Sounds Like A Cult
Amanda Montell & Isa Medina
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!)
54 Listeners
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Top 10 Sounds Like A Cult Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Sounds Like A Cult episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Sounds Like A Cult for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Sounds Like A Cult episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Cult of Self-Help
Sounds Like A Cult
02/14/23 • 56 min
In 2005, this week's guest Sarah Edmondson joined what she thought was a personal development program devoted to helping her overcome her "limiting beliefs." Little did she know it'd turn out to be one of the most notorious and scrutinized groups of all time, NXIVM. "Self-Help" is a distinctly optimistic American pursuit and a majorly profitable industry. Sooo many culty groups start out with the innocent promise of helping their members become their best self. This gray area between positive self-improvement program and dangerous sect is exactly what hosts Isa and Amanda discuss on this week's can't-miss episode with Sarah, host of the podcast A Little Bit Culty and star of The Vow on HBO (Season 2 streaming now!).
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 10% off your first OSEA order sitewide with code CULT at OSEAMalibu.com
Visit ritual.com/CULT to start Ritual or add Synbiotic+ to your subscription today.
Sounds like a Cult is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.
11 Listeners
The Cult of Fraternities & Sororities
Sounds Like A Cult
07/06/21 • 26 min
7 Listeners
The Cult of Starbucks
Sounds Like A Cult
11/08/22 • 67 min
Remember the Juniper Latte? Wasn't it just about the strangest thing you ever tasted? Yet, you still came back. Some might say you couldn't help yourself. This week, Amanda and Isa *roast* Starbucks’s “cult following”—the coffee religion with a church on every street corner—from its savvy marketing tactics and insider-y vocabulary to its addictive beverages and behind-the-scenes corporate ~vibes~. With a Starbucks cup in hand, comedian Jade Catta-Preta adds an extra shot of espresso to this episode as our very special guest.
Tickets to Isa's Live Shows in NYC & DC: https://linktr.ee/isaamedinaa Tickets to Sounds Like A Cult Live in LA, Sunday, Dec. 4: https://www.dynastytypewriter.com/events-calendar?loxi_pathname=/sounds-like-a-cult-live-3418
Thank you to our sponsors:
Get Honey for FREE at JoinHoney.com/cult.
Go to Zocdoc.com/CULT and download the Zocdoc app for FREE
For 50% off your first Care/of order, go to TakeCareOf.com and enter code cult50
Learn more and save 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/cult.
7 Listeners
The Cult of Apple
Sounds Like A Cult
01/17/23 • 49 min
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!
6 Listeners
The Cult of The Royal Family
Sounds Like A Cult
06/29/21 • 31 min
6 Listeners
The Cult of Multi-Level Marketing
Sounds Like A Cult
07/13/21 • 33 min
5 Listeners
1 Comment
1
The Cult of Fine Wine
Sounds Like A Cult
03/28/23 • 66 min
Pinkies up and wallets out for this week's quaffable "cult": the elitist, jargon-packed, ritual-soaked world of fine wine. Amanda and Isa were always highly intrigued but knew very little about this top-shelf "cult" until chatting with special guest Cristie Norman, certified sommelier, Wine Enthusiast's "educator of the year," and creator of The Online Wine Course. The fine wine world is certainly mysterious and exclusive, but how "dangerously culty" is it? Drunk on Cristie's insights, we're ready to find out...
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!
Visit article.com/CULT for $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more.
Visit AURA.com/CULT for a 14 day free trial.
Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code CULT at OSEAMalibu.com.
5 Listeners
1 Comment
1
The Cult of Beauty Pageants
Sounds Like A Cult
03/07/23 • 50 min
As Keenan Thompson said in a recent SNL parody of the Miss Universe pageant, "Welcome back to Miss Universe, one of several shows still on the air where we rank women. But it's not what you think—we do it based off of looks." Welp when you put it that way :/ In our humble little opinion, it's hard to believe that the conformist, objectifying, and sometimes downright exploitative "beauty contest" business—perpetuated by the likes of Donald Trump and P.T. Barnum (yep, the circus guy)—is still a thing. Beauty pageants can be prettyyyyyyy cringe, but are they dangerously cultish? This week, Amanda and Isa aim to figure that out!
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!
4 Listeners
The Cult of Flat Earthers
Sounds Like A Cult
06/15/21 • 32 min
4 Listeners
The Cult of Momfluencers
Sounds Like A Cult
01/31/23 • 67 min
Motherhood is hard, lonely, and exhausting... except, apparently, if you're a momfluencer. Since the mid-2000s, a crop of seemingly perfect, all-knowing mommy goddesses in billowy tunics have emerged on social media—and we can't help but feel that their highly monetizable (often misinformation-ridden) internet presences basically exist to make other moms feel less than. This week, with the help of journalist and real-life mother Sara Petersen, author of the forthcoming book MOMFLUENCED, Isa and Amanda spill the (organic, non-toxic, totally baby-safe) tea about how famous internet moms have become their own kind of 21st Century cult leader.
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 so much to our sponsor, Modern Fertility!
To receive 50% or more off your first month of therapy, go to modernfertility.com/CULT.
4 Listeners
1 Comment
1
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FAQ
How many episodes does Sounds Like A Cult have?
Sounds Like A Cult currently has 149 episodes available.
What topics does Sounds Like A Cult cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Comedy and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Sounds Like A Cult?
The episode title 'The Cult of Self-Help' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Sounds Like A Cult?
The average episode length on Sounds Like A Cult is 51 minutes.
How often are episodes of Sounds Like A Cult released?
Episodes of Sounds Like A Cult are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Sounds Like A Cult?
The first episode of Sounds Like A Cult was released on May 13, 2021.
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