Terrible, Thanks For Asking

As we prepare for our indefinite hiatus, we wanted to remind you that we will still be making TTFA episodes on our Patreon and Apple Premium feeds. If you aren't a premium member, we wanted to show you what kind of episodes we make over there by bringing one of our bonus episodes to the main feed.

Recently, we asked listeners to send in obituaries about your dead people, and boy oh boy did you all deliver some gems that made us la...

In 2015, Sarah Super was raped by her ex-boyfriend Alex Neal. And she channeled that act of violence into a mission-driven organization that helped survivors of sexual violence feel seen and heard. 9 years after the night that changed her life, Sarah reflects on what it means to move forward with her life and to reclaim her identity as more than a survivor. Sarah was a guest on the first season of our podcast.

To hear Sarah'...

We have a big update about the future of TTFA, and something a lot of you have been asking about since the last episode, where I mentioned *casually* in the credits that we were going to be taking an indefinite hiatus. I wanted to talk more about what that means going forward, and thank all of you for listening and supporting our show. 

xo,
Nora

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You can read the transcript of this update here.

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We’ll be creating *NEW* ep...

Newsletters from an abandoned safe deposit box set host Paul Ditty on an investigation to learn all he can about The Silver Chain – a suburban Minnesota swing club from the 1970s –  and its members. 

Minnesota journalist Jack El-Hai paints a picture of what suburban life was like in the 1970s and how this sparked a delayed and secret sexual revolution among middle-aged couples. 

Paul attempts to reach several of the club's member...

For years, Nancy could picture her ideal partner. She wanted someone who would make her laugh, who would love her son, and who would make her feel confident and empowered. When she met Noa, he checked all the boxes. Everything she thought other people made up about love suddenly came true. But…this perfect love didn’t last forever. 

Today we hear from both Nancy and Noa as they perform an autopsy of sorts on their relationship and...

In the early 1990s, a cache of abandoned newsletters found its way from a safety deposit box in Minneapolis, Minnesota to the state’s historical society, where they were left to gather dust. The newsletters detailed the inner workings of a secret 1970s swingers society: The Silver Chain Social Club.

Fifty years later, TV writer and host Paul Ditty tracks down the club’s surviving members to uncover the group’s mysterious hi...

Greetings, loved ones. We’re back with one of our time honored Terrible traditions: The Grudge Book. Sit back, get cozy, bring your petties, and enjoy this selection of listener grudges featuring the wisdom of Nora and Marcel. 

THEE Bath and Body Works Peach Bellini Rant Video

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Listener support makes our independent podcast possible. Consider joining our Patreon to get bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, and join a community of T...

Jenni was raised Mormon, and for the first part of her life, was a dutiful follower. She got married young, attended church, and was a loyal wife. But life got messy and complicated for Jenni, and she eventually made a choice that surprised her. A choice considered a sin in her culture, and a pretty hurtful thing to do by the rest of society: she cheated. For the last year, Jenni’s been grappling with the ...

Nora sits down with her friend and fellow podcaster PJ Vogt of Search Engine. They discuss what he found in his own interviews with a drug dealer who used fentanyl in his drug supply. That, plus the original Search Engine episode are included here.

If you have not yet listened to this week’s TTFA episode, “86 Sundays,” we suggest you go back and listen so you can see why we were inspired to share this Search Engine episode with...

Feliz lost her sister, Karina, in a horrifying way — in a way that’s quick to draw judgment and condemnation. Feliz has seen the worst of it all, but Karina deserves to be defined by her life, not her death.

A warning that this episode includes discussions of drug use and poisoning.

Resources:

CDC guidelines on how to test drugs for fentanyl 

Find fentanyl test strips here

DrugsData.org provides a rolling update of what's in i...

If your holiday season is feeling less sparkly, less warm, less…happy, you’ve come to the right place! Every year we make an episode about the bad, terrible and subpar side of the holidays and this year’s Happyish Holidays episode is a real doozy. Brianna Liestman shares how every Christmas from 2007-2010, a different member of her family ruined Christmas. There are fires, hospital visits, crying at Kay Jewelers and a shopping spre...

Kelly loved her dad, then she lost her dad. Kelly loved her grandpa, then she lost her grandpa. Now that Kelly’s a mom herself, she wants to ensure that her son knows he’s loved, no matter what comes.

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We still have a few tickets left for our Happyish Holidays live show in Minneapolis Dec 7.

Can't make it to Minneapolis? Buy a ticket to get access to the show's livestream! Tickets are $13 apiece, and FREE for our Patrons! (check your...

There are some stories so plainly horrifying, some crimes so gut wrenching, that it can be hard to imagine the perpetrator as anything other than a villain. A drunk driving accident that killed 6 people does not sound like the beginning of a redemption story. But this episode isn’t about redemption — it’s about learning to live alongside an unthinkable mistake.

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Listener support makes our independent podcast possible.

Consider ...

When Christina met Thomas as a young adult, their relationship felt different, and right. As time goes on, cracks start to appear in their dynamic, but Christina doesn’t give up on the people she loves. But how many cracks does it take before a dam breaks? 

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Listener support makes our independent podcast possible.

Consider joining our Patreon to get bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, and join a community of Terribles.

Our Subst...

Greg was married to his best friend, Anna, for 6 years. He loved and respected her. So the night he told her he was gay was painful because he knew how much he was hurting her. In the ten months since then, Greg has looked hard at his depression and addiction, two things that held him back from admitting his sexuality. This is part 2 of a story about one couple’s divorce. Listen to part 1 of this episode, “Everything, All Of You…”

When Anna was a 24 year-old hostess at a restaurant, she fell in love with the chef in the kitchen. Their relationship, and later marriage was filled with love. But Anna could always feel something was off between her and her husband. One night last December, she found out she was right. 

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Nora’s new Happyish journal and affirmation deck based on her own journaling practices launches today! We have a special deal for you on thes...

Jeremy Norton has been a firefighter for over 20 years, a job that’s considered heroic and honorable…a job that sometimes means showing up to a false alarm…and sometimes means soaking up the trauma of the city around you. 

Jeremy has been a TTFA listener since day one. His first book — The Trauma Sponges: Dispatches From The Scarred Heart of Emergency Response — is out October 10, 2023. 

Link: https://bookshop.org/a/12538/9781517...

When Claire was a teenager, she held a lot of big, difficult feelings, and for a while, she saw only one solution for them. Though Claire decides to not act on those feelings, her story gets shared anonymously online — and continues to appear when she needs it most.

Note: This episode is about suicide. If you are or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, there are free resources available to you: 

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Like many teachers, when Kristen started her career at 22, she was hopeful and excited. She loved working with students with special needs, and loved learning how their brains worked. But over the years, the job became harder and harder because of the lack of support she received. Eventually, all of the small moments of feeling left out to dry led to a falling out with the career she loved. 

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Listener support makes our independ...