Runaway Girls, Runaway Fears

34 snips

Feb 10, 2025

Guest

Daniel Silliman

Guest

Rick Emerson

Rick Emerson, former radio host and author of 'Unmasked Alice', alongside Daniel Silliman, Senior news editor at Christianity Today, dive into the anxieties of the 1960s. They explore the tragic story of Diane Linkletter and the societal panic over runaway girls and drugs. The conversation shifts to 'Go Ask Alice', its impact, and debates around its authenticity. Finally, they dissect the emergence of the Jesus People Movement and its clash with counterculture ideals, revealing the intersection of fear, faith, and political tensions during this tumultuous time.

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ANECDOTE

Art Linkletter's Crusade

Art Linkletter, a beloved TV host, blamed LSD for his daughter Diane's death in 1969.
He launched an anti-drug crusade, aligning with Nixon and fueling the War on Drugs, despite lack of evidence.

INSIGHT

Rising Anxieties of the 60s

The 1960s brought social and cultural anxieties surrounding youth, drugs, and changing norms.
The Manson murders and Diane Linkletter's death intensified these fears, creating a sense of uncertainty.

INSIGHT

1960s Upheaval

The 1960s was a time of social and cultural upheaval, including riots, changing religious landscape, and the rise of psychedelic drugs.
These changes caused anxiety, particularly for parents concerned about their children.

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The 1960s promised a revolution—civil rights, moon landings, peace, love, and rock and roll. But it also brought riots, rising drug use, and missing kids. By decade’s end, American parents weren’t just worried—they were terrified.

This episode follows Art Linkletter, America’s beloved TV host, whose daughter Diane fell to her death in 1969. The official ruling? Suicide. But Linkletter blamed LSD and the counterculture, launching an anti-drug crusade that aligned him with President Nixon and fueled the War on Drugs.

We’ll trace the growing panic over runaway girls, the Manson murders, and the impact of Go Ask Alice—a shocking bestseller that warned parents of the horrors awaiting their children. But was Alice a window into reality, or the invention of an author manipulating the fears of a generation?

Finally, we’ll land in the early 1970s when a different movement was rising. The Jesus People Movement pulled young hippies into a rock-fueled Christian revival, culminating in Explo ‘72, a massive Dallas event dubbed the “Christian Woodstock.” Was this a spiritual awakening—or another front in the culture war?

With guests Rick Emerson and Daniel Silliman, we unpack the fears that shaped the era—and what happens when paranoia and politics collide.

Resources:

Rick Emerson, Unmask Alice
Daniel Silliman, One Lost Soul
Nixon Library

Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today

Hosted and written by Mike Cosper

Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams

Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester

Sound Design, Animation and Video: Steve Scheidler

Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven

Music by Dirt Poor Robins

Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer.

Special thanks to Hephzibah House for use of their recording studio

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