American Hysteria

Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Pokemon cards. These trendy toys all inspired parental parking lot brawls and suburban shadow economies. For our Christmas hangover, we revisit the outrageous toy riots that marked the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, many of which flared up around the holiday season. Includes a little interview with my Grannie about her experience securing a Tickle Me Elmo AT ALL COSTS.Become a Patron of our show! 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 AboutBecome a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentFollow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They usually go something like this: A cranky career woman from the big city who has lost the true meaning of Christmas arrives in a small town where she falls in love with a handsome handyman or baker or Christmas tree farmer and together they vanquish whatever big business force threatens the idyllic community. The Christmas spirit leads her to let go of her own ambitions and embrace a more traditional lifestyle and of course, someone's dad is always Santa. Sound familiar? We will explore the history of Hallmark, the formula that makes these cheesy productions so successful, the Christmas Movie Wars of the last few years, as well as the controversies over diversity and "family-friendly" entertainment.Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus contentFollow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithCo-produced and co-edited by Miranda ZicklerCo-researched and co-edited by Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode gives context to our upcoming series on Hallmark Christmas Movies using excerpts from previous topics including The War on Christmas, The Gay Agenda, and Suburbia.Listen to The War on ChristmasListen to The Gay AgendaListen to SuburbiaBecome a Patron at patreon.com/americanhysteriaThis Context Clues produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith and Riley Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colin Dickey is one of American Hysteria's biggest influences—our episodes called Talking to the Dead and Alien Abductions relied on his books Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places and The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained. His newest piece is called Land of Delusion and it explores two new bizarre conspiracy theories that center around secret societies and buried histories. We’ll talk about the conspiratorial tales we keep telling and how we address this increasingly disturbing Land of Delusion.Try Scribd now to get Colin Dickey's Land of DelusionFind more of Colin's work hereJoin our Patreon!Produced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paranormal podcast host (and major buddy) Jim Perry of Euphomet returns to discuss a couple of the many experiences that have made it impossible for us to live purely skeptical lives: his time getting personal with a haunted doll and my time getting personal with the ghost that tried to burn my house down. As usual, expect lots of philosophical waxing from both of us about the mysteries of the supernatural and about how no one really knows anything, no matter what they say.Listen to EuphometFollow Jim on Twitter // InstagramJoin our Patreon!Produced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosHosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Featuring poems, fiction, nonfiction, AND A GROUP SONG with work by Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About, You Are Good), Alex Steed (You Are Good), BJ Colangelo (This Ends at Prom), Will Rogers (Guide to the Unknown), Carolyn Kendrick (You're Wrong About, You Are Good), Miranda Zickler (Kuinka), Riley Swedelius-Smith (American Hysteria), and Chelsey Weber-Smith (me duh)To get an mp3 of our Halloween song, head to patreon.com/americanhysteriaIn order of appearance:Will RogersGuide to the UnknownBJ ColangeloThis Ends at PromSarah MarshallYou’re Wrong AboutYou Are GoodAlex SteedYou Are GoodMiranda ZicklerKuinkaCarolyn KendrickRiley Swedelius-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here’s a preview from a podcast that's right up your dark alley! On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford finds the morals in moments from the greatest mistakes and tragic catastrophes of the past. This Halloween season, he’s exploring “Halloween sadism” – where a stranger puts something dangerous in the treats collected by children. Razor blades in apples. Rat poison in chocolate. That sort of thing. Fantastical reports of trouble pop up every spooky season, but is trick or treating really something to worry about? Or is there a deadlier danger awaiting children on Halloween night? Hear the full episode, and more from Cautionary Tales, at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/cthalloween?sid=hysteria Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll see how possessed playthings have crept their way into the dark attic of America: Thomas Edison's little monsters, a demonic Raggedy Ann, a living ventriloquist dummy, a deadly voodoo curse, and an online market where you can buy yourself a soul trapped in the body of a doll.Become a Patron and support our show!Follow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithCo-produced and co-edited by Miranda ZicklerCo-researched and co-editing by Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To get you ready for our upcoming episode called Haunted Dolls, we have selected some excerpts on Furby urban legends, demon-possessed toys, and uncanny killer clowns.Listen to Furby hereListen to Satanic Panic pt. 1 hereListen to Phantom Clowns hereBecome a Patron at patreon.com/americanhyseriaProduced by Chelsey Weber-Smith, Riley Smith, and Miranda Zickler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices