Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
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...
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 childh...
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. T...
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...
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 ...
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 di...
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...
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 lif...
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 cult...
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 ...
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 an...
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 shockin...
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 frequ...
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 initiatio...
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 join...
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 li...
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 signin...
The Cult of Survivor
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Volunteering to subject yourself to isolation, starvation, and desperation on a remote island under ...
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 a...
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" ...
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 loyalt...
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 frea...
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 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 communic...
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...
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-soak...
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...
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...
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 U...
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 o...
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 ou...
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 progra...
The Cult of The Boy Scouts
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Allegations of right-wing dogma, unquestioned power dynamics, charismatic leaders, freaky rituals, a...
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...
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 doo...
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...
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 mill...
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...
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…...
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 spook...
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,...
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 ...
The Cult of Nonprofits
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cults tend to thrive during times of broader cultural questioning and turmoil, when institutional su...
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...
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...
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...
The Cult of Weddings
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Weddings: Filled to the brim with ritualistic ceremonies, patriarchal traditions, power abuse, bank-...
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 lif...
The Cult of The Kardashians
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Kardashians: a harmlessly entertaining reality TV family or a dynastic conformist controlling ca...
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...
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 li...
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 debat...
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”...
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 wher...
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 unfiltere...
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...
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 hi...
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 a...
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 me...
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 fetishi...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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 wors...
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)? T...
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 stu...
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”...
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 feel...
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 ...
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, commu...
The Cult of Elizabeth Holmes
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Defrauded Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has become the subject of countless books, podcasts, documen...
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...
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 bo...
The Cult of Cheerleading
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A pseudo-family dynamic, decades-long commitments, physical peril, members who "would literally die ...
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 expl...
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 foll...
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...
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 zealous...
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...
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 ...
The Cult of Tony Robbins
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Super-wealthy motivational speaker Tony Robbins physically towers over his thousands of adoring acol...
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 ju...
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 tren...
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...
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 gu...
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...
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...
The Cult of The Royal Family
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Intense secrecy and exclusivity, unquestioned protocols and rituals, deception, isolation, hierarchi...
The Cult of Celebrity Stans
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
These days, the lines between celebrity, religious figure, political leader, lifestyle guru, and bes...
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 to...
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 a...
The Cult of SoulCycle
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
SoulCycle is without question a “cult-followed” brand, but is this exclusive boutique workout st...
Sneak Peak!
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is Sounds Like A Cult, a podcast about the zeitgeisty cults that have inducted us all—from So...
Sounds Like A Cult - Welcome Trailer!
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about Elon Musk stans? Or the Royal Family? What about spirit...