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American Hysteria
American Hysteria
chelsey weber-smith

American Hysteria explores how fantastical thinking has shaped our culture – moral panics, urban legends, hoaxes, crazes, fringe beliefs, and national misunderstandings.... more

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Episodes

When Conspiracies Aren't Just Theories with Journalist Tom Risen

Journalist and author Tom Risen is here to tell me about some of the real conspiracies that the CIA and... more

25 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
Bigfoot's Big Adventure with Author John O'Connor

John O'Connor is the author of The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, a cross-country... more

18 Mar 2024 · 53 minutes
Gang Initiations pt. 2

For the second part of this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are continuing to explore various tall tales of ruthless... more

04 Mar 2024 · 54 minutes
Gang Initiations pt. 1

For this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are answering a listener message about a story of street gangs initiating wannabes... more

26 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Context Clues: Ganging Up

'Gang Initiations' is the topic of our upcoming series, and this episode will provide extra context using excerpts from three... more

19 Feb 2024 · 37 minutes
Alligators in the Sewer with 'You're Wrong About' [Live at SketchFest]

Live at SF Sketchfest, Sarah Marshall tells me about the urban-legendary alligators in the sewers of New York City. But... more

12 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 14 minutes
The Paranormal Entertainment Industry with Sapphire Sandalo and Jim Perry

Today I'm joined by paranormal corespondent Jim Perry of the podcast Euphomet and Sapphire Sandalo of the podcast Stories With... more

22 Jan 2024 · 56 minutes
The Indiana Cyclone: America's First Munchausen Case with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

In this episode I tell podcaster Sarah Marshall a truly wild story I uncovered about the first recognized case of... more

15 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
We Are All Pro Wrestlers with Entertainment Journalist BJ Colangelo

Pop culture correspondent and major Pro Wrestling fan BJ Colangelo and I discuss the quirky history of this manly soap... more

08 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
Talking Crap with Historian Wendy Woloson

Author of the book Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America, historian Wendy Woloson joins me to discuss the... more

27 Dec 2023 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
Sea Monkeys

The novelty pets known as Sea Monkeys have delighted and disappointed millions of American children since they were first marketed... more

18 Dec 2023 · 59 minutes
Hallmark Christmas Movies [rewind]

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

12 Dec 2023 · 1 hour,
The Many Lives of a Carnival Corpse | Subscriber Sneak Peek

This is a story from a recent episode of our exclusive Patreon/Apple + talk show Hysteria Home Companion, where producer... more

27 Nov 2023 · 26 minutes
Marilyn Manson's Rib Removal

(explicit content warning) This *Urban Legends Hotline* episode dives deep into the viral myth that 90s shock rocker Marilyn Manson... more

20 Nov 2023 · 52 minutes
...And This is American Hysteria [Five Year Anniversary Special]

To celebrate five long years of American Hysteria, our producer Miranda Zickler interviews Chelsey about the origins of the podcast... more

13 Nov 2023 · 57 minutes
Our Dearest Fears with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

For our very special two-part Halloween conversation, Sarah Marshall and I are going to be sharing the less serious things... more

30 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
The 12 ft. Skeleton

Home Depot's 12 ft. Skeleton decoration first premiered in the fall of 2020 and sold out immediately, the nationwide obsession... more

23 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Context Clues: Who's Your Bone Daddy?

Our Halloween special will cover the 12 ft. Skeleton craze and the history of skeleton decorations in America. This episode... more

16 Oct 2023 · 52 minutes
Haunted Dolls [rewind]

Please enjoy this rewind of last year's Halloween special called Haunted Dolls. Coming up next week we'll start our Halloween... more

09 Oct 2023 · 1 hour,
Lemuria: The Strangest Place to Never Exist with Author Justin McHenry

Justin McHenry, author of the forthcoming book Lemuria: A True Story of a Fake Place, tells me an expansive tale... more

18 Sep 2023 · 56 minutes
The Killer Crossdresser with Horror Analysts BJ and Harmony Colangelo

To unpack the movie trope of the Murderous Man in a Dress, prolific horror film analysts and writers BJ and... more

11 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
Early Drag Queens pt. 2

For part two of our series, we are starting in the anti-gay moral panic of the 50s and 60s to... more

04 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Early Drag Queens pt. 1

This series will cover the moral panics and cultural crazes that have long followed the controversial art form once called... more

28 Aug 2023 · 55 minutes
Context Clues: Long Live the Queens

Our upcoming series, Early Drag Queens, will cover the surprising relationship between "female impersonation" and American masculinity in the time... more

21 Aug 2023 · 51 minutes
Love in the Time of Leprosy with Advocate José Ramirez, Jr.

As the social media and the news got word of the new cases of leprosy found in Florida, a slew... more

14 Aug 2023 · 59 minutes
Blame It on Barbie with Entertainment Journalist BJ Colangelo

BJ Colangelo is an editor at Slash Film and the writer of “The Only Guide To Barbie Lore You Will... more

24 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 24 minutes
Furby's Revenge

This is a collaborative look at the panics around Furby with the podcast Unspookable, a show much like ours that... more

17 Jul 2023 · 50 minutes
Hot Dog Urban Legends with Comedian Jamie Loftus

Jamie Loftus is the author of the recent New York Times bestselling book 'Raw Dog: The Naked Truth about Hot... more

03 Jul 2023 · 1 hour,
The Cannibal Pig People of Pig Hill

*Urban Legends Hotline* The inbred cannibal pig people who are said to inhabit Pig Hill in Meadville, PA attack teenagers... more

26 Jun 2023 · 57 minutes
My Pronouns are Jack/Ass with Podcaster Harmony Colangelo of 'This Ends at Prom'

Harmony Colangelo is one of the hosts of This Ends at Prom, a podcast that analyzes coming of age teen... more

12 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
Jackass

In the year 2000, a group of rowdy skateboarders and loosely defined "performers" came to MTV with a pitch that... more

05 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
Context Clues: Welcome to Jackass

This episode will give context for our upcoming series on Jackass, an early reality show starring a group of skateboarders... more

29 May 2023 · 50 minutes
Unabandoned with Podcaster Blake Pfeil of 'All-American Ruins'

Blake Pfeil is the host of 'abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast,' a multimedia travelogue exploring abandoned spaces across the United... more

15 May 2023 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
The Ghost Children of Munger Road

*Urban Legends Hotline* Lauren's story: On a rural road outside Chicago, the ghosts of children killed in a school bus-train... more

08 May 2023 · 48 minutes
Interview with the Ex-Vampire (pt. 2) with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

For part two of my conversation with Sarah, I finish telling her about a satanic panic era "memoir" published by... more

17 Apr 2023 · 47 minutes
Interview with the Ex-Vampire (pt. 1) with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

Over the next two episodes, I tell Sarah the story of another one of Jack Chick's occult experts using his... more

10 Apr 2023 · 52 minutes
Chick Tracts pt. 3

Who was Jack Chick, really? For the final episode in our series we will explore his childhood, his time in... more

03 Apr 2023 · 57 minutes
Chick Tracts pt. 2

An ex-druid grand priest for the illuminati, an undercover Jesuit agent of destruction, a woman married to the devil, and... more

27 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
Chick Tracts pt. 1

Cartoons of satanic witch cults, Illuminati world domination, demonic homosexuals, and the pressing choice of hell or salvation were the... more

20 Mar 2023 · 59 minutes
Context Clues: A Cartoonish Hell Awaits You

Chick Tracts, what are they? You'll find out in our upcoming three-part series that covers a fundamentalist comic artist who... more

13 Mar 2023 · 42 minutes
OMG WTF UFOs with Jim Perry of Euphomet

Are we being invaded?? I sure thought so. Today we are talking quite animatedly to our official paranormal correspondent Jim... more

20 Feb 2023 · 1 hour,
Talking Angela

In 2014, an urban legend formed around a cartoon cat chatbot when rumors spread across social media that a child... more

13 Feb 2023 · 39 minutes
Urban Legends in the Internet Wilderness with the Digital Folklore Podcast

For this episode we chat about the sensational tales of cyberspace, from Slenderman to the Momo suicide game, with the... more

06 Feb 2023 · 57 minutes
When Naked Swimming was Required in Gym Class with Journalist Robin Washington

Nope, it's not an urban legend! Today we are talking to journalist and filmmaker Robin Washington who, like a huge... more

23 Jan 2023 · 58 minutes
The Streaking Craze

In 1974, running naked in public became a major fad led by students on college campuses across the nation. This... more

16 Jan 2023 · 57 minutes
Context Clues: Naked or Afraid

This episode will give context for our upcoming topic called The Streaking Craze using excerpts from previous shows including: Terrorism Pt.... more

09 Jan 2023 · 40 minutes
Toy Riots (Rerun)

Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Pokemon cards. These trendy toys all inspired parental parking lot brawls and... more

26 Dec 2022 · 41 minutes
The Horror of Hallmark with Podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed of 'You Are Good'

Because so many Hallmark writers and directors also make horror movies, I called in podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed... more

19 Dec 2022 · 1 hour,
Hallmark Christmas Movies

They usually go something like this: A cranky career woman from the big city who has lost the true meaning... more

12 Dec 2022 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
Context Clues: The Hallmarks of Hallmark's "Hallmark Christmas"

This episode gives context to our upcoming series on Hallmark Christmas Movies using excerpts from previous topics including The War... more

05 Dec 2022 · 45 minutes
Land of Delusion with Cultural Historian Colin Dickey

Colin Dickey is one of American Hysteria's biggest influences—our episodes called Talking to the Dead and Alien Abductions relied on... more

28 Nov 2022 · 53 minutes
Haunted Objects of Our Affection with Podcaster Jim Perry of Euphomet

Paranormal podcast host (and major buddy) Jim Perry of Euphomet returns to discuss a couple of the many experiences that... more

07 Nov 2022 · 57 minutes
Our Halloween Open Mic

Featuring poems, fiction, nonfiction, AND A GROUP SONG with work by Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About, You Are Good), Alex... more

31 Oct 2022 · 44 minutes
Halloween Sadism from Cautionary Tales

Here’s a preview from a podcast that's right up your dark alley! On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford finds... more

28 Oct 2022 · 16 minutes
Haunted Dolls

We'll see how possessed playthings have crept their way into the dark attic of America: Thomas Edison's little monsters, a... more

24 Oct 2022 · 1 hour,
Context Clues: The Uncanny Valley of the Dolls

To get you ready for our upcoming episode called Haunted Dolls, we have selected some excerpts on Furby urban legends,... more

17 Oct 2022 · 39 minutes
Rainbow Fentanyl: Poisoned Halloween Candy Rerelease

Our most classic American urban legend is back with a vengeance, promising to ruin Halloween yet again. With an updated... more

11 Oct 2022 · 46 minutes
Halloween is Millennial Christmas with Podcaster Sarah Marshall of You're Wrong About

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

03 Oct 2022 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
Florida Scam

Not unlike the bubble markets of Beanie Babies and Cryptocurrency, the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s was a chaotic... more

19 Sep 2022 · 39 minutes
Florida Man

The Florida Man meme, with its bizarre crime headlines and mugshots, has become one of our most popular and long-lasting... more

12 Sep 2022 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Context Clues: Feeling Like a Freak on a Beach

This episode will provide some context for our upcoming series on Florida Man. The excerpts are from Trash Talk Shows,... more

05 Sep 2022 · 30 minutes
An Irresistible Movement with Reproductive Justice Activist Loretta J. Ross

CW: Sexual violence. Since the 1970s, Loretta J. Ross has been an instrumental activist in the fight for 'Reproductive Justice',... more

15 Aug 2022 · 51 minutes
Womb Wars pt. 2

Featuring yet another flamboyant abortionist, sideshow fetuses, Mother with a capital M, eugenic suspicions, and plenty more population panics. We'll... more

08 Aug 2022 · 57 minutes
Womb Wars pt. 1

Featuring flamboyant abortionists, dangerously determined doctors, problematic feminists, opportunist politicians, and one sneaky pope, this two-part series will explore the... more

01 Aug 2022 · 1 hour,
Context Clues: Maybe it Ain't About the Babies

Our upcoming series is about the origins of the anti-abortion movement in the time before Roe vs Wade. This Context... more

25 Jul 2022 · 33 minutes
Postcolonial Astrology with Alice Sparkly Kat

Alice Sparkly Kat (who goes by Ace) is an astrologer and the author of the book ‘Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the... more

05 Jul 2022 · 42 minutes
The Planetary Propaganda of the Anti-Nazi Astrologer

In 1941, hundreds of British secret agents were sent to the United States to spread creative anti-Nazi propaganda with the... more

27 Jun 2022 · 41 minutes
The Supernatural Imaginary of the Third Reich with Historian Eric Kurlander

Dr. Eric Kurlander is the author of Hitler’s Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich which details the occult... more

20 Jun 2022 · 1 hour, 1 minute
Astrology

This episode is not about debunking astrology, it’s about something far more interesting: the role that star-gazing soothsaying advisors have... more

13 Jun 2022 · 54 minutes
Pride Rewind: Gender Reveal Parties

In honor of Pride month, here is a little rerelease of last year's special episode! Over the last ten years,... more

06 Jun 2022 · 44 minutes
American Hysteria
Womb Wars pt. 1
American Hysteria
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Listen now on

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Description

Featuring flamboyant abortionists, dangerously determined doctors, problematic feminists, opportunist politicians, and one sneaky pope, this two-part series will explore the surprising origins... more