Sounds Like A Cult

Sounds Like A Cult

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

Episodes

The Cult of Romance Novels

February 10, 2026 • 70 mins
Clutch your pearls and cancel your plans, because this week Sounds Like A Cult is getting spicy. We’re welcoming our brand new co-host Iman Hariri-Kia (@imanharirikia), romance author, cultural critic, and certified defender of the genre, to break down The Cult of Romance Novels. We're joined by romance author Alexa Martin (@alexambooks) to talk about romance novels as sex education for women, the intense sense of community among r...
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The Cult of Bad Bunny

February 3, 2026 • 39 mins
This week, Chelsea is joined by culture critic and internet oracle Tefi Pessoa (@hellotefi) to take on The Cult of Bad Bunny… a global superstar whose fandom blurs the line between pop icon, political symbol, and cultural lightning rod. We’re unpacking why Bad Bunny inspires a level of devotion that feels almost religious, how his gender expression and fluid masculinity have become a flashpoint in our current hyper-conservative mom...
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The Cult of The Amish

January 27, 2026 • 67 mins
We know them. We giggle at them, occasionally. These days, more and more of us admire their simple, tech-free lives. The Amish are often held up as the ultimate model of intentional community, living by principles that seem radically disconnected from our chaotic modern world. But behind the horse-drawn buggies and picturesque farmlands lies a tightly controlled society with its own strict bishops, its own rules for shunning, and i...
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The Cult of ChatGPT

January 20, 2026 • 76 mins
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 start...
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The Cult of Swifties

January 6, 2026 • 44 mins
Sounds Like A Cult is still taking a wee break, but we’re leaving you with a little Easter egg 🐍  In this special episode, we’re sharing an exclusive audiobook excerpt from Amanda’s New York Times bestselling book The Age of Magical Overthinking (now out in paperback!) from her chapter on the psychology of Swiftie culture, analyzing the fine line separating admiration and identity from obsession and even culty criminality. Conside...
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The Cult of Podcast Hosts

December 23, 2025 • 47 mins
You asked. We panicked. Then we hit record. This week, Sounds Like A Cult turns the microscope inward for The Cult of Podcast Hosts, a very unserious, extremely revealing Q&A episode where your cultie hosties, Amanda, Reese, and Chelsea, answer listener questions about everything from conspiracy theories they lowkey believe to cult verdicts they absolutely regret handing out. We’re talking parasocial projection, hot takes we wish w...
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The Cult of Mormon Therapists

December 16, 2025 • 59 mins
What happens when a church treats teenage hormones like a moral emergency… and then appoints its own therapists to fix it? This week, Amanda and Reese are joined by John Dehlin (@johndehlin) of the Mormon Stories podcast (@mormstories) to unpack the deeply culty world of Mormon Therapy, where normal human behavior gets pathologized and sexual shame is framed as “treatment.” Join us as we unpack how Mormon teachings around sex, puri...
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The Cult of The Biggest Loser

December 9, 2025 • 68 mins
 It looked like feel-good weight loss… until Netflix told us the truth. This week, Amanda and Reese are joined by former contestant Tracey Yukich Lane (@traceyyuckichlane) to unpack how The Biggest Loser went from “inspirational reality show” to one of the most culty franchises in TV history. From weigh-in rituals and trainer worship to isolation, fear tactics, and nationwide public shaming, we’re diving into the behind the scenes ...
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The Cult of Mr. Beast

December 2, 2025 • 74 mins
He gives away islands, cures blindness, builds chocolate empires, and commands an online following bigger than some nations... but is he just a YouTuber, or the leader of a full blown digital devotion movement? This week, Reese is joined by Rolling Stone journalist Steven Asarch (@capmiserable) to break down The Cult of Mr. Beast, the hyper optimized, hyper "philanthropic", hyper everything empire that has millions of fans ready to...
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The Cult of Weddings (Update)

November 25, 2025 • 64 mins
This week, Sounds Like A Cult is revisiting one of the most ritualistic, emotionally charged, and absurdly expensive cults of them all: The Cult of Weddings. We’re sharing (and offering a culty update) to Amanda’s Magical Overthinkers conversation with writer Allison Raskin, (@allisonraskin) author of I Do (I Think), about how weddings have transformed into a cult of consumerism, misogyny (comparing women with opinions to oversized...
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The Cult of Fantasy Football

November 18, 2025 • 61 mins
Lace up your cleats, because we’re about to tackle one of the most competitive, emotionally charged, and cult-ish communities in modern sports culture: The Cult of Fantasy Football. This week, Chelsea is joined by NFL host and analyst Kimmi Chex (@kimmichex) to break down how a simple hobby turned millions of casual fans into full-blown believers. From office leagues to dynasty drafts, Fantasy Football isn’t just a game… It's a bel...
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The Cult of Bravoholics

November 11, 2025 • 56 mins
This week, Amanda and Reese are being initiated into the high-drama, low-stakes universe of the Bravoholics. Joined by Steve, certified Bravoholic and owner of @facesbybravo, we’re breaking down the sacred texts (from Real Housewives reunions to Vanderpump Rules scandals), the high priests (Andy Cohen), and the ritualistic weekly watch parties that lead only the most devoted viewers to the mecca of BravoCon. Whether you’re a casual...
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The Cult of Audiobooks (CULTISH, Amanda's Version)

November 4, 2025 • 82 mins
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 ou...
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The Cult of Satanism

October 28, 2025 • 74 mins
 Is it evil… or just excellent branding? This week, Amanda & Reese are joined by writer and podcaster Sarah Marshall (You’re Wrong About) to descend into The Cult of Satanism: The spooky, sexy, misunderstood belief system that terrified suburban moms everywhere. We’re talking devilish imagery, political theater, and the delicious irony of a religion that doesn’t actually believe in the Devil. From Anton LaVey’s campy theatrics to ...
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The Cult of Etsy Witches

October 21, 2025 • 48 mins
For the low, low price of $19.99, you too can manifest love, money, or maybe just a little chaos. On this Halloween flavored episode of Sounds Like A Cult, we are diving broom first into The Cult of Etsy Witches, the booming online marketplace where spirituality meets capitalism and hexes come with free shipping. From TikTok witchfluencers to hexed baseball teams to real life political curses, host Amanda Montell explores how witch...
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Kendahl Landreth & Jordan Myrick Full Episode Out Now!

October 20, 2025 • 1 min
Listen on Spotify Podcasts, Listen on Apple Podcasts, Listen wherever! #Imrightyourewrong #IsaMedina Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Cult of Beyoncé

October 14, 2025 • 61 mins
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...
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The Cult of Marching Band

October 7, 2025 • 66 mins
Whether it’s the sweat-drenched ten-hour rehearsals, the spine-tingling halftime shows, or the communal showers and gym floor sleepovers… marching bands aren’t just extracurriculars…they’re high-control communities with ritual, hierarchy, and loyalty that rivals religion. In this episode, Amanda & Chelsea are joined by listener Chelsea McFarland, a music educator, marching band alum, and band director, for a deep dive into the glit...
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The Cult of Chick-fil-A

September 30, 2025 • 66 mins
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 ...
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I’m Right You’re Wrong Is Back! ft. Jamie Loftus, Kendahl Landreth + more

September 29, 2025 • 1 min
Listen on Spotify Podcasts, Listen on Apple Podcasts, Listen wherever! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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