon alive. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/st3nalv7 #CashAppPod *Referral Reward Disclaimer: As a Cash App partner, I may earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account.   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 ICE activity in the LA Area. Team SLAC are donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, an LA-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, policy advocacy, and direct aid to those most impacted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 turbulence, laughs, insights, and a few jaw-dropping revelations.  To support Sounds Like A Cult on Patreon, 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 follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell Thank you to our sponsors! Go to Kosas.com/CULT for 15% off your first purchase of $50 or more plus FREE shipping Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/CULT  for 15% off your first purchase  SKIMS Fits Everybody and more best-selling essentials are available now at SKIMS.com Go to Zocdoc.com/CULT and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

It’s not just a chicken sandwich, it’s a ca-ca-calling  This week, host Amanda and special guest Carys Kolb (⁠@carys.avooca⁠), former employee and the pod's very own sister-in-law, dig into the waffle-fried, lemonade-sweetened, suspiciously polite world of Chick-fil-A. It's the fast-food chain that’s managed to turn fried chicken into both a lifestyle brand and a moral battleground. From the addictive sauce and cult-like customer service to the company’s controversial history of funding anti-LGBTQ+ causes, Chick-fil-A devotees don’t just crave the food… they defend the brand like it’s a religion (and it is???). What makes devotees line up around the block for a sandwich closed on Sundays? And how do you reconcile nuggets with nationalism? Grab your waffle fries and your cognitive dissonance, we’re serving up a saucy dip into one of America’s tastiest cults. Our pleasure!!! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Go to ⁠https://Quince.com/slac⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  Go to ⁠https://Headspace.com/SOUNDSLIKE⁠ to unlock all of Headspace FREE for 60 days. Please consider donating to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. London! Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE!! November 24th at Bush Hall. Get tickets before they're gone!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You culties have been THIRSTING after this episode, and it’s finally here! With the help of the piss-your-pants funny duo from the Add to Cart podcast, Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak, host Amanda unpacks the evangelical fanaticism surrounding these objectively not-that-special, too-big-to-fit-in-any-goddamn-cup-holder water vessels, which contain not just the keys to hydration but apparently our very souls. Sit back and *drink it in* as Amanda and guests go in on the accessory-cum-religion that is the Stanley Quencher—from its Mormon momfluencer origin story to its TikTok lore to the ever-present cult of consumerism. Also lol that is water brand is one of this week's sponsors 💀💦 Apparently no one can escape this cult!!! Order a copy of Amanda's new book The Age of Magical Overthinking! Catch Amanda on tour!!! Thank you to our sponsors! Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.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. Dipsea is offering an extended 30 day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult.  Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout. Go to Zocdoc.com/CULT and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

hej!   don’t forget to grab a blue bag upon stepping off the escalator, you’ll need it for the culty keepsakes you collect throughout this week’s no-assembly-required episode. a longtime staple for those in ~transitory~ periods in life (college students, recent singles, the elderly), Ingvar Kamprad’s furniture emporium turned community gathering hub and meatball mecca known simply as *cue the heavenly choir*  IKEA has captivated the living rooms, tastebuds, and wallets of countless shoppers worldwide since 1943. Whether it was an outing for a reliable Kallax shelf, a trendy set of Alex drawers, or a classic Pöang chair you truly never forget your Ikea indoctrination. Getting lost in everyone’s fav iconic maze-like showroom with Amanda and Reese today is Morgan Absher (⁠@morgsyabsher⁠) of Two Hot Takes (⁠@twohottakes⁠)! Cozy up with a complimentary hot drink (exclusively for Family Members of course) and get ready to delve into the shockingly culty world of IKEA.   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 Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! 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

"I GOT A TEXT!!!!" Get ready, culties, because a hot new bombshell has just entered the villa. Grab your neon string bikinis, your mic necklaces, and a whole lot of self tanner and join us at the fire pit because we are finally covering the cult of Love Island. From its devoted followers to its culty 24/7 production, Amanda and Reese are joined by comedian Jo Firestone and Love Island Australia Season 6 winner Em Miguel-Leigh (@dragonsweep) to unpack the chokehold this show has the world in, the rituals, the lingo, the public shaming, and the very real psychological toll it can take on contestants. Why do so many viewers treat the show like a sport? What does it say about our obsession with romance, status, and hotness-as-currency? Tune in as we recouple with one of the most cultishly chaotic franchises in reality TV history. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://Quince.com/slac for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.  Please consider donating to those affected by ICE activity in the LA Area. Team SLAC are donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, an LA-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, policy advocacy, and direct aid to those most impacted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Introducing the Magical Overthinkers podcast, a show for thought spiralers, exploring the subjects we can't stop overthinking about. Host Amanda is elated to share her latest audio project, based on her New York Times-bestselling book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality. Magical Overthinkers is out this week on all major podcast platforms (as well as YouTube)! Links below.   Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Here is a look at episode 1, "Overthinking About Narcissism." Episode description below! Is it just us, or does American culture have narcissism fever? Between 2004 and 2016, the volume of Google searches for the word “narcissist” grew exponentially. Thanks to factors like the rise of therapyspeak, TikTok mental health diagnoses, and badly behaving reality stars-turned-world leaders, discourse about this buzzy, yet poorly understood phenomenon has exploded. Are we as a society becoming more narcissistic? Or are we now over-using and misusing this term to the point of meaninglessness? Wait, is obsessing about other people's narcissism its own kind of narcissism?? In an effort to soothe these thought spirals, host Amanda (@amanda_montell) settled in for an illuminating chat with her debut guest, psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula (@doctorramani), author of the New York Times bestseller "It's Not You" and one of the world's foremost narcissism experts. Tune in for a relatable, brain-tingling, and clarifying discussion about this confounding topic, complete with questions submitted by the "Magical Overthinkers Club" and bits of wisdom to help us overthinkers get out of our own heads.  Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sources: What Is Narcissism? Science Confronts a Widely Misunderstood PhenomenonTime grows on trees: The effect of nature settings on time perceptionTherapist Aisha's Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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 inspiring? These are the questions Amanda and Isa are aiming to answer on this week's episode of Sounds Like A Cult. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell To check out Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here! Thank you to our sponsors! Go to thefarmersdog.com/cult to get 50% off your first box. Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/CULT for 15% off your first purchase. Hatch is offering $20 off your purchase of a Hatch Restore 2 and free shipping at hatch.co/cult. Go to betterhelp.com/cult to get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Erewhon: the only place where the quest to enlightenment involves dropping $25 on a celebrity smoothie. This week, Amanda and Chelsea dive into the culty glow of Southern California's bougiest grocery store with oh-so special guests Raven-Symoné and Miranda Pearman-Maday (check out their podcast Tea Time with Raven and Miranda)! From raw milk acolytes and mushroom dust disciples to influencer pilgrammages and ragebait-y marketing, this episode features takes spicier than the hot bar's $17 buffalo cauliflower. It all serves to answer the big question: is Erewhon a wellness wonderland, or a greenwashed Gwynethian cult? We drank the activated charcoal to find out... Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://Quince.com/slac for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.  Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ by going to ⁠https://joinbilt.com/CULT⁠ For the bookings you’ve dreamed of, list your property on ⁠Booking.com⁠! 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 SOURCES:  The Guardian: ‘Playing Russian roulette with your health’: my encounter with LA’s raw-milk, powdered-meat smoothie by Lois Beckett:  https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/jun/09/raw-milk-powdered-meat-smoothie-erewhon Eater: Roaches Like Erewhon Smoothies, Too by Rebecca Roland: https://la.eater.com/2025/4/10/24405640/erewhon-cockroach-bug-infestation-santa-monica-health-department-shutdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

From voraciously consuming gruesome podcasts by the dozen to amateur sleuthing gone wrong to fetishizing dangerous killers, the world of true crime definitely has a cult following… but does it ever go too far? This episode was chosen by our listener giveaway winner and features New York Times true crime columnist and author Sarah Weinman to discuss the good, bad, and the culty of fanatical true crime fandom. (P.S. Amanda and Isa have newfound respect for true crime podcasters… turns out, violent butcherings are easy enough to listen to, but almost impossible to talk about in public without wanting to puke a wee bit.) (P.P.S! In honor of Sounds Like A Cult's one-year anniversary, we're hosting our very first ever live show! It's virtual, meaning anyone from anywhere in the world can attend. On June 15th at 9 pm ET, join Isa and Amanda to ask questions, play games, hear us talk about never-before-discussed cults, and dive into alllllll other things culty. Details and ticket info can be found at momenthouse.com/soundslikeacult) Go to DailyHarvest.com/cult for up to forty dollars off your first box! Get Honey for FREE at JoinHoney.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've all joked about Gwyneth Paltrow's *candle.* But does this boho Hollywood elitist girlboss ever go too far? (As in, cult leader far?) This week, Amanda and Isa unpack the charismatic movie star’s ever-roastable wellness empire, Goop, and how its "cult" status may be a cause for concern, with extremely special guests Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan, hosts of the Gloss Angeles podcast (glossangelespod.com / @glossangelespod). Head to FentySkin.com and use code CULT20 for 20% off a Start'rs Bundle, OG, or Fragrance-Free. For listeners of the show, Everlywell is offering a special discount of 20% off an at-home lab test at Everlywell.com/CULT Grab your Liquid I.V. in bulk nationwide at Costco or get 15% off when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code cult at checkout. Get started today - frame your photos or send someone the perfect gift. Go to Framebridge.com and use promo code CULT to save an additional 15% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get in losers, we’re going…who knows where?! If you’re anything like us, dear cultie, then the current state of the world might have you feeling a wee bit…lost? Well, this week's cult will have you “finding yourself” and dangling the /real/ ticket to true freedom and oneness with the earth. That's right, the cult of #VanLife promises salvation can be yours at the low low price of a down payment on a Sprinter — so long as you can hang when your pee bucket overfloweth. The Pandemic:tm: instilled an unshakeable sense of wanderlust and affinity for faux-sipping-coffee-in-nature-candids in both the social media feeds and hearts of THOUSANDS, but as the #VanLife trendscape begins to skew towards de-influence (and even sometimes *warnings*), we can’t help but wonder if life on the wide open road is as freeing as it looks, or if culty secrets lie in wait just beyond the interstate… Amanda and Reese enlisted IRL Van Lifer Bella Janssen (@thelonesol) to hop in the driver’s seat and reveal the reality of living on the road. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code CULT at checkout. 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 ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. The Big Magical Cult Show is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto on September 27th. Get your tickets before they sell out!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Co-host Isa joined the “cult” of stand-up comedy four years ago in LA but didn’t realize until we started this podcast how culty it really was. Recorded live at the first-ever Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival, this week’s long-awaited episode features Isa and Amanda interviewing a very special guest—comedian and creator/star of “Feel Good” on Netflix, Mae Martin—about the hidden hierarchies, secret due-paying, exclusion, delusion, silencing, in-group lingo and rituals, AND (of course) the hilarity, magic, and close community of stand-up comedy.  Go to Grove.com/Cult to get a free gift set worth up to fifty dollars with your first order. For listeners of the show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at Calm.com/cult Athletic Greens Is giving you a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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