Sounds Like A Cult

Latest Episodes:

The Cult of BookTok Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Although we do famously love/write/worship books over here at team SLAC, our adventure into this week’s MUCH-REQUESTED topic—a literary commune packed with fantastical, extremely online, culty drama—gave us MAJOR culture shock. Whether you’re a lifelong reader or your Hoovers are still in the mail, it’s safe to assume you’ve brushed paths with this week’s cult even without realizing it. Since its timely mid-pandemic inception, BookTok has taken the publishing industry by storm and has undoubtedly transformed the way young people buy, read, and obsess over books. Whether they’re creating a whole new subgenre (dark romantasy, anyone?), lining up in droves for the latest Rebecca Yarros release, or casting an entire movie adaption of their fav read, we have come to learn that the BookTok girlies are a force to be reckoned with. Here to help Amanda and Reese navigate the new literary landscape and determine exactly how culty that force can be are bonafide booktokkers Morgann Book and Ayman’s Books!

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The Cult of Jeep Owners Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

What is it about Jeeps that inspires such intense devotion? In this week’s episode, Amanda, Chelsea, and a special guest listener dive into the world of Jeep culture—a community that goes way beyond just owning an off-road vehicle. From the infamous Jeep Wave and secret handshakes to brand tattoos and entire lifestyles built around rugged independence, we’re breaking down the cult-like loyalty that Jeep enthusiasts wear like a badge of honor. How did a military vehicle evolve into a global symbol of rebellion and freedom? Is it just marketing magic, or something deeper? Buckle up as we explore how this rolling status symbol became a lifestyle—complete with rituals, rites of passage, and a strong dose of obsession.

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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
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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

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The Cult of Waldorf Schools Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

If you’ve ever met a kid who could knit a scarf before they could read, you might already be familiar with this week's "cult." With their dreamy, arts-infused approach to education (think: seasonal festivals, storytelling over standardized testing), Waldorf schools promise a ~holistic utopia for young minds~. But behind the fairy tale façade lurks a past (and present) steeped in, oh y'know, anti-science ideology, claims of clairvoyance, weird "karma" stuff, problematic hierarchies, and a suspiciously rigid devotion to its 1920s founder, Rudolf Steiner. And that's just the beginning! This week, Amanda and Reese break down the culty undercurrents of Waldorf Schools with the help of former Waldorf educator Maggie Smith, who was kicked out of the movement and lived to tell the tale. Is Waldorf a harmless hippie haven? Or an expensive lesson on us vs. them dynamics? Tune in as we unravel its hand-spun, naturally dyed, organic threads!

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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

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The Cult of Shen Yun Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

You’re walking through the mall or driving down the street, and there it is again: a pastel-colored poster featuring a leaping dancer. It reads: Shen Yun, China Before Communism. What even IS this lavish dance show whose advertisements haunt all our towns? Is it a religion? A political party? A theatre troupe? What is their mission? Is the dancing even good? And where does Shen Yun find the budget for all this marketing?? This week, Amanda is joined by special guests Liz and Brace of the TrueAnon podcast (@trueanonpod) to break down the culty undercurrents of Shen Yun, the ultra-mysterious, Falun Gong-backed dance company that’s less about “reviving ancient Chinese culture” and more about, oh, say, labor exploitation, emotional abuse, and apocalyptic doomsday beliefs. ALLEGEDLY. Tune in as we pirouette through the cultiest corners of this not-so-harmless night at the theater. 🎭💸✨

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Thank you to our sponsors!

Embrace your ritual with extraordinary hydration from Liquid I.V. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and use 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
Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH!

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

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The Cult of Nickelodeon Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

Few pop culture phenomena have commanded such fierce devotion while hiding so many skeletons in their neon-colored closet. This week, Chelsea, Amanda, and Reese dig into Nickelodeon—not just as a childhood staple, but as a world built on loyalty, odd rituals, and unsettling secrets. From the hypnotic allure of The Kids' Choice Awards and the iconic green slime to the troubling revelations surrounding Dan Schneider and the exploitation behind the scenes, we’re breaking down how Nickelodeon crafted a universe that felt rebellious and freeing, while masking a much darker reality. Was the network’s quirky, anti-establishment vibe just smoke and mirrors? How does nostalgia shape the way we process these unsettling truths? Join us as we peel back the layers of an empire that shaped generations, for better or worse. Nick-Nick-Nick, Nick-Nick-NICK-NICK!

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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

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The Cult of Neil Gaiman Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

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!

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

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The Cult of Harry Potter Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

A missive has arrived in your mailbox, dear cultie! What’s this? An invitation to an exclusive, mystical, and splendidly nerdy episode of Sounds Like A Cult that’s only a short ride from King’s Cross station away! YES, your most British, nostalgia-packed dreams have been realized because this week Amanda and Reese are hopping aboard the Hogwarts Express to every 90s baby’s starter cult, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Joined by the hilarious and wise podcasters Sequoia of Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them and Mike of Potterless, Reese and Amanda are drinking the butterbeer and covering everything from Hogwarts houses to Snapewives. Follow us as we attempt to dissect the undeniably world-shifting franchise, fandom, and capitalist dreamscape that might have more mommy issues than Harry Potter himself…

Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Embrace your ritual with extraordinary hydration from Liquid I.V. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and use code CULT at checkout.
Visit https://BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.

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

The Cult of Sephora Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

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!

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

I'm Right You're Wrong Podcast Trailer! Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

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!

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The Cult of Synanon, Part 2 Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

Buy tickets to The Big Magical Cult Show in Vancouver, Canada on February 21, 2025!

Time for Part 2! Father Craigo helps us wrap up 2024 with the rest of his brain-tangling life story in the cult that inspired this whole dang pod, Synanon. This week, he's answering unfiltered listener Qs, sharing the harrowing tale of Synanon's downfall, and leaving us all with some takeaways for how to stay culty but not too culty in 2025. We simply cannot WAIT for next year, when your shameless cult leader trio Amanda, Chelsea, and Reese return to cover a slew of long-awaited topics, including a certain cult-followed beauty retailer, a book series that's turned into a full-blown religion, a freakishly ritualistic education system, a "nonprofit" "performance troupe" run by a "new religious movement," and more! Thank you so much for tuning into another fanatical year, culties. See you in the next evolutionary level above human!!!

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Thank you to our sponsors!

Go to squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/CULT
Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code CULT at checkout.
Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.

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