American Hysteria

Latest Episodes:

Context Clues: Naked or Afraid Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

This episode will give context for our upcoming topic called The Streaking Craze using excerpts from previous shows including:

Terrorism Pt. 1

Mind Control

Teenage Sex

For ad-free, early episodes and bonus content became a Patron at patreon.com/americanhysteria

This episode was co-produced by Riley Swedelius-Smith

Edited by Miranda Zickler

Produced and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

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Toy Riots (Rerun) Dec 26, 2022

Show notes

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.

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The Horror of Hallmark with Podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed of 'You Are Good' Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

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 About

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Follow American Hysteria on social media:

Twitter: @AmerHysteria

Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

Find our merch at americanhysteria.com

American Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

Produced by Miranda Zickler

Sound design by Clear Commo Studios

Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

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HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIES Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

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 content

Follow American Hysteria on social media:

Twitter: @AmerHysteria

Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

Find our merch at americanhysteria.com

American Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

Co-produced and co-edited by Miranda Zickler

Co-researched and co-edited by Riley Smith

Sound design by Clear Commo Studios

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Context Clues: The Hallmarks of Hallmark's "Hallmark Christmas" Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

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 Christmas

Listen to The Gay Agenda

Listen to Suburbia

Become a Patron at patreon.com/americanhysteria

This Context Clues produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith and Riley Smith

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Land of Delusion with Cultural Historian Colin Dickey Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

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 Delusion

Find more of Colin's work here

Join our Patreon!

Produced by Miranda Zickler

Sound design by Clear Commo Studios

Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

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Haunted Objects of Our Affection with Podcaster Jim Perry of Euphomet Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

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 Euphomet

Follow Jim on Twitter // Instagram

Join our Patreon!

Produced by Miranda Zickler

Sound design by Clear Commo Studios

Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

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Our Halloween Open Mic Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

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/americanhysteria

In order of appearance:

Sarah Marshall

Riley Swedelius-Smith

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Halloween Sadism from Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

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

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HAUNTED DOLLS Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

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: @AmerHysteria

Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

Find our merch at americanhysteria.com

American Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

Co-produced and co-edited by Miranda Zickler

Co-researched and co-editing by Riley Smith

Sound design by Clear Commo Studios

Voice Acting by Will Rogers

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices