Unspookable

Unspookable is a family friendly look at the histories and mysteries behind your favorite scary stories, myths and urban legends. Each week host Elise Parisian digs into the history, brain science, and power dynamics behind such topics as Bloody Mary, Charlie Charlie, and Ouija Boards to find the stories behind the scares. (Recommended for ages 8+) Unspookable is an official "Common Sense Media Selection" and has been called one of the "Best Podcasts for Kids of All Ages" by Time Out New York, one of the “7 Podcasts Big Kids Will Love” by The New York Times, one of the "20 Best Podcasts for Kids that will Make Them Forget About Screen Time" by the TODAY Show, and one of the "10 Best Podcasts for Children" by the Irish Examiner. The show has appeared multiple times across Canada on CBC Radio's Podcast Playlist, on NPR station WHYY's Kid's Listening Hour, has been featured by Apple Podcasts, Vox, Vulture, Romper, The AV Club, Fast Company, The Week Jr., and more.

Episodes

Holiday Episode featuring The Yule Cat, Kallikantzari, Christmas Spiders, & more [ENCORE]

December 17, 2024 • 14 mins

The month of December brings a whole host of traditions for people all across the world. For us on Unspookable, this time of year brings some of the strangest creepy creatures we get to see. After all – it wouldn’t be the holidays for us if we didn’t get to throw in something spooky. So consider it your gift to us to countdown some of the spookiest, witchiest holiday traditions we could scare up on this special holiday episode of U...

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Introducing: Twenty Thousand Hertz - Minecraft

December 10, 2024 • 27 mins

This week we are excited to introduce you to one of our favorite podcasts being made today, Twenty Thousand Hertz, a family-friendly podcast that tells the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. And this episode features something we can all love... Minecraft. Since its official release in 2011, Minecraft has grown from a small, experimental indie game into the best-selling video game of all time. Tod...

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Episode 71: Skinwalkers & Cultural Appropriation with Christopher Allen Brewer

October 29, 2024 • 20 mins

Over the last few years, more listeners have requested this topic than any other, but it's a story that isn't ours to tell. And perhaps shouldn't be told at all. Native American Paranormal Adviser, Christopher Allen Brewer, helps us navigate our curiosity without shame as we discuss cultural appropriation and tales of skinwalkers on this episode of… Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written, Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Musi...

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Episode 70: The Bell Witch presented by Unspookable and Southern Gothic

October 22, 2024 • 29 mins

What comes to mind when you hear the term "ghost story"? For many Americans, if you don't think of the haunting of the Bell family of Tennessee, you're surely thinking of one of the dozens of stories inspired by this tale. What is it about this chilling legend that still has us talking over 200 years later? Join us as we delve into The Bell Witch, one of America's most iconic ghost stories, on this special crossover episode of Sout...

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Episode 69: Minecraft and Herobrine

October 15, 2024 • 20 mins

We likely don't have to tell you that Minecraft is a global phenomenon, but that doesn't mean that it's all fun and games. Many listeners of the show have written in to see if we could comment on the spookier side of everyone's favorite blocky sandbox game. So, we're doing just that as we discuss both the popularity of Minecraft and the mysterious figure of Herobrine on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by:...

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Episode 68: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with David Kreizman of Gen-Z Media

October 8, 2024 • 19 mins

Washington Irving's 1820 tale of a headless horseman who terrorizes the village of Sleepy Hollow is widely considered to be one of the first American ghost stories and, we'd argue, still one of the scariest. Why has this tale and this figure endured for over 200 years inspiring films, cartoons, games, and even entire podcasts? We talk this week with David Kreizman, the CCO of Gen-Z Media and Co-Creator and Writer of their hit show ...

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Episode 67: The White Lady

October 1, 2024 • 22 mins

Many of us have heard of the Lady in White or the White Lady, a ghostly woman in misty white, feeling despair, or anger. Why is this imagery so common, not just in North America, but around the world? Is she someone to be afraid of? Someone who needs help? Who is this woman? We’ll be talking about the White Lady, who she haunts, and why, on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Miden Wood Produced, Edited b...

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Episode 66: Atlantis

September 17, 2024 • 20 mins

What if we told you that 10,000 years ago there was a sophisticated society ruled by the children of the sea god Poseidon, with stunning architecture and quality of life similar to our own? What if this society contained a city with unimaginable wealth—and maybe even technology beyond our current understanding—but it was swallowed by the sea in a great catastrophe, leaving no trace behind? We’re talking all about the mythical lost ...

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Episode 65: Titanic

August 20, 2024 • 28 mins

More than 100 years after the disaster that sank it, why is our fascination with the RMS Titanic as strong as ever? Who or what was to blame for this tragedy? Was it bad luck, hubris, or simply an iceberg? We'll discuss this and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Miden Wood Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookabl...

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Episode 64: Ravens and Crows

August 6, 2024 • 22 mins

Crows and Ravens are considered to be some of the smartest animals in the world, with intelligence comparable to chimpanzees. But for many, their presence evokes a fear that is hard to put into words. We're on a journey to discover those words and more as we dive into corvids, fact vs. fiction, on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Michael Grathwohl Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and C...

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Episode 63: JAWS with Ira Marcks

July 16, 2024 • 29 mins

We're back this week with even more sharks as we discuss all things JAWS with one of our favorite middle-grade authors, Ira Marcks! Is the story from the movie true? Why is this particular shark so scary? Why are we still talking about this movie almost 50 years after its release? Ira has answers to those questions and sooo much more. It's Shark Summer all summer long on Unspookable! Special thanks this week to Ira Marcks. Ira’s b...

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Episode 62: Sharks

July 2, 2024 • 26 mins

What's the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the word shark? Is it a sea predator with rows and rows of sharp teeth? Maybe it's a simple alternating E and F or F and F sharp played on a solo tuba? Or maybe it's a misunderstood fish whose representation in film has given them a bad name. Love them or fear them, we cannot wait to talk about one of our favorite creatures on not one, but two episodes this month. It's S...

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Episode 61: Baba Yaga

June 18, 2024 • 18 mins

Have you ever heard the name Baba Yaga? If so, what images come to mind? If you grew up with Slavic folklore, maybe you've heard tales of a child eating witch. Or perhaps you've heard stories of a kind-hearted sorceress. Good, bad, or indifferent, how can one figure symbolize so many seemingly opposing things? We'll try to answer those questions and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written, Produced, Edite...

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Episode 60: The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

June 4, 2024 • 18 mins

When it comes to unsolved mysteries, almost none are bigger or more widely debated than the disappearance of aviation innovator Amelia Earhart. What happened on that fateful journey? What became of Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan? And why do we struggle as humans so much with not having an answer? We'll try to answer those questions and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written, Produced, Edited by: Nate ...

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Episode 59: Yokai and Japanese Folklore with Thersa Matsuura

May 21, 2024 • 29 mins

What do you know of the legendary spirits, creatures, and figures of Japanese folklore? And how have these figures found their way into every corner of our popular culture? Unspookable producer Nate DuFort sits down this week with Thersa Matsuura to find out more while discussing her latest, The Book of Japanese Folklore: An Encyclopedia of the Spirits, Monsters, and Yokai of Japanese Myth. That and more on this episode of Unspooka...

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Episode 27: Illuminati, Conspiracies, & Media Literacy [ENCORE]

May 7, 2024 • 27 mins

A lot of us have heard the word Illuminati, but what does it mean? Is there really a secret group of people controlling society from the shadows? There are conspiracy theories in the world today about these very questions and so much more, but where do these ideas come from? And why do people keep spreading them? Finding and agreeing on the truth can be hard sometimes and we'll talk about that and more on this episode of Unspookabl...

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Episode 58: Skibidi Toilet

April 16, 2024 • 15 mins

Last fall it felt like every other email, review, or topic recommendation we received mentioned a YouTube series that had captured the imaginations of our listeners and literally BILLIONS of young people around the world. If you haven't heard about these giant, singing, war mongering toilets with human heads, you're in for a huge surprise. We're talking Skibidi Toilets on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written, ...

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Episode 57: Poppy Playtime and Horror Video Games

February 21, 2024 • 17 mins

We get a lot of amazing suggestions from our listeners of topics to cover on the show, but there's one topic that topples the competition: Video Games. Whether it's Five Nights at Freddy's, Doors, Hello Neighbor, Garten of Banban, or Poppy Playtime, there are tons of first person horror games that you want us to cover. Elise talks to gaming writer Melissa Sarnowski about one of your favorites and the horror genre's enduring appeal ...

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Episode 56: The Last Kids on Earth with Max Brallier

February 1, 2024 • 31 mins

What would you do if you woke up one day and giant portals in the sky brought about a monster apocalypse that left your hometown without any rules, grownups, or homework? Well if you’re Jack Sullivan, you’d move into your foster brother's treehouse, play video games and eat junk food, while teaming up with some former classmates to stop these monsters from taking over what is left of your world. If any of that sounds familiar, the...

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Episode 42: The Backrooms [ENCORE]

January 2, 2024 • 24 mins

Have you ever heard of The Backrooms? Maybe you've come across this strange never-ending series of liminal spaces on TikTok or on YouTube or maybe some games that you've played. The Backrooms are one of our most frequently requested topics and we were curious to explore why their flickering fluorescent lights, yellow walls, and endless mazes have captured your imaginations. That and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Eli...

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