Episódios

  • The Cult of Bad Bunny

    The Cult of Bad Bunny
    Feb 3 2026
    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 moment, and why his very existence seems to short-circuit traditional ideas of power, patriotism, and Latinidad. From parasocial fan entitlement to moral panics disguised as “concern,” we explore how fandom, identity, and backlash collide. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! Join the loyalty program for renters at https://joinbilt.com/cult To learn more about how to support Minnesota’s immigrant communities, check out this MSP Mag article, which shares several ways to offer help or find support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 minutos
  • The Cult of The Amish

    The Cult of The Amish
    Jan 27 2026
    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 its own definition of what it means to be “in the world, but not of it.” This week, Amanda and Reese are joined by Amish-turned-stripper Naomi Swartzentruber (@amishinspiration) to ask the uncomfortable question: when does a religious community become a cultural fortress? Get your butter churners prepped, we’re breaking down the barn doors to ask: is the cult of the Amish a faith, a lifestyle, or a cult? 🧈 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/slac Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 8 minutos
  • The Cult of ChatGPT

    The Cult of ChatGPT
    Jan 20 2026
    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 starts to look a little culty. We also break down the growing legal scrutiny around AI, including high profile lawsuits, accountability gaps, and what happens when automated advice collides with real world harm. Delete your em-dashes, because if you’ve ever named your chat bot (looking at you Chelsea), it might be time to ask who’s really in charge. 🤖🧠⚖️ Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! This January, quit overspending on wireless with 50% off Unlimited premium wireless at https://MintMobile.com/cult Download the Acorns app to get started or head to https://acorns.com/CULT Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and mental health crises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 16 minutos
  • The Cult of Swifties

    The Cult of Swifties
    Jan 6 2026
    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. Consider this a sermon, a confession, and a gentle side eye at celebrity worship in the modern age. Long live! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Join the loyalty program for renters at ⁠https://joinbilt.com/CULT To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to ⁠⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 minutos
  • The Cult of Podcast Hosts

    The Cult of Podcast Hosts
    Dec 23 2025
    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 we could un-say, behind-the-scenes mess, and what it’s actually like to be perceived by strangers with headphones and opinions. Pause your shower and grab your Labubu because if anyone sounds like a cult, it might be us. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to ⁠⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/cult #rulapod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 minutos
  • The Cult of Mormon Therapists

    The Cult of Mormon Therapists
    Dec 16 2025
    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, purity, and control have led to widespread sexual dysfunction, guilt, and fear and how “therapists” trained to protect doctrine (not patients) can do real psychological harm. From compulsory confessions to the pipeline that produces figures like Jodi Hildebrandt, this episode traces how moral panic masquerades as mental health care. Also, fair warning: if you take a shot every time John says the word masturbate, you will absolutely need to lie down afterward. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Join the loyalty program for renters at https://joinbilt.com/CULT= Order online or download the free 1-800 Contacts app today at ⁠Https://1800contacts.com To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to ⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    59 minutos
  • The Cult of The Biggest Loser

    The Cult of The Biggest Loser
    Dec 9 2025
    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 world that had millions of viewers cheering for transformation while contestants were barely surviving it. Why did we believe this was healthy? How did it become so successful? And what happens when a show about losing weight starts demanding you lose yourself too? Grab your branded sweatband and your cognitive dissonance... this episode gets messy. 🏋🏻‍♂️📺🔥 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/slac Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 8 minutos
  • The Cult of Mr. Beast

    The Cult of Mr. Beast
    Dec 2 2025
    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 click, defend, and worship at the altar of virality. We’re analyzing how Mr. Beast’s feel good spectacle blurs the line between generosity and influence. Why do fans treat him like a savior? What does it mean when entertainment starts to look like charity... or the other way around? And how much power does a creator have when his followers are willing to do almost anything for a shoutout? Grab your Feastables and your moral ambiguity: we’re diving into the algorithmically engineered rabbit hole that sounds like a cult. 🍫📱 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/st3nalv7 #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 15 minutos