American Hysteria

377 - MYSTERY BLOOD

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.

More episodes

377 - MYSTERY BLOOD

Mon, 19 Oct 2026
376 - Pennywise and the IT Girls (1990) with This Ends at Prom

Mon, 12 Oct 2026
375 - The Cat in the Hat Serial Killer Panic with Guide to the Unknown

Mon, 05 Oct 2026
374 - Halloween Newspapers.com Dive pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 28 Sep 2026
373 - Halloween Newspapers.com Dive pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 21 Sep 2026
372 - Let's Talk About Sex (Ed) with Margaret Grace Myers

Mon, 14 Sep 2026
371 - Baby Got Backstory with Heather Radke

Mon, 07 Sep 2026
370 - Ye Olde Cleanse Diet with Zoë Rom of 'Your Diet Sucks'

Mon, 31 Aug 2026
369 - Solar Storms and the Carrington Event with Ben Bradford of 'Are We Doomed?'

Mon, 24 Aug 2026
368 - KU KLUX SCAM pt. 2

Mon, 17 Aug 2026
367 - KU KLUX SCAM pt. 1

Mon, 10 Aug 2026
366 - Rednecks (rewind)

Mon, 03 Aug 2026
365 - The Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps with Harrison Hill

Mon, 27 Jul 2026
364 - Hobby Lobby: Crafting a Christian Nation with Michael Blanding

Mon, 20 Jul 2026
363 - 90s Angel Craze with Christine Laskowski

Mon, 13 Jul 2026
362 - FIREWORKS pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 06 Jul 2026
361 - FIREWORKS pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 29 Jun 2026
360 - Playing Indian with Rebecca Nagle

Mon, 22 Jun 2026
359 - In Defense of Queer Villains with BJ Colangelo

Mon, 15 Jun 2026
358 - DATING APPS

Mon, 08 Jun 2026
357 - THE GAY AGENDA (Pride Rewind)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026
356 - Our 300th Episode with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 25 May 2026
355 - The Voyager Golden Record with Riley Swedelius-Smith and Miranda Zickler

Mon, 18 May 2026
354 - The Disturbing World of Cute Cat AI with Panic World

Mon, 11 May 2026
352 - THE BENNINGTON TRIANGLE pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 04 May 2026
351 - THE BENNINGTON TRIANGLE pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 27 Apr 2026
349 - Blowing Up the Georgia Guidestones with Tyler McBrien

Mon, 20 Apr 2026
348 - Black Magic with Gruff Webb

Mon, 13 Apr 2026
347 - Hysteria Home Companion: The Berners Street Hoax

Mon, 06 Apr 2026
346 - DINOSAURS pt. 2

Mon, 30 Mar 2026
345 - DINOSAURS pt. 1

Mon, 23 Mar 2026
344 - The Spooky Side of Pokémon with Guide to the Unknown

Mon, 16 Mar 2026
343 - The Corporate Takeover of Caring with Dr. Mara Einstein

Mon, 09 Mar 2026
342 - BUGS!!!!!! with Akilah Hughes

Mon, 02 Mar 2026
341 - Talking to the Future: Nuclear Semiotics (rerun)

Mon, 23 Feb 2026
340 - JINGLES pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

Mon, 16 Feb 2026
338 - JINGLES pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

Mon, 09 Feb 2026
337 - A Cult by Any Other Name with Joseph Laycock

Mon, 02 Feb 2026
336 - The Art of (Psychological) War with Annalee Newitz

Mon, 26 Jan 2026
335 - Celebrity Clone Conspiracies with 'No Such Thing' Podcast

Mon, 19 Jan 2026
334 - JESUS TOAST

Mon, 12 Jan 2026
333 - Party (and Panic) Like It's 1999 with Ross Benes

Mon, 29 Dec 2025
332 - MALL SANTAS pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

Mon, 22 Dec 2025
331 - MALL SANTAS pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'

Mon, 15 Dec 2025
330 - Three or More Is a Riot with Jelani Cobb

Mon, 08 Dec 2025
329 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show with 'This Ends At Prom'

Mon, 01 Dec 2025
327 - THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (rewind)

Mon, 24 Nov 2025
326 - The Devil We Know with Sarah Marshall

Mon, 17 Nov 2025
325 - Disneyland’s Disastrous Opening Day with Riley Swedelius-Smith and Miranda Zickler

Mon, 10 Nov 2025
324 - Bot Farms and the Troll Toll with Perry Carpenter

Mon, 03 Nov 2025