{"podcast":{"title":"Sounds Like A Cult","slug":"sounds-like-a-cult-3798336","podcast_index_feed_id":3798336,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soundslikeacult","website_url":"https://www.soundslikeacult.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/03799cba-bf30-11ef-bf8e-e3714d41411a/image/baca8fec6e9ed51eda6138497bbffee0.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Studio71","episode_count":227,"summary":"Putting the “cult” in culture… Do you think SoulCycle is a cult? What about the Royal Family? What about Disney Adults? Or spiritual influencers? Is Instagram itself a cult? We’re Sounds Like A Cult, an iHeart Radio Award-winning podcast that analyzes a different fanatical group every week to try and answer the big question: This ~sounds~ like a cult, but is it really? Created and hosted by New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Montell, co-hosted and produced by Chelsea Charles, Reese Oliver, and Iman Hariri Kia. For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We want to make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy ","last_synced_at":"2026-07-21T16:17:22.805307+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-like-a-cult-3798336"},"episode":{"title":"The Cult of The Amish","slug":"the-cult-of-the-amish","published_at":"2026-01-27T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-like-a-cult-3798336/the-cult-of-the-amish","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-like-a-cult-3798336","url":"https://pdst.fm/e/mgln.ai/e/135/verifi.podscribe.com/rss/p/tracking.swap.fm/track/i7NUCPwi3tJP053nG6mP/traffic.megaphone.fm/STU1226857646.mp3?updated=1769467380","audio_url":"https://pdst.fm/e/mgln.ai/e/135/verifi.podscribe.com/rss/p/tracking.swap.fm/track/i7NUCPwi3tJP053nG6mP/traffic.megaphone.fm/STU1226857646.mp3?updated=1769467380","summary":"We know them. We giggle at them, occasionally. These days, more and more of us admire their simple, tech-free lives. The Amish are often held up as the ultimate model of intentional community, living by principles that seem radically disconnected from our chaotic modern world. But behind the horse-drawn buggies and picturesque farmlands lies a tightly controlled society with its own strict bishops, its own rules for shunning, and its own definition of what it means to be “in the world, but not of it.” This week, Amanda and Reese are joined by Amish-turned-stripper Naomi Swartzentruber (@amishinspiration) to ask the uncomfortable question: when does a religious community become a cultural fortress? Get your butter churners prepped, we’re breaking down the barn doors to ask: is the cult of the Amish a faith, a lifestyle, or a cult? 🧈 Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles, @imanharirikia. Thank you to our sponsors! To save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/slac Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices","meta_description":"We know them. We giggle at them, occasionally. These days, more and more of us admire their simple, tech-free lives. The Amish are often held up as the ul…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4053,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sounds-like-a-cult-3798336/episodes/the-cult-of-the-amish/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-like-a-cult-3798336/the-cult-of-the-amish.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}