Press
Select media appearances and press coverage:
TV & RADIO
Pix11 News — Origins of Sexist Language
KUOW — How to Rethink Gendered Insults
KPCC AirTalk — ‘Ok Boomer:’ Intergenerational Shots Fired by Gen Z
Sex With Emily on SiriusXM — Amanda Montell Is a Wordslut
CULTISH REVIEWS
The Washington Post — 6/12/21
"Engaging and fun to read, 'Cultish' offers plenty of jaw-dropping details about life inside cults. But the book isn’t all voyeuristic pleasure. As Montell teases out the universality of cultish influence, she upholds the humanity of the people who do get swayed."
Booklist — 5/15/21 *starred review
"Montell’s masterful translation of our need to belong will mesmerize."
Kirkus Reviews — 4/18/21
"Engaging... provocative... A fascinating, enthusiastic narrative on the loaded language of cults."
The Atlantic — 6/10/21
"Savvy, enlightening... Montell... is a breezy writer and an empathetic guide to the various corners of American subcultures."
Buzzfeed Books — 6/15/21
"Phenomenal... Montell balances thorough anthropological analysis with personal anecdotes and interviews to create an illuminating read that will leave you wiser."
Refinery29 — 6/1/21
"At times chilling, often funny, and always perceptive and cogent, Cultish is a bracing reminder that the scariest thing about cults is that you don't realize you're in one till it's too late."
BookPage — 6/8/21 *starred review
"Cultish demonstrates that we are all more susceptible to joining the in-group than we may realize."
Harper's Bazaar — 1/7/21
"In this juicy read, Montell breaks down linguistic and verbal techniques used by the cultish communities that influence our behaviors every day."
Bitch Media — 6/1/21
"Language scholar Amanda Montell has a treat for readers, myself included, who are obsessed with learning as much as possible about cults."
The Believer — 6/15/21
"I credit Cultish with ... connecting my cult membership with my love of language. Words traumatized me, but now they can heal me, too."
Popsugar — 6/2/21
"Through careful research and compelling writing, Montell breaks down how the right words can draw people into cults, as well as how none of us are as immune to cult-like thinking as we'd like to believe."
PureWow — 5/25/21
"Why do we fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon? Montell maintains that it’s not only because we're looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and stay in—extreme groups, but because we secretly want to know if it could happen to us..."
Publisher's Weekly — 4/12/21
"Montell is an engaging and well-informed tour guide through the world of 'cultish scenarios.'"
WORDSLUT REVIEWS
Kirkus Reviews — 6/4/19
“Just the kind of sharp, relevant scholarship needed to continue to inspire the next generation of feminist thought.”
Publisher’s Weekly — 5/22/19
“Montell projects an infectious glee about linguistics and feminism, foregrounding both their fun and their cultural relevance. Readers seeking a fresh, intellectually stimulating take on feminism will enjoy this one.”
Library Journal— 4/1/2019
"At its heart, this work reflects a tenet of sociolinguistic study: language is not divorced from culture; it both reflects and creates beliefs about identity and power."
The New York Times — July 30, 2019
“Her delivery is light and humorous … but the lesson is serious and cannot be overstated: In countless ways, gender affects how we talk and how others hear us.”
“Montell is entertaining, passionate, and widely read.”
Manhattan Book Review — 10/2019
“Wordslut is smart, evocative, and intelligently written, not to mention scathingly funny.”
Time Magazine (print) — 6/3/2019
"In sharp and energetic prose, Montell makes readable deep dives into vocabulary."
Bust — July/August 2019
“With humor and passion for the subject, and supplemented by fascinating asides, Montell illuminates the significance of dozens of words and linguistic habits.”
Cosmopolitan — 5/2/19
“After you devour it in one sitting, you can whip out facts from its fascinating pages to shut down mansplainers at parties.”
Marie Claire — 7/5/19
“Funny yet informative, Amanda Montell's debut will teach you how to deal with catcallers, the history of curses and every gender biased insult in between.“
Harper’s Bazaar — 4/18/20
“Amanda Montell’s uproarious, whip-smart guide to destigmatizing gendered language ... [is] achingly relevant.”
Popsugar — 5/20/19
“Wordslut is a nonfiction entry that is equal parts brash and highly entertaining, taking a deep look at how gendered language shapes who we are."
CNN— 7/26/19
“You may find yourself rethinking your word choices once you wrap up this nonfiction superstar.”
HypeBae — 5/6/19
"Do yourself a favor and pick through chapters such as 'Women Didn’t Ruin the English Language—They, Like, Invented It' or 'How To Confuse a Catcaller (And Other Ways To Verbally Smash the Patriarchy)' before heading into a meeting, a weird conversation, school, or, you know, general life."
INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Salon — From Workplaces to Politics to Instagram Influencers, "Cultish" Language is Everywhere
BookPage — Amanda Montell — Putting the 'cult' in culture
Literary Hub — Book Describes How Trendy Fitness Studios Use Cult-like Tactics to Attract Followers
New York Post — How—and Why—Americans Become Susceptible to the Toxic Allure of Cults
Paste Magazine — Amanda Montell Talks Wordslut, Her Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language
Hello Giggles — Uptalk, vocal fry, and using the word "like" are signs you're linguistically savvy—this book proves why
HerCampus — How to Work at a Magazine All Day & Write a Book by Night, According to Amanda Montell
Women's Media Center — This Author Explored the Concept of "Cultish"
PODCAST APPEARANCES
Conspirituality Podcast — Learning Cultish with Amanda Montell
Stuff Mom Never Told You — Feminism and The English Language with Wordslut
ScamWOW — Cult Linguistics w/ Amanda Montell
Just Between Us — Linguist Amanda Montell, Keeping the Spark Alive, and Abortion
Gloss Angeles — Amanda Montell Dives Deep Into the Somewhat Problematic Language of the Beauty Industry
Feminist Book Club: The Podcast —— Amanda Montell, author of Wordslut
Vocal Fries — Word Slut
Bad With Money — Being Sold a Better You During COVID-19 with Amanda Montell
Fully Booked — Amanda Montell
Permission to Speak — How to Check Your Bias: Women’s Voices with Amanda Montell
Bossed Up — Why The Term “Girl Boss” Isn’t As Empowering as You Think
WORDSLUT EXCERPTS
Time Magazine — Why Saying ‘Like’ a Lot Is Like, Actually a Good Thing
Medium — A Cultural History of Feminine Nouns Turned Into Insults
