111 episodes

A podcast about the modern-day “cults” we all follow. Each episode asks the culty questions we’re all wondering… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about Elon Musk stans? Or the Royal Family? What about spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? Sounds Like A Cult, hosted by Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, analyzes a different zeitgeisty group every week to try and answer the big question: This group sounds like a cult, but is it really? And if so, how bad is it? 

Follow Us:

Podcast Instagram - @soundslikeacultpod

Host Amanda Montell - @amanda_montell (Preorder her new book!)

Sounds Like A Cult Amanda Montell & Isa Medina

    • Comedy
    • 3.8 • 3K Ratings

A podcast about the modern-day “cults” we all follow. Each episode asks the culty questions we’re all wondering… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about Elon Musk stans? Or the Royal Family? What about spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? Sounds Like A Cult, hosted by Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, analyzes a different zeitgeisty group every week to try and answer the big question: This group sounds like a cult, but is it really? And if so, how bad is it? 

Follow Us:

Podcast Instagram - @soundslikeacultpod

Host Amanda Montell - @amanda_montell (Preorder her new book!)

    The Cult of Rae Dunn

    The Cult of Rae Dunn

    Catch Sounds Like A Cult host Amanda and this week's guest host Griff on tour together in NYC! Tickets here, discount code: CULT MAGIC

    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 at TJ Maxx and Home Goods, featuring cutesy “handwritten” sayings, like “Squeeze the day” and “Bah humbug?” To a certain breed of consumer, Rae Dunn has animorphed into not just a quaint kitchenware brand but a full-blown lifestyle worth making major sacrifices for. In other words, a cult!!! Unsure how the hell that’s possible? Tune in to find out… and don’t miss your chance to see Amanda, Griff, and his fellow host Ceara live on tour together this April! Tickets to events in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Boston, Philly, and Boston are below :)

    April 9: Los Angeles, CA — feat. Pauline Chalamet (tickets here)

    April 12: Brooklyn, NY — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes (tickets here) Use code CULTMAGIC for a 10% discount!!

    April 13: Boston, MA — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Meredith Goldstein & Sasha Sagan (tickets here)

    April 16: Philadelphia, PA — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip (tickets here)

    May 1: Atlanta, GA — Wild Heaven – West End with A Cappella Books (tickets here)

    Thank you to our sponsors 333


    Head to FACTORMEALS.com/CULT50 and use code CULT50 to get 50% off. 

    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.


    Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.

    • 1 hr 2 min
    The Cult of Cruise Ships

    The Cult of Cruise Ships

    Come party with Amanda on tour!!!

    April 9: Los Angeles, CA — feat. Pauline Chalamet (tickets here)

    April 12: Brooklyn, NY — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes (tickets here) Use code CULTMAGIC for a 10% discount!!

    April 13: Boston, MA — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Meredith Goldstein & Sasha Sagan (tickets here)

    April 16: Philadelphia, PA — EXCLUSIVE VARIETY SHOW feat. Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip (tickets here)

    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 McGreeghan, who went positively overboard as she divulged the culty consumerism, hierarchies, exploitation, hedonistic lawlessness, and psychological tricks cruise companies use on their acolytes to turn a simple holiday into an almost religious experience. I mean, has anyone heard of the NINE MONTH CRUISE??? So much to discuss—hope you enjoy (and possibly rethink your next floating vacation). 

    To preorder a signed and personalized 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. 

    • 1 hr 2 min
    The Cult of Munchausen by Proxy

    The Cult of Munchausen by Proxy

    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 Amanda is joined by novelist and investigative podcaster Andrea Dunlop, whose show Nobody Should Believe Me was inspired by her very close personal connection to the "cult" of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome. Stick around for the verdict—we're fascinated to know if you agree!

    Get your tickets now to The Big Magical Cult Show—dates and ticket links below!

    April 9: Los Angeles, CA — feat. Pauline Chalamet (tickets here)

    April 12: Brooklyn, NY — THE BIG MAGICAL CULT SHOW feat. Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes (tickets here) Use code CULTMAGIC for a 10% discount!!

    April 13: Boston, MA — THE BIG MAGICAL CULT SHOW feat. Sasha Sagan (tickets here)

    April 15: Washington DC — Solid State Books (tickets here)

    April 16: Philadelphia, PA — THE BIG MAGICAL CULT SHOW feat. Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip (tickets here)

    April 17: Portland, OR — in conversation with Chelsea Bieker (free, no ticket needed)

    To preorder a signed and personalized copy of Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here :)

    For podcast updates and more, consider subscribing to her newsletter!

    Follow @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.
    Dipsea is offering an extended 30 day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/cult. 

    • 1 hr 17 min
    The Cult of Lululemon

    The Cult of Lululemon

    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" athleisure empire stretches beyond mere clothing into a full-blown lifestyle, complete with dogmas, devotees, and even a murder??? Yep, the true crime girlies already know. Oooof, this tale is banaynays—we hope you enjoy our culty analysis of it!

    Get your tickets now to Amanda's live tour, The Big Magical Cult Show, feat. Kelsey from Normal Gossip, Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes, drag burlesque, musical guests, merch, and more!

    To preorder a signed and personalized 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 @soundslikeacultpod @amanda_montell

    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.

    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.

    Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.

    Further reading!

    Business of Fashion: At Lululemon, Being Black Is ‘Off-Brand’ by Sheena Butler Young: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/workplace-talent/lululemon-diversity-and-inclusion-2023/

    HuffPost: What the F*ck Was LuluLemon Thinking by Caroline Gregoir: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-the-fck-was-lululemon-thinking_b_4138754

    Business Insider: 12 Utterly Bizarre Facts About The Rise Of Lululemon, The Cult-Like Yoga Brand by Jim Edwards: https://www.businessinsider.com/12-utterly-bizarre-facts-about-the-rise-of-lululemon-2012-4#the-founder-is-an-ayn-rand-fan-and-the-company-takes-its-values-from-atlas-shrugged-1

    Business Insider: Some Lululemon retail employees say there is an environment of 'toxic positivity,' where workers feel pressure to share personal information with managers and constant feedback can feel like bullying by Caroline Hroncich and May Teng: https://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-retail-employees-describe-toxic-culture-2021-3

    Salon: Yoga, spinning and a murder: My strange months at Lululemon by Mary Mann: https://www.salon.com/2013/12/31/yoga_spinning_and_a_murder_my_strange_months_at_lululemon/

    • 1 hr 6 min
    a culty announcement 👽

    a culty announcement 👽

    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 will be book signings, audience Q&As, and Amanda's first-ever merch collection, available only at these live events!!! Get your tickets below :)

    April 9: Los Angeles, CA — Barnes & Noble at The Grove, in conversation with Pauline Chalamet (tickets here)

    SOLD OUT April 11: NYC, NY — The Strand

    April 12: Brooklyn, NY — Littlefield with Books Are Magic, “The Big Magical Cult Show” feat. Ceara & Griff from Petty Crimes (tickets here)

    April 13: Boston, MA — wbur cityspace, “The Big Magical Cult Show” feat. Sasha Sagan (tickets here)

    April 15: Washington DC — Solid State Books (tickets here)

    April 16: Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts with Uncle Bobbie’s, “The Big Magical Cult Show” feat. Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip (tickets here)

    April 17: Portland, OR — Powell’s Books, in conversation with Chelsea Bieker (free, no ticket needed)

    • 2 min
    The Cult of Love Is Blind

    The Cult of Love Is Blind

    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 preorder a signed and personalized copy of Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here :) The first 10 listeners to DM their proof of preorder to @soundslikeacultpod will be sent a free sticker featuring the SLAC logo!

    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. 

    • 54 min

Customer Reviews

3.8 out of 5
3K Ratings

3K Ratings

Ittdotsktwiraigoyxyo ,

Too much annoying giggling

Good to laugh once in a while but found the ongoing gigling immature and distracting thru the whole podcast. Distracts from serious subjects . Good stuff hosts just need hone their skills more.

Hopkins09mn ,

Could barely finish one episode

She clearly thinks she’s really smart and really relevant.

AngieSue77 ,

PTA Mom Cult episode

Omg! I so needed to hear this today! My kid is in 5th grade and I just figured out how nuts these PTA moms are. I’m a working mom and this cult has become a thorn in my side! And these sports dads too! Y’all have said EXACTLY what I’ve been thinking and wanting to say for years! Thanks for being a quasi-support group!

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