American Hysteria

    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.

  • Context Clues: All the World Loves a Parade

  • Artificial Unintelligence with Perry Carpenter

  • Falling for Fascism (re-release)

  • Buried Alive!

  • Presenting: “Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder”

  • Context Clues: Grave Mistakes

  • A MASSIVE SEANCE Live Show Tour with YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT

  • I Was a Teenage Poltergeist with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • Skibidi Toilet

  • Listen Now: MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • Context Clues: Brr Skibidi Dop Dop Dop Yes Yes

  • The Untold History of the NYPD with Chenjerai Kumanyika of Empire City

  • Taylor Swift Decoded with Pop Music Journalist Brittany Spanos

  • Elvis is Alive!

  • Context Clues: The King is Dead Probably

  • The Disney Gimmick That Conjured a Ghost with Jim Perry of Euphomet

  • Tarantism: Dancing Mania pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • Tarantism: Dancing Mania pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • Spider Slander: Confronting the Myths with Expert Rod Crawford

  • The Average Person Swallows Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep

  • Rewind: Believing in the Blair Witch (Updated!)

  • Pretendians: Indigenous Identity Fraud with Robert Jago and Angel Ellis

  • A Terrorist Attack on the Furries with Nicky Woolf

  • Long Live the Ray Cat with Emperor X and Matt Kielty

  • Talking to the Future: Nuclear Semiotics

  • Context Clues: Going Nuclear

  • Magical Overthinking with Amanda Montell

  • Francine and the Wolves of Wall Street with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals

  • When Conspiracies Aren't Just Theories with Journalist Tom Risen

  • Bigfoot's Big Adventure with Author John O'Connor

  • Gang Initiations pt. 2

  • Gang Initiations pt. 1

  • Context Clues: Ganging Up

  • Alligators in the Sewer with 'You're Wrong About' [Live at SketchFest]

  • The Paranormal Entertainment Industry with Sapphire Sandalo and Jim Perry

  • The Indiana Cyclone: America's First Munchausen Case with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • We Are All Pro Wrestlers with Entertainment Journalist BJ Colangelo

  • Talking Crap with Historian Wendy Woloson

  • Sea Monkeys

  • Hallmark Christmas Movies [rewind]

  • The Many Lives of a Carnival Corpse | Subscriber Sneak Peek

  • Marilyn Manson's Rib Removal

  • ...And This is American Hysteria [Five Year Anniversary Special]

  • Our Dearest Fears with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • The 12 ft. Skeleton

  • Context Clues: Who's Your Bone Daddy?

  • Haunted Dolls [rewind]

  • Lemuria: The Strangest Place to Never Exist with Author Justin McHenry

  • The Killer Crossdresser with Horror Analysts BJ and Harmony Colangelo

  • Early Drag Queens pt. 2

  • Early Drag Queens pt. 1

  • Context Clues: Long Live the Queens

  • Love in the Time of Leprosy with Advocate José Ramirez, Jr.

  • Blame It on Barbie with Entertainment Journalist BJ Colangelo

  • Furby's Revenge

  • Hot Dog Urban Legends with Comedian Jamie Loftus

  • The Cannibal Pig People of Pig Hill

  • My Pronouns are Jack/Ass with Podcaster Harmony Colangelo of 'This Ends at Prom'

  • Jackass

  • Context Clues: Welcome to Jackass

  • Unabandoned with Podcaster Blake Pfeil of 'All-American Ruins'

  • The Ghost Children of Munger Road

  • Interview with the Ex-Vampire (pt. 2) with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • Interview with the Ex-Vampire (pt. 1) with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • Chick Tracts pt. 3

  • Chick Tracts pt. 2

  • Chick Tracts pt. 1

  • Context Clues: A Cartoonish Hell Awaits You

  • OMG WTF UFOs with Jim Perry of Euphomet

  • Talking Angela

  • Urban Legends in the Internet Wilderness with the Digital Folklore Podcast

  • When Naked Swimming was Required in Gym Class with Journalist Robin Washington

  • The Streaking Craze

  • Context Clues: Naked or Afraid

  • Toy Riots (Rerun)

  • The Horror of Hallmark with Podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed of 'You Are Good'

  • Hallmark Christmas Movies

  • Context Clues: The Hallmarks of Hallmark's "Hallmark Christmas"

  • Land of Delusion with Cultural Historian Colin Dickey

  • Haunted Objects of Our Affection with Podcaster Jim Perry of Euphomet

  • Our Halloween Open Mic

  • Halloween Sadism from Cautionary Tales

  • Haunted Dolls

  • Context Clues: The Uncanny Valley of the Dolls

  • Rainbow Fentanyl: Poisoned Halloween Candy Rerelease

  • Halloween is Millennial Christmas with Podcaster Sarah Marshall of You're Wrong About

  • Florida Scam

  • Florida Man

  • Context Clues: Feeling Like a Freak on a Beach

  • An Irresistible Movement with Reproductive Justice Activist Loretta J. Ross

  • Womb Wars pt. 2

  • Womb Wars pt. 1

  • Context Clues: Maybe it Ain't About the Babies

  • Postcolonial Astrology with Alice Sparkly Kat

  • The Planetary Propaganda of the Anti-Nazi Astrologer

  • The Supernatural Imaginary of the Third Reich with Historian Eric Kurlander

  • Astrology

  • Pride Rewind: Gender Reveal Parties

  • All the Other Snuff with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

  • Rotten.com

  • Snuff Films

  • Context Clues: Pornography

  • Hear ye! Hear ye! Extra extra hear all about it!

  • The Séance of Selena with Poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva

  • Scene Queens with Podcasters BJ and Harmony Colangelo of 'This Ends at Prom'

  • Boy Bands

  • Fangirls

  • Context Clues: Teenage Sex

  • Twitter Saves Megan from the Westboro Baptist Church

  • The Westboro Baptist Church

  • Context Clues: Televangelists

  • E.T. Phone Hollywood: 'Hysteria Home Companion' Patreon Sneak Peek

  • Normalizing the Paranormal with Podcaster Jim Perry of Euphomet

  • War On Christmas (Rerelease)

  • Alien Abductions pt. 2

  • Alien Abductions pt. 1

  • Context Clues: Satanic Ritual Abuse

  • The Polyamorous Cult of Ayn Rand: 'Hysteria Home Companion' Patreon Sneak Peak

  • Am I Good? With 'You Are Good' Podcast Hosts Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed

  • The Self-Esteem Movement

  • Context Clues: Get Rich Quick

  • NEW PATREON SHOW: Hysteria Home Companion

  • Haunting From the Heart with Renowned Scare Actor Shar Mayer

  • Haunted Attractions

  • Context Clues: Talking to the Dead

  • We're Baaaaack: 'Haunted House Attractions' Coming October 18th

  • #Elsagate

  • Rewind: The Mandela Effect

  • Talking to Strangers with Comedian Chris Gethard (Part Two)

  • Dangerous Attractions with Comedian Chris Gethard (Part One)

  • Gender Lies and Liberation with Trans Historian Susan Stryker

  • Gender Reveal Parties

  • Rewind: Talking to My Christian Friends About Gay Stuff

  • THE GAY AGENDA (Pride Re-release)

  • The Skeleton of Chelsey Weber-Smith

  • Urban Legends

  • Rewind: The Momo Suicide Challenge

  • Horror Movies, pt. 2

  • Rewind: Monsters

  • On Haunted Houses with Carmen Maria Machado

  • SATANIC PANIC EMERGENCY RE-RELEASE

  • Horror Movies, pt. 1

  • Unmasking Matilda with Mara Wilson

  • Influencers

  • Gen Z and the Millennial with Gael from Teenager Therapy

  • American Hysteria: LIVE VARIETY HOUR (Watch the full show!!)

  • Children's Programming

  • We Were Teenage Conspiracy Theorists

  • Animatronic America with Sarah Marshall of 'You’re Wrong About'

  • Disneyfication

  • The Theater of Trash with Alissa Bennett

  • Trash Talk Shows

  • 'Falling for Fascism' Emergency Re-Release

  • Seekers and Swindlers with Glynn Washington

  • Charismatic Leaders

  • Walk with Me

  • Black Evangelicalism and the Christian Right with Anthea Butler and Lerone A. Martin

  • Televangelists

  • Falling for Fascism with Jason Stanley

  • Fake News

  • CrimeCon and Columbiners with Rachel Monroe

  • True Crime

  • Happy Halloween, It's Season Four!

  • KILLER CLOWNS with 'You're Wrong About'

  • WE GOT MERCH

  • Rewind: #WayfairGate // Satanic Panic

  • Death

  • What We Inherit: A Brief History of American Racism

  • A message from the team

  • #Gamergate

  • Men's Rights

  • The Curse of the Lottery

  • Get Rich Quick

  • Confederate Monuments and The Lost Cause

  • Rednecks

  • Beards

  • Hipsters

  • School Spirit

  • Suburbia

  • Got Milk?

  • Burgers

  • Season Three Trailer

  • Looking for An Alien Vortex with Euphomet

  • War On Christmas Special

  • We need your help!

  • Mind Control

  • Terrorism: Part Two

  • Terrorism: Part One

  • Wardrobe Malfunction

  • Pornography

  • Violent Video Games

  • Dangerous Teens

  • Furby

  • Toy Riots

  • LIVE VARIETY HOUR

  • Two Flexible Skeptics Contemplate the Unknowable Universe: American Hysteria in Conversation with the Something Scary Podcast

  • The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

  • Monsters

  • Ted Bundy

  • Celebrity

  • Parrot Fever

  • Quackery

  • Cooties

  • Germs

  • Griefbots

  • Talking to the Dead

  • Presenting American Hysteria: Season Two

  • Viral: Believing in the Blair Witch

  • Viral: The Mandela Effect

  • Viral: The Momo Suicide Challenge

  • The End of the World

  • The Calm Down: The Morality of Drugs and the Opioid Crisis

  • Drugs

  • The Calm Down: Murdered on Lovers' Lane

  • Teenage Sex

  • The Calm Down: Talking to My Christian Friends About Gay Stuff

  • The Gay Agenda

  • Phantom Clowns

  • Satanic Panic: Part Two

  • Satanic Panic: Part One

  • The Illuminati

  • Poisoned Halloween Candy

  • Stranger Danger

  • Introducing American Hysteria

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