197 episodes

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.

American Hysteria American Hysteria +

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.3 • 2.9K Ratings

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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.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    When Conspiracies Aren't Just Theories with Journalist Tom Risen

    When Conspiracies Aren't Just Theories with Journalist Tom Risen

    Journalist and author Tom Risen is here to tell me about some of the real conspiracies that the CIA and the FBI were involved in from the 50s to the 70s and how, in 1975, one senator finally took these agencies to task, revealing shocking truths that would be used for decades to make the conspiracy theories we know today seem far more plausible. Tom writes about government surveillance and spy agencies and is the co-author of the bestselling book 'The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys—and One Senator's Fight to Save Democracy,'" which he wrote with his father, James Risen, another journalist who has spent decades covering intelligence agencies.

    Get Tom's Book

    Producer and Editor: Miranda Zickler
    Associate Producer: Riley Swedelius-Smith
    Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

    Head to americanhysteria.com to get merch and leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline!

    Head to FACTORMEALS.com/americanhysteria50 and use code americanhysteria50 to get 50% off your first purchase
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 16 min
    Bigfoot's Big Adventure with Author John O'Connor

    Bigfoot's Big Adventure with Author John O'Connor

    John O'Connor is the author of The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, a cross-country adventure and investigation into the lore around Bigfoot as well as the personalities of those who spend their lives chasing this elusive creature.

    Get John's book here

    Producer and Editor: Miranda Zickler
    Associate Producer: Riley Swedelius-Smith
    Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

    Go to factormeals.com/americanhysteria50 and use code americanhysteria50 and use code americanhysteria50 to get 50% off your order
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 53 min
    Gang Initiations pt. 2

    Gang Initiations pt. 2

    For the second part of this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are continuing to explore various tall tales of ruthless gang initiations from the 1990s onward, as well as looking at the sweeping anti-gang laws of the 80s and 90s that had devastating effects on communities and categorized entire neighborhoods as gang associates, enacting severe punishments based on erroneous assumptions and outright lies.

    Call for a Ceasefire and Help End Civilian Suffering

    Leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline
    Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content
    Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts

    Sound designer and associate producer: Riley Swedelius-Smith
    Producer: Miranda Zickler
    Voice Actor: Will Rogers
    Written, produced and hosted by by Chelsey Weber-Smith
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 54 min
    Gang Initiations pt. 1

    Gang Initiations pt. 1

    For this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are answering a listener message about a story of street gangs initiating wannabes with frightening rituals including driving around with their headlights off and murdering the first good samaritan who gives them a courtesy flash. We'll explore several scares that have flared up due to different versions of this urban legend, as well as real crimes wrongfully blamed on these initiations, all leading to the feeling that street gangs were creeping into the suburbs, looking for human sacrifices.

    Leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline
    Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content
    Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts

    Sound designer and associate producer: Riley Swedelius-Smith
    Producer: Miranda Zickler
    Voice Actor: Will Rogers
    Written, produced and hosted by by Chelsey Weber-Smith

    Thank you to our sponsors:
    Factor’s delicious, ready-to-eat meals make eating better every day easy. Head to factormeals.com/americanhysteria50 and use code americanhysteria50 to get 50% off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Context Clues: Ganging Up

    Context Clues: Ganging Up

    'Gang Initiations' is the topic of our upcoming series, and this episode will provide extra context using excerpts from three previous episodes—Urban Legends, Drugs, and Dangerous Teens.

    Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content
    Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts

    Thank you to our sponsors:
    Factor’s delicious, ready-to-eat meals make eating better every day easy. Head to factormeals.com/americanhysteria50 and use code americanhysteria50 to get 50% off.

    Sound design and co-production by Riley Swedelius-Smith
    Produced and edited by Miranda Zickler
    Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

    Check out our new merch line Folk Devils United
    Leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

    Live at SF Sketchfest, Sarah Marshall tells me about the urban-legendary alligators in the sewers of New York City. But of course, that's only one of the many manholes we open.

    Make sure you listen to You're Wrong About!
    Leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline
    Check out our new merch line Folk Devils United
    Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content
    Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts

    Producer and Editor: Miranda Zickler
    Associate Producer: Riley Swedelius-Smith
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 14 min

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5
2.9K Ratings

2.9K Ratings

Janet?Marty?WhoAreYouPeople!? ,

Great podcast

Very entertaining and covers a wide range of topics!

screw a nickname??? ,

Unlistenable cadence

Content is great, but Chelsey speaks in an awkward, slow stilt that renders it unlistenable— a bizarre affectation that only alienates the audience. I only listen when there’s a guest to bring out normal human speech patterns.

ZËDUBB ,

Vocal styling unbearable

I’m sorry I want to listen to this I enjoy the content but the vocal styling is so difficult to listen to. It is only barely bearable on 1.5 speed and the constant emphasis on every 3-4 words is so frustrating to listen to. It’s like the host is reading a title header for dramatic effect but then reads the rest of the script that way. Please consider changing this style as it’s so hard to enjoy the content.

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