Sounds Like A Cult

Latest Episodes:

The Cult of Stanley Cups Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

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!

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The Cult of Manifestation Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

Host Amanda's new book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality is out TODAY!!! Get your copy wherever you buy books (including audiobooks). The book is about magical overthinking in the Information Age—how our deep-rooted cognitive biases are clashing with contemporary culture to create a new era of delulu. Themes covered in the book include celebrity worship, nostalgia, and today's topic of discussion... the cult of manifestation. This special episode features an exclusive excerpt from Amanda's new audiobook! It's a portion from the chapter titled “I Swear I Manifested This: A Note on Proportionality Bias,” which explores how radical conspiracy theories and New Age ideas of manifestation are actually both motivated by the same psychological quirk, all the while telling the story of a cult-followed online manifestation guru 👽 Turns out, we all have a pinch of conspiracy theorist in us. Tune in to find out how🤞

Get the audiobook here!

Purchase the book in hardback.

Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING by Amanda Montell, read by the author. Copyright © 2024 by Amanda Montell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Catch Amanda on tour!

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The Cult of Homeschooling Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

Order a copy of Amanda's new book The Age of Magical Overthinking!

Catch Amanda on tour!!!

Stereotypes say that homeschool kids are a little, well, ~quirky~ but is that because they grew up in a "cult" of sorts? The American homeschool landscape is currently undergoing an especially fraught *paradigm shift* with upwards of 2 million kids being taught at home as of 2023. This surge is fueled by a range of sociopolitical factors, from the relatable (school shootings are scary!!!!) to the undeniably sinister (ahem, IBLP… ahem, Lord of the Flies-style unschooling practices that overlap with the troubled teen industry???). Homeschooling—with its insular communities, lack of regulation, and sometimes radical approaches to child-rearing—can add up to something eeeeeeeerily reminiscent of a fringey, paranoid sect. To help parse it out what “cult category” homeschooling falls into, Amanda is chatting with her pal (and homeschool *survivor*) Justina Sharp. This is delicate subject matter, and everyone’s experiences are different, so if you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out the resources below! Thanks to all the culties who called in to share their personal experiences on the topic!

Sources:

Home schooling is surging, but lax regulation can leave kids vulnerable to abuse: https://www.npr.org/2024/01/18/1225324564/home-schooling-is-surging-but-lax-regulation-can-leave-kids-vulnerable-to-abuse
Coalition for Responsible Home Education: https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/
Home schooling’s rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/homeschooling-growth-data-by-district/
‘Unschooling’ Isn’t The Answer To Education Woes—It’s The Problem: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2020/05/25/unschooling-isnt-the-answer-to-education-woes-its-the-problem/?sh=7541bc55543c

Thank you to our sponsors, who make this show possible:

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Shop the SKIMS T-Shirt Shop 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.
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.

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The Cult of Rae Dunn Mar 26, 2024

Show notes

Order Amanda's new book! https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Age-of-Magical-Overthinking/Amanda-Montell/9781668007976

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 live on tour together this spring! Tickets are below :)

https://amandamontell.com/events/

Thank you to our sponsors <333

Head to FACTORMEALS.com/CULT50 and use code CULT50 to get 50% off.
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Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month.

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The Cult of Cruise Ships Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

Come party with Amanda on tour!!!

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 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.

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The Cult of Munchausen by Proxy Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

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!

To order a 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cult of Lululemon Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

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 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 @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/

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a culty announcement 👽 Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

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)

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The Cult of Love Is Blind Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

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

The Cult of Catholic School Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

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

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