Sounds Like A Cult

Matching satin robes. Bedazzled cowboy hats. A mysterious urgency to fly to Nashville and scream “Woooo!” from a pedal pub. This week, Amanda returns to one of the most glitter-drenched, mimosa-fueled cults in the modern social landscape: bachelorette parties, but this time, with Sociologist Beth Montemurro and journalist Annie Atherton to help us dissect how these pre-wedding rituals evolved from quaint luncheons to weekend-long rites of passage that often feel more obligatory than fun. Why do so many people feel spiritually compelled to wear matching t-shirts and cry in a hot tub? What does this highly curated “last hurrah” say about gender, capitalism, and the mythology of marriage itself? Grab your sashes and your emotional baggage—we’re diving deep into the psychological groupthink, identity performance, and pastel-colored chaos of this culty little tradition. Listen to OVERTHINKING ABOUT WEDDINGS. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code CULT at checkout. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Erewhon: the only place where the quest to enlightenment involves dropping $25 on a celebrity smoothie. This week, Amanda and Chelsea dive into the culty glow of Southern California's bougiest grocery store with oh-so special guests Raven-Symoné and Miranda Pearman-Maday (check out their podcast Tea Time with Raven and Miranda)! From raw milk acolytes and mushroom dust disciples to influencer pilgrammages and ragebait-y marketing, this episode features takes spicier than the hot bar's $17 buffalo cauliflower. It all serves to answer the big question: is Erewhon a wellness wonderland, or a greenwashed Gwynethian cult? We drank the activated charcoal to find out... Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Go to https://Quince.com/slac for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ by going to ⁠https://joinbilt.com/CULT⁠ For the bookings you’ve dreamed of, list your property on ⁠Booking.com⁠! Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w SOURCES: The Guardian: ‘Playing Russian roulette with your health’: my encounter with LA’s raw-milk, powdered-meat smoothie by Lois Beckett: https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/jun/09/raw-milk-powdered-meat-smoothie-erewhon Eater: Roaches Like Erewhon Smoothies, Too by Rebecca Roland: https://la.eater.com/2025/4/10/24405640/erewhon-cockroach-bug-infestation-santa-monica-health-department-shutdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buckle up, because this week we’re spiraling into one of the internet’s darkest (and most tragically cringey) cults: Incels, a.k.a. self-proclaimed “involuntary celibates” who believe they’ve been cursed by the universe (read: women) to live a life without love, sex, or accountability. Joining Amanda and Reese for this delightfully horrifying deep-dive are cult comedy kings Henry Zebrowski (@drfantasty) and Ed Larson (@eddietunes) of Last Podcast on the Left (@lpontheleft), here to help us unpack how this chronically online community evolved from obscure message boards into a full-blown belief system complete with its own language, martyrs, and very questionable ethos. We’re talking “Chads,” “Stacys,” color-coded pills, doomer memes, and a whole lot of weaponized loneliness. Is this a support group gone wrong? A sad-boy doomsday cult? Or just a bunch of dudes who desperately need therapy and a hobby? Tune in for a wild ride through the cultiest corners of the manosphere—tinfoil hats optional, but encouraged. Correction: The Toronto Van Attack happened in 2018 and claimed 11 lives. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT For the bookings you’ve dreamed of, list your property on Booking.com! Check out https://Adamandeve.com/ and select any one item. Be sure to use this code SLAC to get your discount, 100% Free Shipping and get it fast with Rush Processing - Code SLAC! Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Although the thumbs typing this are decidedly *not* green, this week’s exploration has been nurtured into fruition with love just for our botanically inclined culties. Whether you spent quarantine scrolling through other people’s nurseries on #planstagram until your eyes glazed over green, or nobly undertook the task of cultivating an amateur jungle of your own leafy companions, in recent years it seems harder than ever to resist the allure of one of mankind’s oldest cohabitants: houseplants! But is the plant mommy life really the uber-zen, ultra-grounded, self-care-queen hobby we’ve been looking for, or just another tool of the algorithm to thwart the ~growth~ of our time, money, and IRL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS?!? Melodramatic? At SLAC? Never! Here to help Reese and Amanda plant the seeds of healthy skepticism into this seemingly wholesome pastime is arbiter of plant wisdom in both audio and print format Maria Failla of Growing Joy with Plants (@growingjoywithmaria)! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Find exactly what you’re booking for on ⁠https://Booking.com⁠, Booking.YEAH! Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/CULT to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Head to ⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT⁠ to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when a Harvard dropout builds a global empire on the idea of connection... and then becomes one of the most emotionally disconnected figures in tech? This week, Amanda and Chelsea are joined by Robert Evans of Behind the Bastards (@bastardspod) to unpack the cult-like control of Mark Zuckerberg, the boy wonder turned code-powered control freak. From the chaos of Facemash to the calculated calm of Meta, we trace the evolution of Zuckerbergs’s leadership style and how his obsession with efficiency, rating systems, and surveillance shaped one of the most influential companies in the world. We’ll explore employee testimonies, bizarre office rituals, and the cognitive dissonance of a CEO preaching human connection while undermining it at every turn. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT No matter how you say it, don’t overpay for it. Shop data plans at www.MINTMOBILE.com/CULT. Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

hej! don’t forget to grab a blue bag upon stepping off the escalator, you’ll need it for the culty keepsakes you collect throughout this week’s no-assembly-required episode. a longtime staple for those in ~transitory~ periods in life (college students, recent singles, the elderly), Ingvar Kamprad’s furniture emporium turned community gathering hub and meatball mecca known simply as *cue the heavenly choir* IKEA has captivated the living rooms, tastebuds, and wallets of countless shoppers worldwide since 1943. Whether it was an outing for a reliable Kallax shelf, a trendy set of Alex drawers, or a classic Pöang chair you truly never forget your Ikea indoctrination. Getting lost in everyone’s fav iconic maze-like showroom with Amanda and Reese today is Morgan Absher (⁠@morgsyabsher⁠) of Two Hot Takes (⁠@twohottakes⁠)! Cozy up with a complimentary hot drink (exclusively for Family Members of course) and get ready to delve into the shockingly culty world of IKEA. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are thrilled to be lovingly feeding you this episode as if it were a delightful sugar cube, and you our noble thoroughbred. If you haven’t yet gotten the memo, (via the pony express? ) this week we are covering the beloved cult of horse girls. Along this trot we found that there are almost as many delineations of horse girl as there are breeds of horse, so along for the ride to help Amanda and Reese is IRL jesus/horse camp-alumn turned comedian Jamie Loftus! We had a blast visiting as many stalls in the stable as we could, from haughty Charlotte York Equestrianism right down to the curious world of hobbyhorsing… Saddle up, culties, and get to listening! Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth ;) Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Shop data plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Follow Don't Cross Kat on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Don't Cross Kat early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen to I'M RIGHT YOU'RE WRONG Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Playboy sold the world a fantasy of luxury and sexual liberation, but behind the velvet curtains, the reality was far more complex. This week, Amanda, Chelsea, and special guest Amy Rose Spiegel (@verymuchso) dive into the Playboy phenomenon…not just as a magazine, but as a carefully curated world built on power, control, and illusion. From the mystique of the Playboy Mansion and its exclusive parties to the troubling stories from former Playmates, we’re exploring how Hugh Hefner crafted an empire that blurred the line between empowerment and exploitation. Was Playboy truly a symbol of freedom, or just another gilded cage? And how does nostalgia shape the way we view its legacy today? Join us as we unravel the cult-like influence of Playboy and the contradictions that made it both iconic and insidious. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Follow Don't Cross Kat on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Don't Cross Kat early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s a chance you’ve brushed paths with this week’s cult in a West Coast farmers market or while scrolling through #yogainspiration, or as of late, your HBOMax recommended page. Kundalini yoga promises spiritual awakening, cosmic energy, and a path to your highest self. But behind the flowing white turbans and chanting in sat nam, there’s a darker story—one of control, secrecy, and not one but TWO gurus with highly questionable pasts. This week, we’re unraveling the culty underbelly of Kundalini, its infamous founder Yogi Bhajan, and his 20-teens girlbossified equivalent, Katie Griggs. From Instagram livestreams at millennial haven RaMa Studios to the militarized "3HO" organization (Healthy, Happy, Holy—or is it?), we’re asking: When does devotion cross the line into dogma? Strap in for a deep dive with Hayley Phelan (@hayleyphelan), journalist behind the article that powered HBO Max's Breath of Fire docuseries, and spiritual/sexual abuse lawyer Carol Merchasin, as Amanda and Reese discover why so many former followers say this spiritual practice left them anything but zen. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/CULT to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wowowow, today’s episode, which originally aired in December of 2023, features Jill and Derick Dillard, whom you might recognize from TLC’s 19 Kids & Counting!!! Imagine this: You’re born into a family that’s already a little ~abnormal~ because your parents are super religious and you have 200 siblings or whatever, then a reality television network comes knocking with promises of money and glory, slaps your whole clan of loved ones into a giant pair of golden handcuffs, a bunch of exploitation ensues, and one day you wake up and realize you’ve spent your childhood in an insane f*cking cult??? The “cult” of reality TV families, focused on The Duggars, is today’s subject of discussion, and what a juicy convo it was. Of all the reality TV family shows, which do YOU think is the cultiest?? Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! For your next trip, treat yourself to the luxe upgrades you deserve from Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/slac for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order. Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Strip clubs sell the dream of financial freedom, empowerment, and an intoxicating nightlife, but behind the flashing lights and VIP rooms, the reality is far more complicated. This week, Amanda and Chelsea are joined by special guest Luna Sofia Miranda (@luna_sofia_miranda), actress in Anora and dancer, to dive into the world of strip clubs, not just as spaces of entertainment, but as intricate ecosystems built on power, control, and illusion. Are dancers truly their own bosses? How do societal stigma and club culture shape the way we perceive this multi-billion-dollar industry? Join us as we unravel the cult-like influence of strip clubs and the contradictions that make them both liberating and entrapping. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The bass pounds in your chest. Multicolored strobe lights flicker across your eyes so fast you can’t see straight. There are glittery people EVERYWHERE and they are ALL in neon spandex. For a chosen few, this warehouse full of artificial fog and intoxicated dancing bodies is the promised land. Raves have been a favorite pastime of counterculture youth since their inception in the 1980s, but nowadays they’re bigger than ever, literally and figuratively (even Elon’s in on it🥴). As rave culture makes its way into the mainstream, we here at SLAC can’t help but wonder if there isn’t some cultish activity lurking just behind the pashminas and kandi. This week, listener, raver, and EDM journalist Federica Brandi (@the.roving.raver) is acting as our loving “rave mom,”guiding hosts Amanda and Reese into the wonderful and wacky world of raves. 🎶🎉💡🌈🔆🪩🍾🕺🏼 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT As a special offer to listeners of the show, go to https://stopscooping.com/SLAC and use promo code SLAC to save an ADDITIONAL $50 on any Litter-Robot bundle. Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Take a look at https://adamandeve.com/cult to see what 4 sex toys will be yours for just $20 Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From ‘90s teen heartthrob to yacht-hopping, model-dating, climate-crusading enigma, Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t just an actor—he’s an institution. But at what point does the behavior of this Oscar-winning icon cross into something a little more… cultish? This week, Amanda is joined by Caitlin Durante of The Bechdel Cast to take a deep dive into the Church of Leo, unpacking the eerie loyalty of his fans, the oddly specific habits of his inner circle (no one over 25 shall pass), and the ways in which his environmental activism is both inspiring and contradictory. Why does Hollywood treat Leo like the last true movie star? Is he just an A-lister with a type, or is there something deeper (and maybe a little weirder) going on in his revolving door of Victoria’s Secret protégées? And most importantly—are we in the cult of DiCaprio just by watching Titanic for the 100th time? Tune in as we break down the mythology, the memes, and the man in the iron mask. 🚢🌍🔥 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Source Shownotes: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/03/leonardo-dicaprio-girlfriend-breakup-25-week-in-patriarchy https://www.bustle.com/articles/9543-leo-dicaprio-was-the-most-ridiculous-human-in-1998-and-this-profile-proves-it https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/features/2793/ https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-10-20/leonardo-dicaprio-killers-of-the-flower-moon-martin-scorsese-titanic-leomania-kate-winslet https://nypost.com/2016/01/24/why-leo-dicaprio-is-just-another-climate-hypocrite/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although we do famously love/write/worship books over here at team SLAC, our adventure into this week’s MUCH-REQUESTED topic—a literary commune packed with fantastical, extremely online, culty drama—gave us MAJOR culture shock. Whether you’re a lifelong reader or your Hoovers are still in the mail, it’s safe to assume you’ve brushed paths with this week’s cult even without realizing it. Since its timely mid-pandemic inception, BookTok has taken the publishing industry by storm and has undoubtedly transformed the way young people buy, read, and obsess over books. Whether they’re creating a whole new subgenre (dark romantasy, anyone?), lining up in droves for the latest Rebecca Yarros release, or casting an entire movie adaption of their fav read, we have come to learn that the BookTok girlies are a force to be reckoned with. Here to help Amanda and Reese navigate the new literary landscape and determine exactly how culty that force can be are bonafide booktokkers Morgann Book and Ayman’s Books! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Liquid I.V. when you go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and use code CULT at checkout. Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is it about Jeeps that inspires such intense devotion? In this week’s episode, Amanda, Chelsea, and a special guest listener dive into the world of Jeep culture—a community that goes way beyond just owning an off-road vehicle. From the infamous Jeep Wave and secret handshakes to brand tattoos and entire lifestyles built around rugged independence, we’re breaking down the cult-like loyalty that Jeep enthusiasts wear like a badge of honor. How did a military vehicle evolve into a global symbol of rebellion and freedom? Is it just marketing magic, or something deeper? Buckle up as we explore how this rolling status symbol became a lifestyle—complete with rituals, rites of passage, and a strong dose of obsession. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/CULT to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever met a kid who could knit a scarf before they could read, you might already be familiar with this week's "cult." With their dreamy, arts-infused approach to education (think: seasonal festivals, storytelling over standardized testing), Waldorf schools promise a ~holistic utopia for young minds~. But behind the fairy tale façade lurks a past (and present) steeped in, oh y'know, anti-science ideology, claims of clairvoyance, weird "karma" stuff, problematic hierarchies, and a suspiciously rigid devotion to its 1920s founder, Rudolf Steiner. And that's just the beginning! This week, Amanda and Reese break down the culty undercurrents of Waldorf Schools with the help of former Waldorf educator Maggie Smith, who was kicked out of the movement and lived to tell the tale. Is Waldorf a harmless hippie haven? Or an expensive lesson on us vs. them dynamics? Tune in as we unravel its hand-spun, naturally dyed, organic threads! Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! As a special offer to listeners of the show, go to https://stopscooping.com/ SLAC and use promo code SLAC to save an ADDITIONAL $50 on any Litter-Robot bundle. Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’re walking through the mall or driving down the street, and there it is again: a pastel-colored poster featuring a leaping dancer. It reads: Shen Yun, China Before Communism. What even IS this lavish dance show whose advertisements haunt all our towns? Is it a religion? A political party? A theatre troupe? What is their mission? Is the dancing even good? And where does Shen Yun find the budget for all this marketing?? This week, Amanda is joined by special guests Liz and Brace of the TrueAnon podcast (@trueanonpod) to break down the culty undercurrents of Shen Yun, the ultra-mysterious, Falun Gong-backed dance company that’s less about “reviving ancient Chinese culture” and more about, oh, say, labor exploitation, emotional abuse, and apocalyptic doomsday beliefs. ALLEGEDLY. Tune in as we pirouette through the cultiest corners of this not-so-harmless night at the theater. 🎭💸✨ Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Embrace your ritual with extraordinary hydration from Liquid I.V. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and use code CULT at checkout. Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Find exactly what you’re booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! Please consider donating to those affected by the Los Angeles Fires. Some organizations that Team SLAC are donating to are: https://mutualaidla.org/ https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134/#!/donation/checkout https://shorturl.at/SGW9w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices