Home Podcasts Sounds Like A Cult
Sounds Like A Cult

Sounds Like A Cult

Studio71 222 Episodes Aug 18, 2026

Sounds Like A Cult is an iHeart Radio Award-winning podcast that examines various fanatical groups and subcultures, from SoulCycle to the Royal Family, to determine if they qualify as cults. Hosted by New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Montell, the show analyzes a different group each week, blending humor and critical thinking. The podcast is produced by Studio71 and includes co-hosts Chelsea Charles, Reese Oliver, and Iman Hariri Kia.

Episodes

The Cult of Dark Tourism
The Cult of Dark Tourism Aug 18, 2026 3927 This week, Amanda is joined by author and travel writer Sheila Yasmin Marikar (@sheilaym) to descend into The Cult of Dark Tourism, the booming travel industry built around vacationing where very, very bad things have happened. From Chernobyl excursions and serial killer pub crawls to war zone tourism, suicide forests, nuclear disaster sites, and the "haunted house" where people willingly sign up
The Cult of Lush
The Cult of Lush Aug 11, 2026 3167 Prepare to be love bombed by a bath bomb. This week, Iman follows her nose into the aggressively fragrant Cult of Lush with the Scam Goddess herself, Laci Mosley (@divalaci) . Beneath the glitter, naked packaging, and promise that an $18 Sleepy Bear can fix the economy, they uncover corporate “family” language, personality based group interviews, mandatory hand washing rituals, limited edition sca
The Cult of Sister Wives
The Cult of Sister Wives Aug 4, 2026 2931 This week, Chelsea, Reese, and Iman dive into The Cult of Sister Wives. Join us as we entice you with a little TLC chatter, before diving a bit deeper into the actual belief system that inspired it. We chat with Calvin Wayman (@calvinwayman), who grew up in a fundamentalist Mormon polygamist family with one dad, four moms, and 44 siblings, to unpack why plural marriage is tied to the highest level
The Cult of Y2K
The Cult of Y2K Jul 28, 2026 3700 Grab your flip phone, frost those lips, and feed your Tamagotchi. This week, Amanda, Reese, and Iman are (be kind) rewinding to The Cult of Y2K with PEN15 co-creator and star Anna Konkle (@annaryankonkle). Join us as we take you on a  magic school bus tour of butterfly clips and bedazzled Razrs all the way through to the very real panic that computers were about to end civiliza
The Cult of Charity Scams
The Cult of Charity Scams Jul 21, 2026 3760 If you've ever donated to a GoFundMe after reading one heartbreaking Instagram caption... this episode is for you. This week, Chelsea and Iman are joined by bestselling author, speaker, and advocate Molly Burke (@mollyburkeofficial) to unpack The Cult of Charity Scams, where good intentions become the perfect recruiting tool. From fake fundraisers and disaster relief grifts to organizations that p
The Cult of Conversion Therapy
The Cult of Conversion Therapy Jul 14, 2026 3076 If you thought conversion therapy disappeared sometime around low-rise jeans and flip phones, you'd be very, very wrong. This week, Amanda and Reese are joined by Timothy S. Rodriguez (@timothy.s.rodriguez), author of Conversion Therapy Dropout, to expose one of the most dangerous cults we've ever covered. From church basements and megachurches to online forums and DIY "therapy," they unpack the s
The Cult of Women for Trump
The Cult of Women for Trump Jul 7, 2026 3732 She's blonde. She's patriotic. She's wearing a Bible verse on her T-shirt while telling immigrants to go back where they came from. She's voting for Trump. This week we're revisiting our episode on The Cult of Women for Trump, with a new introduction reflecting on how much this movement has evolved over the past year. From homemaking influencers to conservative power players, the Women for Trump p
The Cult of Gooning
The Cult of Gooning Jun 30, 2026 3401 Today's episode is brought to you by Incognito Mode. This week, Amanda, Reese, and Iman descend into one of the internet's strangest corners: The Cult of Gooning. Joined by journalist Daniel Kolitz (@daniel.kolitz), author of Harper's viral feature The Goon Squad, the gang explores the bizarre online world where pornography has evolved into a full blown fandom complete with its own language, ritua
The Cult of Enneagram
The Cult of Enneagram Jun 23, 2026 2988 You're not controlling, you're a 1. You're not dramatic, you're a 4. You're not avoiding your problems, you're a 7. This week, certified 3's, Reese and Iman investigate the cult of the Enneagram, where a mysterious set of numbers has convinced millions of people they finally understand themselves, their exes, their coworkers, and the reason they forgot to text back. They're joined by Enneagram exp
The Cult of MAHA
The Cult of MAHA Jun 16, 2026 4528 What do seed oils, vaccine skepticism, beef tallow, and a guy with a dead bear in Central Park have in common? Welcome to the Cult of MAHA. This week, Amanda, Reese, Chelsea, and Iman dive headfirst into the increasingly influential world of Make America Healthy Again, the wellness-meets-politics movement promising cleaner food, healthier kids, and freedom from Big Pharma. But where does legitimat
The Cult of Theater Camp
The Cult of Theater Camp Jun 9, 2026 3823 Maybe you hated the kids who went. Maybe you were just mildly annoyed by them. Maybe, you were one of them. No matter your relation, most people have encountered today’s cult in one way or another. Whether you were soaking up the spotlight or cringing from back home, the cult of Theater Camp is always looming just in the wings. Is the world of adolescent summertime theater nothing more than a harm
The Cult of The Sims
The Cult of The Sims Jun 2, 2026 2779 Sul sul, culties. Remove the pool ladder and cancel your real-life plans, because this week Reese is joined by guest host Amanda Kohr (@amandamkohr) of This Feels Bi to unpack The Cult of The Sims. From trapping Sims in windowless rooms for “science” to meticulously designing dream homes we could never afford, The Sims has had us playing digital god for over two decades. But what is it about this

Recommended