Amanda Montell
@AmandaMontellPodcasts·19.4K subscribers·276 videos
The Cult of WWE (feat. James Bryant of Fundie Fridays)
Posted
June 24, 2025
Views
1,506
Likes
66
Comments
8
Engagement
4.91%
June 24, 2025
1,506
66
8
4.91%
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2:23:10Now PlayingThe lights dim. The murmuring crowd nibbles subpar soft pretzels anxiously. The Sounds Like a Cult theme music begins to blare at ear-splitting volumes, pyrotechnics nearly blinding an old lady caught in the front of the mob as a spandex-clad (think Barbie meets Barbarella) Reese Oliver steps into the ring to tackle her biggest opponent yet: The Cult of the WWE. *DINGDINGDING* This time, Reese is flying solo— no tag team parter— but the glitzy world of WWE is too flashy, mythical, and impressively immersive to knock out alone. Joining her is James Bryant (of the YouTube investigative commentary duo Fundie Fridays) to help demystify: the sacred chants, fak- *ahem* scripted storylines, and secret right wing ties lying beneath the sequins that characterize this cult. If you’ve never watched wrestling, the inherent culty nature of WWE might not occur to you at first glance, but we invite you to ponder…Why are toddlers and senior citizens alike crying about John Cena in 2025? Is wrestling fandom culture ripe with toxic masculinity, or a healthy expressive outlet for unironic passion? Why does WWE’s storytelling feel less like sports *yawn* and more like a shared religious experience? Is Vince McMahon’s empire the ultimate cult of spectacle, or just capitalism in a sparkly Lucha mask? And wtf is his wife doing in the white house? Tag someone who smells what The Rock is cooking—this one’s a steel chair straight to the dome. 🏆🤼📣🥨
👽 About Sounds Like A Cult Podcast 👽
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, a 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?
Sounds Like A Cult premiered in June of 2021 and has since been downloaded over 30 million times. It was named a best podcast of 2022 by Vulture, Esquire, Wired, Marie Claire, and others. The pod won the 2023 iHeart Radio “Best Emerging Podcast” Award and has been praised by The New York Times and other publications.
New episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
✨Your Co-Hosts ✨
Amanda Montell
Chelsea CharlesMcClure
Reese Oliver
Stay connected with us! ⬇️
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#soundslikeacultpodcast #cult #wwe #wrestling #wrestlemania #fundiefridays #jamesbryant #podcast
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