American Hysteria explores how fantastical thinking has shaped our culture – moral panics, urban legends, hoaxes, crazes, fringe beliefs, and national misunderstandings.... more
For the 100th anniversary of the Macy's Parade, we are looking at the chaos energy that has always animated this... more
This episode will give some context for our upcoming episode about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, its unbelievable chaotic origins... more
Perry Carpenter is the author of the new book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes,... more
This episode was originally released right before the 2020 presidential election and is even more relevant as we face the... more
In the 19th century, America and Europe experienced a panic over premature burial, believing that anyone could be accidentally declared... more
This is a preview for "Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder." On April 22, 1987, 52-year-old Ruthie... more
'Buried Alive,' our upcoming Halloween special, looks at the American fear and fascination with premature burial. We'll explore the panic... more
What could possibly go wrong when two skeptical podcasters try to summon a ghost? Join Sarah Marshall of You're Wrong... more
Today Sarah Marshall transports us to the old world of British Hysteria to reveal the mysterious story of the Enfield... more
Generation Alpha has made the uncanny, creepy, and chaotic YouTube series 'Skibidi Toilet' into a viral YouTube sensation, so much... more
The human body is a miracle. But when it’s not working, it can be the stuff of nightmares. On this new... more
Our upcoming episode is about the massively successful and deeply uncanny YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, the first content that Generation... more
Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika is a Peabody Award-winning audio journalist and an assistant professor of journalism at New York University. His... more
Brittany Spanos is a senior writer for Rolling Stone Magazine who has taught a course at NYU called Topics in... more
The life of the conspiracy theory that claims Elvis Presley faked his death is an almost unbelievable journey through gimmick-crazy... more
The idea that Elvis Presley did not die in August of 1977, that he instead faked his death, has become... more
Our paranormal correspondent Jim Perry is back to tell us about his recent ghost hunt inside the Queen Mary ship,... more
For part two of our series, we are returning to the phenomenon called 'Tarantism' that began in the Middle Ages... more
The phenomenon called 'Tarantism' began in the Middle Ages in southern Italy where the bite of a local spider caused... more
Rod Crawford is the curator of the arachnids and related research collections at Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.... more
For this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are dissecting the myth that the average person swallows a certain number of... more
This is an update on the new developments surrounding one of my favorite movies of all time, The Blair Witch... more
For this episode, the hosts of the new podcast Pretendians, Robert Jago and Angel Ellis, explain Indigenous Identity Fraud, the... more
Fur and Loathing is a new investigative podcast from Nicky Woolf about an unsolved 2014 chlorine gas attack on the... more
Reporter and Radiolab producer Matthew Kielty and musician Chad Matheny (AKA Emperor X) were both part of a 2014 episode... more
How do we warn people 10,000 years in the future about nuclear waste sites that will remain extremely dangerous for... more
For some context for our upcoming series that we have not yet revealed, we will revisit excerpts from our past... more
Amanda Montell is the host of the podcast Sounds Like A Cult as well as the author of the new... more
Sarah Marshall joins me to chat about how, in 1968, one unsuspecting young woman’s bustline almost caused a stock market... more
In the late 1950s, an organization known as SINA started a campaign with the mission of clothing naked animals for... more
Journalist and author Tom Risen is here to tell me about some of the real conspiracies that the CIA and... more
John O'Connor is the author of The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, a cross-country... more
For the second part of this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are continuing to explore various tall tales of ruthless... more
For this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are answering a listener message about a story of street gangs initiating wannabes... more
'Gang Initiations' is the topic of our upcoming series, and this episode will provide extra context using excerpts from three... more
Live at SF Sketchfest, Sarah Marshall tells me about the urban-legendary alligators in the sewers of New York City. But... more
Today I'm joined by paranormal corespondent Jim Perry of the podcast Euphomet and Sapphire Sandalo of the podcast Stories With... more
In this episode I tell podcaster Sarah Marshall a truly wild story I uncovered about the first recognized case of... more
Pop culture correspondent and major Pro Wrestling fan BJ Colangelo and I discuss the quirky history of this manly soap... more
Author of the book Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America, historian Wendy Woloson joins me to discuss the... more
The novelty pets known as Sea Monkeys have delighted and disappointed millions of American children since they were first marketed... more
This is a rerelease of last year's holiday special! Find our new merch at americanhysteria.com/merch They usually go something like this:... more
This is a story from a recent episode of our exclusive Patreon/Apple + talk show Hysteria Home Companion, where producer... more
(explicit content warning) This *Urban Legends Hotline* episode dives deep into the viral myth that 90s shock rocker Marilyn Manson... more
To celebrate five long years of American Hysteria, our producer Miranda Zickler interviews Chelsey about the origins of the podcast... more
For our very special two-part Halloween conversation, Sarah Marshall and I are going to be sharing the less serious things... more
Home Depot's 12 ft. Skeleton decoration first premiered in the fall of 2020 and sold out immediately, the nationwide obsession... more
Our Halloween special will cover the 12 ft. Skeleton craze and the history of skeleton decorations in America. This episode... more
Please enjoy this rewind of last year's Halloween special called Haunted Dolls. Coming up next week we'll start our Halloween... more
Justin McHenry, author of the forthcoming book Lemuria: A True Story of a Fake Place, tells me an expansive tale... more
To unpack the movie trope of the Murderous Man in a Dress, prolific horror film analysts and writers BJ and... more
For part two of our series, we are starting in the anti-gay moral panic of the 50s and 60s to... more
This series will cover the moral panics and cultural crazes that have long followed the controversial art form once called... more
Our upcoming series, Early Drag Queens, will cover the surprising relationship between "female impersonation" and American masculinity in the time... more
As the social media and the news got word of the new cases of leprosy found in Florida, a slew... more
BJ Colangelo is an editor at Slash Film and the writer of “The Only Guide To Barbie Lore You Will... more
This is a collaborative look at the panics around Furby with the podcast Unspookable, a show much like ours that... more
Jamie Loftus is the author of the recent New York Times bestselling book 'Raw Dog: The Naked Truth about Hot... more
*Urban Legends Hotline* The inbred cannibal pig people who are said to inhabit Pig Hill in Meadville, PA attack teenagers... more
Harmony Colangelo is one of the hosts of This Ends at Prom, a podcast that analyzes coming of age teen... more
In the year 2000, a group of rowdy skateboarders and loosely defined "performers" came to MTV with a pitch that... more
This episode will give context for our upcoming series on Jackass, an early reality show starring a group of skateboarders... more
Blake Pfeil is the host of 'abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast,' a multimedia travelogue exploring abandoned spaces across the United... more
*Urban Legends Hotline* Lauren's story: On a rural road outside Chicago, the ghosts of children killed in a school bus-train... more
For part two of my conversation with Sarah, I finish telling her about a satanic panic era "memoir" published by... more
Over the next two episodes, I tell Sarah the story of another one of Jack Chick's occult experts using his... more
Who was Jack Chick, really? For the final episode in our series we will explore his childhood, his time in... more
An ex-druid grand priest for the illuminati, an undercover Jesuit agent of destruction, a woman married to the devil, and... more
Cartoons of satanic witch cults, Illuminati world domination, demonic homosexuals, and the pressing choice of hell or salvation were the... more
Chick Tracts, what are they? You'll find out in our upcoming three-part series that covers a fundamentalist comic artist who... more
Are we being invaded?? I sure thought so. Today we are talking quite animatedly to our official paranormal correspondent Jim... more
In 2014, an urban legend formed around a cartoon cat chatbot when rumors spread across social media that a child... more
For this episode we chat about the sensational tales of cyberspace, from Slenderman to the Momo suicide game, with the... more
Nope, it's not an urban legend! Today we are talking to journalist and filmmaker Robin Washington who, like a huge... more
In 1974, running naked in public became a major fad led by students on college campuses across the nation. This... more
This episode will give context for our upcoming topic called The Streaking Craze using excerpts from previous shows including: Terrorism Pt.... more
Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Pokemon cards. These trendy toys all inspired parental parking lot brawls and... more
Because so many Hallmark writers and directors also make horror movies, I called in podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed... more
They usually go something like this: A cranky career woman from the big city who has lost the true meaning... more
This episode gives context to our upcoming series on Hallmark Christmas Movies using excerpts from previous topics including The War... more
Colin Dickey is one of American Hysteria's biggest influences—our episodes called Talking to the Dead and Alien Abductions relied on... more
Paranormal podcast host (and major buddy) Jim Perry of Euphomet returns to discuss a couple of the many experiences that... more
Featuring poems, fiction, nonfiction, AND A GROUP SONG with work by Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About, You Are Good), Alex... more
Here’s a preview from a podcast that's right up your dark alley! On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford finds... more
We'll see how possessed playthings have crept their way into the dark attic of America: Thomas Edison's little monsters, a... more
To get you ready for our upcoming episode called Haunted Dolls, we have selected some excerpts on Furby urban legends,... more
Our most classic American urban legend is back with a vengeance, promising to ruin Halloween yet again. With an updated... more
To get an extended director's cut of this episode, become a patron: patreon.com/americanhysteria For this Halloween Party, we are joined by... more
Not unlike the bubble markets of Beanie Babies and Cryptocurrency, the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s was a chaotic... more
The Florida Man meme, with its bizarre crime headlines and mugshots, has become one of our most popular and long-lasting... more
This episode will provide some context for our upcoming series on Florida Man. The excerpts are from Trash Talk Shows,... more
CW: Sexual violence. Since the 1970s, Loretta J. Ross has been an instrumental activist in the fight for 'Reproductive Justice',... more
Featuring yet another flamboyant abortionist, sideshow fetuses, Mother with a capital M, eugenic suspicions, and plenty more population panics. We'll... more
Featuring flamboyant abortionists, dangerously determined doctors, problematic feminists, opportunist politicians, and one sneaky pope, this two-part series will explore the... more
Our upcoming series is about the origins of the anti-abortion movement in the time before Roe vs Wade. This Context... more
Alice Sparkly Kat (who goes by Ace) is an astrologer and the author of the book ‘Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the... more
In 1941, hundreds of British secret agents were sent to the United States to spread creative anti-Nazi propaganda with the... more
Dr. Eric Kurlander is the author of Hitler’s Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich which details the occult... more
This episode is not about debunking astrology, it’s about something far more interesting: the role that star-gazing soothsaying advisors have... more
In honor of Pride month, here is a little rerelease of last year's special episode! Over the last ten years,... more
*CW: Brief description of animal abuse, some brief descriptions of death* Sarah Marshall is the host of our sibling podcasts You’re... more
Rotten.com was a shock website from the late 90s and early 2000s that collected the most gruesome and explicit photos... more
Snuff films are alleged murders filmed for the purpose of distribution, an urban legend that has been circulating since the... more
This rerelease will give some context for next week's new episode called Snuff Films. Become a Patron and support our show! Follow... more
Just a handful of little announcements as we take a few weeks off (back in late April). Learn more about your... more
Melissa Lozada-Oliva is a Guatemalan-Colombian-American poet, screenwriter, and educator, and co-host of the podcast Say More. She is the author... more
'This Ends at Prom' is a podcast that dives deep into coming-of-age and teen girl movies from the queer, feminist... more
Behind every manufactured boy band there is what the press calls a Svengali, a puppet master who assembles the group... more
Hysterical fangirls have become so commonplace in popular music that we hardly pay attention to them anymore, no matter how... more
To prepare for our series called Fangirls and Boy Bands, we are heading back to the fantastical realm of the... more
*Please listen to our Westboro Baptist Church episode first!!* Megan Phelps-Roper was born and raised in the WBC, a fervent... more
The Westboro Baptist Church outraged both sides of the political spectrum throughout the 90s, 2000s and 2010s, picketing the funerals... more
Next week we will be covering the Westboro Baptist Church, the small family clan and hyper-Calvinist group who have long... more
This is a sneak peek of our new Patrons-only podcast Hysteria Home Companion, where we share with you all the... more
Today we're talking to podcaster Jim Perry, the host of Euphomet, a paranormal documentary series that explores the unknown and... more
In this classic episode, learn about the battles fought for and against this controversial American holiday from the Puritans to... more
For part two of our series, we will look at skeptics' explanations for the alien abduction phenomenon to see what... more
For part one of our two-part series, we will learn about the lives of some of the most influential abductees... more
Satanic Ritual Abuse in Space? To get us ready for our two-part series on Alien Abductions, we are talking about... more
Here's a little more information about our new Patron's-only talk show Hysteria Home Companion, in which producer Miranda Zickler and... more
Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed host the feelings/movie podcast 'You Are Good'. On this episode, we talk about our own... more
In the late 1980s, a New Age America began telling children that they were special, that if they just believed... more
This rerelease episode is about America's lifelong obsession with Get Rich Quick magical thinking. It will help us put into... more
If you want to learn more about the topics covered on American Hysteria, subscribe to our Patreon talk show with... more
Today we talk to the wonderful Shar Mayer, a 45-year veteran of Scare Acting known in the haunt community as... more
Today we'll be talking about the fake-blood-covered history of Haunted Attractions, their raucous origins wrangling violent pranksters, the gory charity... more
This ghostly re-release (with a new introduction) is here to help us fit next week's brand-new episode 'Haunted House Attractions'... more
Join us October 18th for our spooky season premiere on Haunted House Attractions and learn a little more our show's... more
In 2017, YouTube Kids was embroiled in a major scandal when it was discovered that a dark underbelly of inappropriate... more
In preparation for our upcoming *Weirdest Episode of All Time*, we are rereleasing this minisode on a mysterious phenomenon where... more
(Make sure you listen to part one first!) Today, Chris shares his experience becoming a sudden villain in the fringe... more
Chris Gethard is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor, filmmaker and author of Weird New York as well as an editor... more
Susan Styker is the author of Transgender History: The Roots of Today’s Revolution as well as a filmmaker, distinguished professor,... more
Over the last ten years, Gender Reveal Parties have exploded, figuratively and literally. Parents, communities, and social media followers alike... more
Pride Rerelease! This is a listener favorite. Back in 2018, I had my two Christian friends on the show, who... more
Listen or re-listen to learn all about our panics surrounding what amounts to the queer illuminati and their evil plans... more
Finally, it is ME CHELSEY WEBER-SMITH as our interview guest, questioned lovingly by our producer Miranda Zickler. We will discuss... more
The kids' book series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was based largely on urban legends, and when I... more
In preparation for our season finale next week on Urban Legends, we wanted to replay our deep dive into the... more
The genres of modern scary movies known as slashers, meta-horror, torture porn, and social thrillers, each tell us about the... more
We need a little extra time for Horror Movies II, so here is a re-release of a very related and... more
Carmen Maria Machado is the author of three books, the award-winning Her Body and Other Parties, a collection of vibrantly... more
Lil Nas X and the sexy-ass Satanic imagery featured in Call Me By Your Name has sparked a mini Satanic... more
Horror movies, consistently written-off by critics, exist unbound from mainstream respectability and because of this, they can often tell us... more
Mara Wilson is a writer, actor, and the former star of the 1996 classic movie Matilda as well as the... more
The new American archetype known as the “Influencer” has existed in various forms long before the advent of social media,... more
Gael Aitor is a senior in high school and the host of the podcast Teenager Therapy, a show where he... more
Our Live Variety Hour is not your run-of-the-mill podcast live show, but an actual two-hour theatrical production performed in 2019.... more
As the nation grapples with a volatile culture war over just what version of American history our children will grow... more
Ellen Cushing's recent piece in The Atlantic called “I was a teenage conspiracy theorist” tells her story as a young... more
Lil Nas X and the sexy-ass Satanic imagery featured in Call Me By Your Name has sparked a mini Satanic panic, especially... more