Sounds Like A Cult

The Cult of the CIA

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A clandestine society aimed at indoctrinating a fleet of nationalist spies with an extensive entrance process, aliases, secretive language, isolation ...

The Cult of Amazon

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome baaaAAAAaaaAAaack, culties!! Time to *ascend* to the 2024 era of Sounds Like A Cult 👽 Kicking off with a damn bang—the most colossal cult...

The Cult of High Fashion

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, but you know what is? Today’s brain-tingling interview with possibly the single best speaking voice in...

The Cult of Reality TV Families

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wowowow, today’s episode featuring Jill and Derick Dillard (whom you might recognize from TLC’s 19 Kids & Counting!!) has been a looooong time com...

The Cult of Reddit

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sounds Like A Cult has covered doomsday cults, political cults, religious cults ... and this week is where they all join forces – on the much reques...

The Cult of A.I.

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ChatGPT could never!!! Over the past year or so, A.I. buzz has obviously risen to cult status, but if you think about it, all this apocalyptic talk of...

The Cult of Podcasting

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

iF yOuRe rEaDiNg thiS yOuRe iN tHe CuLt o.0 This week we are covering the most meta cult yet and one that we are all most definitely a part of: The Cu...

The Cult of Taylor Swift, Part 2

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me, here with an update to one of our most-streamed episodes of all time, the cult of exalted idol bestie goddess...

The Cult of Military Wives

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At long last, the man/myth/legend, Amanda's dad, Craig Montell, whose riveting stories of his childhood spent in the Synanon cult planted her fascinat...

The Cult of Pickleball

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you've been paying attention at all, you know that this weeks cult is growing at a mighty pace. The rate at which Americans and individuals from al...

The Cult of Momfluencers, Part 2

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Behold, a re-air of our most popular episode of 2023—The Cult of Momfluencers—which takes on new relevance, thanks to the disturbing recent case o...

The Cult of Purity Rings

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anyone who grew up evangelical Christian and/or plugged into teen celebrity news circa 2008 will be familiar with today's cult: Purity Rings. You know...

The Cult of Bachelorette Parties

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Cult of Bachelorette Parties is one we have all been a part of, whether from an observational distance or as a member yourself, this cult spares n...

The Cult of Gary Vee

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To his fanatics, he's an inspiring businessman, marketing guru, tough-love motivational speaker, and blue-collar-masculine embodiment of the American ...

The Cult of Life Coaches

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why does it seem like certain "life coaches" are exactly the kinda folks who shouldn't be giving life advice? The unregulated life coaching industry i...

The Cult of Burning Man

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Strap on your steampunk lewks and get ready to blast off to the dusty, glittery, and undeniably culty alternate universe that is Burning Man—an even...

The Cult of Disney Adults (With Bonus Q&A!)

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Before we return with regularly structured episodes next week (stay tuned for the "cult" of Burning Man!), here's another ad-free bonus episode featur...

The Cult of The Bachelor (Bonus Part 2!)

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A heavily controlled, totally isolated group of women who worship one "charismatic” male figure and aren’t allowed to read magazines, watch TV, or...

The Cult of Spiritual Scammers (feat. Listener Stories!)

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Time to spill some never-before-heard culty tales: This week, Amanda and Isa are reacting to shocking cult stories submitted by you listeners! Many th...

The Cult of Airline Miles

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For an episode spicier than an inflight bloody Mary, Isa and Amanda are joined by comedian and frequent flyer Fumi Abi (@TheFumiAbe) for a conversatio...

The Cult of The Peace Corps

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

~Join us~ as Isa and Amanda unpack the "cult" of the Peace Corps—its peculiar rituals of initiation, close-knit camaraderie that borders on religiou...

The Cult of PTA Moms

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for some no holds barred sh*t-talking, culties, because this week, Amanda and Isa are joined by the hosts of the motherhood-themed "I've Had...

The Cult of The Hammer Family

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You're sure to *devour* this week's episode analyzing four generations of wealthy men who, in our little opinion, represent a stunning example of how ...

The Cult of Tik Tok Social Houses

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It sounds like an episode of Black Mirror: 18-year-old kids are sacrificing their futures and signing their incomes away for the chance to move into a...

The Cult of Survivor

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Volunteering to subject yourself to isolation, starvation, and desperation on a remote island under high-pressure circumstances, all in pursuit of mon...

The Cult of Medical School

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Hippocratic Oath says do no harm. Explain elitism, secret societies, and debilitating physical and mental exhaustion to the point of potentially h...

The Cult of Dolly Parton

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

America's favorite buxom, rhinestone-clad Southern songstress, Dolly Parton, has a "cult following" like no other celebrity. Thanks to her unmistakabl...

The Cult of Montessori Schools

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This *highly* requested topic has all the makings of a modern-day cult: mystery, unquestioned loyalty, and the future of children's hearts and minds a...

The Cult of Coachella

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What began as a Woodstock-esque alt music fest in the '90s for fans of indie electronica to get freaky in the California desert has swiftly morphed in...

The Cult of Heterosexuality

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of our fav episodes to date tbh. The promises include acceptance, stability, and fertility, but the reality = rigidity, conformity, and oftentimes...

The Cult of Corporate America

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to dynamically synergize mission-critical alignments. Let's go ahead and fungibly communicate client-centric potentialities. If you can even...

The Cult of The Real Housewives

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fame, wealth, fraud, backstabbing, plastic surgery, hidden power hierarchies... are we talking about one of reality television's most successful franc...

The Cult of Fine Wine

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Cult of Wall Street

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Stocks? The economy?? Don't get us started! Look, any industry that allowed the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, aka Bernie Madoff, to literally *thri...

The Cult of Church Camp

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kayaking, friendship bracelet making, and oh yeah, threats of eternal damnation! What better way for a kid to spend the summer than at church camp? Th...

The Cult of Beauty Pageants

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 whe...

The Cult of Peloton

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did the first episode of HBO Max's Sex And The City reboot turn you off of Peloton? That makes one of us. This week, Amanda and Isa unpack the fanatic...

The Cult of Child Stars

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, and Daniel Radcliffe are all survivors of today's "cult," and so is our guest, Mara Wilson, star of 1990s cinematic clas...

The Cult of Self-Help

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2005, this week's guest Sarah Edmondson joined what she thought was a personal development program devoted to helping her overcome her "limiting be...

The Cult of The Boy Scouts

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Allegations of right-wing dogma, unquestioned power dynamics, charismatic leaders, freaky rituals, and physical abuse... are we talking about a seriou...

The Cult of Momfluencers

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Motherhood is hard, lonely, and exhausting... except, apparently, if you're a momfluencer. Since the mid-2000s, a crop of seemingly perfect, all-knowi...

The Cult of Preppers

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The end of the world... but make it cute and consumerist! "Preppers" are the latest iteration of doomsday survivalists, who band together on social me...

The Cult of Apple

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The stigma around the green text bubble alone could ruin a man's life. How has Apple's secretiveness, superiority complex, and (admitted) marketing ge...

The Cult of Diet Culture

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re baaaaaaack! We can barely record an episode of this podcast without a snack, so how are millions of people supposed to escape the "cult" of di...

The Cult of Starbucks

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 yours...

The Cult of The Supreme Court

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A cabal of black-robed elites who preside, unquestioned, over all our rights and freedoms… hmmm… sounds like a dang cult to us! Isa and Amanda are...

The Cult of Hell Houses

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Cultyweeeeeeen! Our favorite holiday at Sounds Like A Cult is here, and to celebrate the spooky season, we’re asking: What could be more frigh...

The Cult of Taylor Swift

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I was never good at telling jokes but the punchline goes: If Taylor told her Swifties to kill a man, they would. They would kill a man for Taylor, bec...

The Cult of Kitchen Culture

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 2022, it seemed like everyone and their cult leader was *devouring* the TV show The Bear: an inside look at the hierarchical, co-dependent, mis...

The Cult of Nonprofits

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cults tend to thrive during times of broader cultural questioning and turmoil, when institutional support seems to be failing so alternative groups sw...

The Cult of Goop

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've all joked about Gwyneth Paltrow's *candle.* But does this boho Hollywood elitist girlboss ever go too far? (As in, cult leader far?) This week, ...

The Cult of RuPaul's Drag Race

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you don’t worship at the altar of this week’s “cult,” then simply sashay away! One of the most intense, vicious, fabulous reality TV fandom...

The Cult of Celebrity Doctors

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know Dr. Phil is not actually a medical doctor?? When “physicians” like Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and Dr. Drew are elevated to TV star status, fol...

The Cult of Weddings

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Weddings: Filled to the brim with ritualistic ceremonies, patriarchal traditions, power abuse, bank-breaking costs, conformist uniforms, and false pro...

The Cult of Youth Groups

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our life-changing, missional, intentional ministry for young people from all walks of life to strengthen their faith in Christ while having...

The Cult of The Kardashians

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Kardashians: a harmlessly entertaining reality TV family or a dynastic conformist controlling cabal of K-named cult leaders? In this ~intense~ epi...

The Cult of The Troubled Teen Industry

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re in for a shocking one this week: The Troubled Teen Industry has for decades promised parents to reform their “problem-causing” kids throug...

BONUS: The Cults We ALL Follow

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For the last week of Cult Girl Summer, another juicy bonus episode: This time, Isa and Amanda are listening and reacting to unaired voice messages fro...

The Cult of 12-Step Programs: Part 2

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A much-requested Part 2 to continue Cult Girl Summer. Our 12-Step Program episode sparked much debate, and we quickly determined we’d need to contin...

The Cult of Plastic Surgery

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How much would you risk in pursuit of perfection? It’s another installment of “Cult Girl Summer” bonus content. This week, Amanda and Isa speak ...

The Cult of Dating Apps

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A flirty little topic for another installment of Cult Girl Summer: five weeks of bonus episodes where Isa and Amanda are airing unfiltered cult conver...

BONUS: Exposing Our Cult

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Cult Girl Summer, five weeks of bonus episodes where Isa and Amanda are sharing unfiltered cult convos, footage from the cutting room floor...

The Cult of Teal Swan

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Known to her loyalists as the “spiritual catalyst” but to her critics as the “suicide catalyst,” New Age influencer Teal Swan is a controversi...

The Cult of Jared Leto

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From his Jesus-like hair, erratic on-set antics, and fanatical 30 Seconds to Mars music fandom to his glazed-over sexual assault allegations and liter...

The Cult of A Cappella

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From The Yale Whiffenpoofs to Pitch Perfect’s Barden Bellas, a cappella groups are not just your average band, they are a *family*, like a cross bet...

The Cult of 12-Step Programs

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anonymity, prayers, sitting in a circle and sharing your deepest secrets and traumas, an intimate mentor program… is it a cult or a 12-step program?...

The Cult of True Crime

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From voraciously consuming gruesome podcasts by the dozen to amateur sleuthing gone wrong to fetishizing dangerous killers, the world of true crime de...

The Cult of Fast Fashion

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fast Fashion (think: brands like Forever21, Zara, and Shein) could be described as an industry that takes high-end clothing designs and makes them qui...

The Cult of Stand-Up Comedy

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Co-host Isa joined the “cult” of stand-up comedy four years ago in LA but didn’t realize until we started this podcast how culty it really was. ...

The Cult of Elon Musk

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The New York Times described him as “at once a capitalist hero, a glossy magazine celebrity and a bomb-throwing troll.” Multi-billionaire tech tyc...

The Cult of Theatre Kids

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

POV: You work at Denny's. It's 12 AM. You want to go home. And from outside you hear it... your worst nightmare: 40 pairs of hungry footsteps and an a...

The Cult of Essential Oils

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lavender can cure headaches and tea tree oil can clear your acne (and heal Covid/your whole life)? The cult of essential oils blurs the line between f...

The Cult of Minimalism

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The life-changing magic of tidying up gave a shiny new rebrand to age-old ideas that owning less stuff can be connected to enlightenment... but are th...

The Cult of Academia

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know PhD actually stands for “Probably Heavily in Debt” and “Pretty Heavily Depressed”? Jk (or are we?). This week, Isa and Amanda del...

The Cult of Disney Adults

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Blackout dates, Genie lines, Magic Keys, Storyliving, DCP, D23... If any of these terms got you feeling some kind of way, you're likely in "cult" of D...

The Cult of Skincare

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Serums, lasers, influencer skincare routines, oh my! There seems to be no end to how many expensive products and techniques are promised to keep us lo...

The Cult of Veganism

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Veganism isn’t just a diet, it‘s not just a lifestyle, it’s a whole identity, aesthetic, community, religion, and even a career for some people…...

The Cult of Elizabeth Holmes

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Defrauded Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has become the subject of countless books, podcasts, documentaries, and now the brand new scripted Hulu series...

The Cult of Toxic Relationships

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, with the help of special guest Dan Savage (relationships advice columnist and host of the Savage Lovecast), Isa and Amanda are talking abou...

The Cult of CrossFit

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A 2015 Harvard Divinity School study reported that among many young people, CrossFit has become a bonafide new religion. So much more than a gym, thes...

The Cult of Cheerleading

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A pseudo-family dynamic, decades-long commitments, physical peril, members who "would literally die for" their leader (coach): Competitive cheerleadin...

The Cult of Instagram Therapists

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you have an Instagram account, you’ve probably seen those beautifully curated infographics explaining "trauma,” “attachment theory,” and "b...

The Cult of Trader Joe's

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trader Joe's, the most beloved "neighborhood grocery store" in America, has a super-loyal "cult following"... a sentiment that needs no explanation. T...

Sounds Like a Cult Trailer!

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're back and more culty than ever! Sounds Like A Cult, your favorite comedy-cult podcast about the modern-day “cults” we all follow, is relaunch...

Sounds Like A Cult Is Changing Forever…

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're going weekly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cult of The NFL

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On theme for Thanksgiving, we've got a bonus episode for you on the "cult" of America's most zealously worshipped, physically hazardous sport: NFL foo...

The Cult of LuLaRoe

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of the zealously consumed LuLaRich docuseries on Amazon Prime, we’re releasing a bonus episode on the leggings multilevel marketing comp...

Season 2 Is Coming...

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Season 2 of Sounds Like A Cult is coming December 7th! We are so grateful for all you loyal Culties who tuned in to Season 1 and sent us scores of sug...

The Cult of Tony Robbins

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Super-wealthy motivational speaker Tony Robbins physically towers over his thousands of adoring acolytes, boasting a booming voice and omniscient life...

The Cult of Astrology

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Omg, is mercury in retrograde?? Or is this week’s episode analyzing the “cult” of astrology just *that* intense? Co-hosts Amanda (Aquarius) and ...

The Cult of Celebrity Megachurches

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of our favorite topics to date: In this can’t-miss episode, we’re unpacking the wave of trendy evangelical church groups (like Hillsong, Mosai...

The Cult of Marathon Runners

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the world of fitness trackers, high-performance athletic gear, nutrition goo, obsessively comparing your stats, and trying to  beat your P...

The Cult of Feet

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A slightly NSFW episode of your favorite cult podcast comes courtesy of this week’s two special guests: the ever-so-charismatic podcaster/writer Gab...

The Cult of Multi-Level Marketing

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ask and you shall receive! This week, we’re covering our single most listener-requested topic: The “cult” of multi-level marketing (aka MLMs). M...

The Cult of Fraternities & Sororities

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Why does it feel like everything that has to do with tradition is actually a cult?” Such is one of our many musings from this week’s episode on...

The Cult of The Royal Family

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Intense secrecy and exclusivity, unquestioned protocols and rituals, deception, isolation, hierarchies, and soooo much money… nope, we’re not talk...

The Cult of Celebrity Stans

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

These days, the lines between celebrity, religious figure, political leader, lifestyle guru, and best friend have blurred so hardcore that enthusiasti...

The Cult of Flat Earthers

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We always thought of “flat earthers” as nothing but a bunch of spoofable Devil advocates with too much time on their hands... but after closer exa...

The Cult of The Bachelor

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A heavily controlled, totally isolated group of polygamists who worship one charismatic figure and aren’t allowed to read magazines, watch TV, or sp...

The Cult of SoulCycle

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

SoulCycle is without question a “cult-followed” brand, but is this exclusive boutique workout studio actually more insidious than that? This week,...