American Hysteria

The famous cryptid known as the Jersey Devil will be the focus of our upcoming Urban Legends Hotline investigation. This episode will provide some context using excerpts from previous topics we have covered. Full episodes to check out:The Cannibal Pig People of Pig Hill (2023)Fake News (2020)Urban Legends (2021)Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsSound design and Production by Riley Swedelius-SmithEdited by Miranda ZicklerHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin are the hosts of the podcast Spirits, a history and comedy show focused on mythology, folklore, and urban legends. Each week they pour a drink and deep dive into stories similar to the ones we cover here. On this episode, my new friends tell me the history of an early 2000s fad called The Game, one that you, dear listeners, have unfortunately already lost. Check out the Spirits podcast!Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsLeave us a message on our Urban Legends HotlineProducer and Editor: Miranda ZicklerAssociate Producer: Riley Swedelius-SmithHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Marshall and I are back for a second helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, the 1993 best-selling collection of "inspirational" and "true" stories. In part two I tell Sarah about the pair of motivational wealth coaches who created the book and then explain what is currently happening at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment as new leadership has led it down a dark and exploitative path (allegedly). We'll talk more about the book's messages of neoliberal mysticism and prosperity gospel manifestation and put it all in the context of what is currently happening with the Chicken Soup for the Soul company as well as American politics at large.Resources for LA residents affected by the firesPlaces to Donate and Ways to Help:LA Mutual AidCalifornia Fire FoundationCalifornia Community FoundationDream CenterCanine Rescue CenterGet tickets to our LA live show A Massive Seance with You're Wrong AboutCheck out a main source for this episode: Soup to Nuts by Amanda Chicago Lewis for Business InsiderBecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsProducer and Editor: Miranda ZicklerAssociate Producer: Riley Swedelius-SmithHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of you will remember the 1993 best-selling book of inspirational stories, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and its bite-sized, sappy triumphs of the human spirit. But shining a modern light on this book today, the collection hits a little bit differently. For part one of this two-part series, I tell podcaster Sarah Marshall of You’re Wrong About the history of this iconic text and read her some of its most batshit stories, and together we discuss their confusing and downright damaging messages. In part two, I’ll tell Sarah about the two motivational wealth coaches behind Chicken Soup for the Soul and the shocking controversies facing the company today. Throughout, we’ll discuss neoliberal mysticism and the prosperity gospel manifestation mindset of not only Chicken Soup for the Soul, but our longterm American culture as well.Resources for LA residents affected by the firesPlaces to Donate and Ways to Help:LA Mutual AidCalifornia Fire FoundationCalifornia Community FoundationDream CenterCanine Rescue CenterGet tickets to our live show A Massive Seance with You're Wrong AboutBecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsProducer and Editor: Miranda ZicklerAssociate Producer: Riley Swedelius-SmithHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging discussion, Loretta J. Ross, a pioneering reproductive justice activist and founder of SisterSong, reveals her journey in activism since the 1970s. She emphasizes the importance of solidarity in social movements, particularly for marginalized communities. The conversation dives into intersections of race, power, and the historical influences of reproductive rights. Loretta also critiques call-out culture, advocating for unity and empathy as essential tools for effective activism, reminding us that joy and connection can drive meaningful change.

Shannon Lynch is the host of the podcast The Alley: DC’s 8th and H Case, a detailed look at the 1984 murder of DC resident Catherine Fuller and the eight young Black men who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for a crime they did not commit. In this episode, Shannon will take us through the crime, the flawed investigation and trial, as well as the suppression of evidence that could have exonerated these men decades ago in hopes that the more their story is heard, the more likely it is that they will be granted a presidential pardon.Get Involved:Donate to the Mid-Atlantic Innocence ProjectSign a Letter of SupportListen to 'The Alley: DC's 8th and H Case' from New America wherever you get your podcastsGet tickets to our live show A Massive Seance with You're Wrong AboutBecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsProducer and Editor: Miranda ZicklerAssociate Producer: Riley Swedelius-SmithHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because so many Hallmark writers and directors also make horror movies, I called in podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed of 'You're Wrong About' and 'You Are Good' to discuss the similarities between these two seemingly polar opposite genres.Subscribe to You Are Good and You're Wrong AboutGet tickets for our Live Show called A Massive Seance in SF and LABecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentHosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerAssistant Produced by Riley Swedelius-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember the late '90s mystery show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? where you had to figure out which stories were true and which were fake? For this episode I tell the wild life story of the mysterious man who provided the "true" stories which were certainly beyond belief. I'm joined by wonder-siblings Will Rogers (our voice actor!) and Kristen Rogers-Anderson of Guide to the Unknown, a podcast that explores urban legends, the paranormal, horror movies, haunted places, and creepy pop culture. We take a trip down memory lane to discuss this cheesy gem which was also an early inspiration for what would one day become American Hysteria.Listen to or watch Guide to the UnknownGet tickets to our live show A Massive Seance with You're Wrong AboutBecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsFind us on Instagram @americanhysteriapodcastLeave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline or get your mitts on some merch at americanhysteria.comProducer and Editor: Miranda ZicklerAssociate Producer: Riley Swedelius-SmithHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Scalisi and Valerie Ruby-Omen are the creators of the 2023 book Connecticut Cryptids: A Field Guide to the Weird and Wonderful Creatures of the Nutmeg State. Together they have documented Connecticut's most important cryptids, those elusive, folkloric creatures that have not been proven to actually exist but that pop up in different forms throughout time and all over the world. For this episode, Pat and Val tell me the wild story of the Glawackus, a 1966 hoax that got totally out of hand.Get a copy of Connecticut CryptidsGet tickets to our live show called A Massive Seance with You're Wrong AboutBecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentOr subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple PodcastsFind us on Instagram @americanhysteriapodcastLeave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline or get your mitts on some merch at americanhysteria.comProducer and Editor: Miranda ZicklerAssociate Producer: Riley Swedelius-SmithHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special episode I did for the podcast 'You're Wrong About' in 2022, and I wanted to finally bring it to you directly since the deep snowfalls of winter are looming on the ever-distant horizon. This is the harrowing tale of a wagon train trapped in the Sierra Nevadas in the harsh winter of 1864-1865, famously forced to cannibalize one another to stay alive, but that is only a small fraction of an almost unbelievable story. This is probably the piece of American history that fascinates me more than any other, so I'm excited to share it with you.Over the next couple months we will be real busy on tour with You're Wrong About for 'A Massive Seance' west coast live show tour, so we will be putting out some fun interview episodes before we get back to our regularly scheduled programming!GET TICKETS FOR A MASSIVE SEANCE HEREDec 3 + 4 in PortlandDec 11 in SeattleJan 11 in San FranciscoJan 24 in Los AngelesThank you to You're Wrong About for allowing us to use this episode! Make sure you listen to their show if you don't already <3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices