The Cult of Hallmark Christmas Movies

Get in losers, we’re going…who knows where?! If you’re anything like us, dear cultie, then the current state of the world might have you feeling a wee bit…lost? Well, this week's cult will have you “finding yourself” and dangling the /real/ ticket to true freedom and oneness with the earth. That's right, the cult of #VanLife promises salvation can be yours at the low low price of a down payment on a Sprinter — so long as you can hang when your pee bucket overfloweth. The Pandemic:tm: instilled an unshakeable sense of wanderlust and affinity for faux-sipping-coffee-in-nature-candids in both the social media feeds and hearts of THOUSANDS, but as the #VanLife trendscape begins to skew towards de-influence (and even sometimes *warnings*), we can’t help but wonder if life on the wide open road is as freeing as it looks, or if culty secrets lie in wait just beyond the interstate… Amanda and Reese enlisted IRL Van Lifer Bella Janssen (@thelonesol) to hop in the driver’s seat and reveal the reality of living on the road. 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. 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 ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. The Big Magical Cult Show is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto on September 27th. Get your tickets before they sell out!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They've got devotion in their eyes, American flag throw pillows on their couches, and a framed photo of Donald Trump in their prayer corner. This week, Amanda and Chelsea are joined by iconic advice columnist, author, and certified legend E. Jean Carroll (@ejeancarroll1), to unpack the wildly culty world of MAGA Wives: the loyal ladies of the far-right who will defend their orange king until the bitter, gold-plated end. From standing by their man (even when he’s been indicted four times) to reposting QAnon memes between Bible verses, MAGA wives operate like a sisterhood of true believers. Why do so many of them double down on submission and conspiracy as lifestyle brands? What do they get out of aligning themselves with an ideology that, let’s be real, doesn’t seem to like women very much? Grab your pearls and your Mar-a-Lago merch...we’re diving into the red-lipped, red-pilled cult of conservative wifedom. 💋🇺🇸🍊 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood, wherever you call home, by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT Get 50% + FREE SHIP ONLY at ⁠https://Adamandeve.com⁠ and select any one item. Just enter offer code SLAC at checkout. Please consider donating to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. The Big Magical Cult Show is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto on September 27th. Get your tickets before they sell out!  Visit E. Jean's substack for more delicious calls to action and check out her new book Not My Type: One Woman vs. A President.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bless up, culties. We descend from the heavens in tandem with the reign of Backflippin’ Benson Boone and Ordinary Alex Warren to share with you an episode to lift your spirit and put music in your soul! But not just any music, these tunes must be self deprecating, they’ve gotta be anthemic, they need building major chords and choral vocal FX like you’ve never seen before. Get stomping and clapping, it’s time to discuss Christian Pop Music. Whether you were a Point of Grace stan since before that was even a thing, jammed to Flyleaf during carpool growing up, or have cried melodramatically to a Switchfoot at some point in your life, there’s no denying Christian music’s massive reach has undoubtedly changed the landscape of pop music and influenced countless lives. This week, Amanda and Reese are breaking down the worship-to-radio pipeline, the blurred lines between faith and fame, and why so many of these bops SLAP (even if you’re not saved). Helping them navigate the not so pure world behind the pearly gates of the christian music industry is former Christian pop DIVA, current philanthropist and founder of the organization This Is What Happens When Women Read, Julianna Glasse (@juliannaglasse), ANDDDD author of the fresh-off-the-gutenberg ’90s/’00s Christian cultural autopsy Jesusland, Joelle Kidd. 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. Please consider donating to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. The Big Magical Cult Show is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto on September 27th. Get your tickets before they sell out!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Is it a free language learning app... or a feathered dictator in your pocket? In this episode, Amanda and Chelsea are joined by Zaria Parvez (@zariaparvez), the social media mastermind behind that chaotic green owl, to unpack the potentially culty world of Duolingo. We’re talking guilt-trippy push notifications, leaderboard anxiety, and the question on everyone’s mind: why does Duo feel more like a clingy ex than a study buddy? Whether you're on a 1-day streak or a 1,000-day emotional journey, this one’s for you. UPDATE: So, our Duolingo episode was recorded before the company’s AI controversy made major headlines but wow, I guess we found the scandal that could kneecap duo 👀🦉Not to mention our angelic guest quit the company just before this was released!!! WILD TIMES. Do you think Duo is a Live Your Life, Watch Your Back, or a GTFO? Comment below! Quartz: Duolingo CEO still battling backlash over ‘AI-first’ plans Adweek: Duolingo Social Media Guru Zaria Parvez Exits 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 Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at https://MINTMOBILE.com/cult Right now save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy at https://PrettyLitter.com/CULT Please consider donating to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. The Big Magical Cult Show is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto on September 27th. Get your tickets before they sell out!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of ‘side hustles’ being advertised to you on social media? Feel undue pressure to ‘build passive income,’ even if you aren’t entirely sure what that means, or how to do so? Maybe the siren song of ‘digital assets’ and ‘financial freedom’ gives you déjà vu—  haven’t we heard these buzzwords before? But maybe you’re just getting your first taste of the #GirlBoss side of the internet, which is so very wide and full of opportunity, after all. And justttttt maybe, this digital marketing course is the key to your transcendent financial future!…..Yeah, no. This week on Sounds Like a Cult, Reese and Amanda take a scroll through the beige world of the cult of Digital Marketing and all of its malicious tactics, from emojis to emotional manipulation. Follow us as we ask: do these courses actually teach anything useful? WTF even is a digital asset? Are these just MLMs in trendy Gen-Z clothing? If you couldn’t tell, we aren’t exactly ~math experts~ over here, so joining us to help debunk some of the hashtaggable rhetoric of digital marketing are Maggie Patterson (@bsfreebusiness) and Michelle Mazur (@drmichellemazur), cohosts of Duped: The Dark Side of Online Business. Log into your Canva account and get ready to (L)earn!  Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles.  Thank you to our sponsors! Earn points on rent and around your neighborhood, wherever you call home, by going to https://joinbilt.com/CULT   Go to https://ThriveMarket.com/SLAC to start saving. The sale ends 8/31—don’t miss it   Go to https://Quince.com/slac for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.    Please consider donating to those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Team SLAC are donating to the PCRF, a nonprofit organization providing vital medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices