

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. Poet-turned-podcaster Chelsey Weber-Smith tells the strangest stories from American history and examines the forces that create the reality we share, and sometimes, the reality we don't.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 11, 2022 • 45min
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 introduction to our 2018 episode, we'll explore the newest fearful iteration: Rainbow Fentanyl. Are drug traffickers really passing out a deadly drug disguised as colorful candy in order to get kids hooked? And if not, who stands to gain from reviving this debunked tall tale?For more information about how to access Naloxone (Narcan), you can use this link to the National Harm Reduction CoalitionBecome 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-SmithEdited by Miranda Zickler and Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3, 2022 • 1h 3min
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/americanhysteriaFor this Halloween Party, we are joined by our favorite undead friend Sarah Marshall, and she and I will answer some spooky questions asked by the waking nightmare that is our producer, Miranda Zickler. We scream like hovering banshees about horror movies, Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating, and even play a little game of horror villain F-ck Marry Kill because we are disgusting!Listen to You're Wrong About and You Are GoodProduced and hosted by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosAnd Chelsey Weber-Smith talked and giggled like a child clown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 19, 2022 • 38min
FLORIDA SCAM
Not unlike the bubble markets of Beanie Babies and Cryptocurrency, the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s was a chaotic craze that caused the largest migration in American history. This episode follows the ridiculous life of Carl Fisher, one of the most flamboyant gimmick artists in American history who helped convince thousands of people to spend their life savings of on his half-baked dream.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-production and co-editing by Miranda ZicklerCo-research and co-writing by Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 2022 • 60min
FLORIDA MAN
The Florida Man meme, with its bizarre crime headlines and mugshots, has become one of our most popular and long-lasting social media staples. This episode will explore the strange history of the state that produced our Florida men, from cracker cowboys to rum runners, circus freaks to spring breakers. We’ll also look behind the memes into the dark forces that swirl around America's weirdest superhero.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-production and co-editing by Miranda ZicklerCo-research 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

Sep 5, 2022 • 29min
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, Drugs, and Rednecks.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-SmithProduction for this episode by Riley Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 15, 2022 • 50min
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', a framework she and her colleagues created in 1994 that went beyond the pro-choice and pro-life debate. She has worked as the Director of the Women of Color Program for the National Organization for Women, the program director of the Black Women's Health Imperative the director of projects for the National Anti-Klan Network, and is an author and professor as well. Today Loretta will share some of her prolific personal and political journey and what it has taught her about the importance of solidarity, about how we create a strong movement genuinely dedicated to working together even when it's difficult to do.Take a class, buy a book, and learn more about Loretta J. Ross at lorettajross.comDonate to SisterSong at sistersong.netBecome a Patron and support our show!American Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 8, 2022 • 55min
WOMB WARS (part two)
Featuring yet another flamboyant abortionist, sideshow fetuses, Mother with a capital M, eugenic suspicions, and plenty more population panics. We'll see how the battle over family planning took very different forms from 1900 up to when Roe vs. Wade made abortion federally legal. We'll see how conversations around the history of abortion and birth control continue to leave out the most important voices, the voices of those who can get pregnant, instead promoting racial population fantasies and fears.Head to Podvoices.help for information on how you can get involved in the fight for abortion rightsBecome 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-production and co-editing by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will RogersCo-research and co-editing by Riley Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 1, 2022 • 58min
WOMB WARS (part one)
Featuring flamboyant abortionists, dangerously determined doctors, problematic feminists, opportunist politicians, and one sneaky pope, this two-part series will explore the surprising origins of the anti-abortion movement long before Roe v. Wade changed everything. We'll see how the bodies of those who can get pregnant have been used as potent weapons of both population wars and power grabs by forces seeking to control the future.Head to Podvoices.help for information on how you can get involved in the fight for abortion rightsBecome 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-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will RogersResearch and edited by Riley Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 25, 2022 • 32min
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 Clues episode combines clips from three previous episodes to give some context.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-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will RogersResearch and Production for this episode by Riley Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 5, 2022 • 41min
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 Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor’. Today they share with us their perspective on the power of the practice and how it has served those in power and those looking for empowerment in different ways.Get a copy of Postcolonial Astrology!@alicesparklykat on twitter@alicesparklykat on instagramBecome 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-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


