Welcome to the internet, where a kid can lead a cult. From Ryan’s Toys to Piper Rockelle, the world of child influencers is vast, brain-rotted and constantly changing. This week on Sounds Like a Cult, Amanda, Iman, and Reese have journalist and author of the book Like, Follow, Subscribe, Fortesa Latifi (@hifortesa) back on the show to get a look behind the curtain at the workings of the kidfluencer ecosystem. We reminisce on the kid and teen influencers of yore (hello Tana), discuss the parents at the helm of family vlogging operations, and unpack just how much we hope the kids will be alright.

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What does it mean for a color to be official? This week, Amanda is joined by lexicographer and writer Kory Stamper (@harmless_drudge) to dive into the oddly powerful world of Pantone, the company that turned color into a global authority system complete with sacred swatches, cryptic numbers, and an annual prophecy known as Color of the Year. They unpack how Pantone became the high priest of hue, shaping everything from fashion runways to corporate branding. Why does the word cognac feel more chic than brown? And how did a company convince the world that a very specific white or millennial pink can define an entire cultural moment? Is Pantone simply helping us speak the same visual language… or are we all just obedient followers of the color industrial complex? Either way, pass the swatch book.

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This week, Amanda and Chelsea dive into the cult of OneTaste, the controversial wellness company that built an empire around “orgasmic meditation.” To help break this one down, they’re joined by journalist Ellen Huet (@ehuet), whose reporting pulled back the curtain on the organization’s rise from buzzy Silicon Valley sex startup to full blown scandal that involved allegations of coercion, manipulation, and high control group dynamics. They unpack how OneTaste marketed intimacy as enlightenment and why so many got pulled into its orgasmic orbit. Is this a groundbreaking sexual wellness movement… or a textbook case of culty self help?

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Long before publishing executives "discovered" the internet, a very dedicated group of fans had already built their own literary universe complete with sacred terminology, power hierarchies, and enough drama to make the actual source material blush. This week, Reese and Iman sit down with the iconic Christina Lauren duo, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings (@christinalauren), to dissect fanfiction's glow-up from AO3 comment sections to genuine big business. We're getting into the culty dialect (slash, ship AU, canon, OTP), the plagiarism scandals, the parasocial power trips, and the Fifty Shades pipeline that proved E.L. James wasn't the only one who could monetize her Twilight feelings. Press play, culties, your kudos await.

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Have you been an unlucky ear victim of the phrase, “male loneliness epidemic”? Have you had the misfortune of interacting with a black-pilled, looksmaxxing sigma at the peak grindset mentality? Does all of this sound like terrible, confusing babble, that reels your attention in the way a car crash makes you rubberneck? Put your hazmat suits on, culties. It’s about to get scary. This week, Amanda and Reese are daring to visit one of the slimiest, murkiest, cultiest cults we’ve covered to date. The festering societal wound that is the Manosphere is a cult that has heretofore creeped us out enough to keep us at bay, but where and when cultish duty calls, we simply must answer and get the 411 for ourselves. Luckily, we aren’t alone; joining Amanda and Reese in this treacherous trek are the sensational congressional candidate for IL-9, Kat Abughazaleh (@kabughazaleh), and the effervescent author of “For the Love of Men” and host of Boy Problems, Liz Plank (@feministabulous). Come along as we try to figure out wtf and why tf the manosphere is, who’s at the helm of it, and what we stand to lose by engaging with this rapidly growing force of cultish nature.

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This week, we’re revisiting one of our most illuminating conversations: The Cult of Conservative Youth Activism, featuring journalist and author Tina Nguyen, whose book The MAGA Diaries takes us deep inside the movement that shaped a generation of young conservatives. From TPUSA to Tucker Carlson to the campus outreach, we unpack how MAGA youth culture became more than politics, it became identity, community, and in some cases, full-blown devotion. This is a rerun of that timely conversation and a primer for next week, when we dive into another corner of the internet where masculinity, grievance, and algorithmic influence collide. Buckle up.

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Clear your schedule and roll out your mat… because this week Chelsea & Amanda and special guest Dr. Adam McAtee (@adammcateepilates) are diving into the meticulously controlled universe of Pilates. Originally developed by Joseph Pilates as a method to restore strength and vitality, the practice has since expanded into a worldwide fitness powerhouse known for its unmistakable studio culture. Why does Pilates inspire such fierce loyalty? And at what point does commitment start to resemble belief?

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This week, Amanda, Reese, and Chelsea are joined by writer and comedian Akilah Hughes (@akilahh) to unpack The Cult of Joe Rogan, the podcast empire that’s convinced millions it’s the last bastion of free thought while quietly shaping how they see science, politics, masculinity, and truth itself. From “I’m just asking questions” rhetoric to the anti-establishment cosplay, we dig into how Rogan became less of a host and more of a cult leader. Is this curiosity culture… or a pipeline dressed up as open mindedness? Grab your protein powder and your critical thinking skills. We’re talking about influence, vibes, and why this very chill podcast sounds a lot like a cult.

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Clutch your pearls and cancel your plans, because this week Sounds Like A Cult is getting spicy. We’re welcoming our brand new co-host Iman Hariri-Kia (@imanharirikia), romance author, cultural critic, and certified defender of the genre, to break down The Cult of Romance Novels. We're joined by romance author Alexa Martin (@alexambooks) to talk about romance novels as sex education for women, the intense sense of community among readers, and why the genre is so often dismissed despite being wildly popular. Plus, we get into beloved tropes, Heated Rivalry, and how Alexa might have accidentally predicted the Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift era. Is romance harmless hopecore, or a full-blown belief system? Plus, what that snake tongue do?

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Come see Sounds Like A Cult LIVE at The Bell House in New York on April 21st! Tickets at amandamontell.com/events

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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. 

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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.

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