The views expressed on this episode, as with all episodes of Sounds Like a Cult, are solely host opinions and quoted allegations.

The content here should not be taken as indisputable fact. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only.

Hi, Sounds Like a Cult. My name is Bella. I'm calling from Cincinnati, Ohio. I think what makes Labubu's so culty is that,

first of all, they popped up out of nowhere and then seemingly took off in the same way that

like Beanie babies, Furbies, Boo-Baws, if you remember those, like all of those things are basically

the same thing as a Labibu.

And for me, it definitely started off as like, what is going on?

This is an ugly, weird thing to be spending money on.

And it is so ugly that it has now become cute again.

And I think that is what makes it incredibly culty.

Hi, sounds like a cult.

My name's Robin. I'm calling from

Glasgow, Scotland. I think Labibu dolls, bears, I don't even know what to call them. I think

they're quite culty because first of all, why on earth are we carrying these haunted little bears

around on our backs? Like back charms have been on the rise for a wee bit, but it's the fact that

everyone has to have this specific brand

of charm. They are so scary. They look haunted. I hate them. They need an exorcism. People who have never

worn back charms need them suddenly because they're like a status symbol thing. And I think the fact

that they're now selling fake laboos, like I went into a corner shop the other day and they had like

fake laboos. I don't know what they corner shop the other day, and they had, like, fake labubos.

I don't know what they are.

And it's just like this cult status thing. Why? This is Sounds Like a Cult, a show about the modern day cults we all follow. I'm your host Amanda Montel, author of the book Cultish, out now in paperback. And I'm your co-host, Chelsea Charles, an unscripted TV producer and lifelong student

...