Podcasts by You

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Sarah is a journalist obsessed with the past. Every week she reconsiders a person or event that's been miscast in the public imagination.

Further podcasts by Michael Hobbes & Sarah Marshall

Podcast on the topic Geschichte

All episodes

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Disco Demolition Night from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a silly sports promotion galvanized a reactionary movement. Digressions include “Charlotte’s Web,” Jane Fonda and German-language musicals. Songs are dissected; the honor of Da...

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Murder from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah about the most common forms of violence in America and how they differ (twist!) from what gets shown on TV. Digressions include Perry Mason, “It’s A Wonderful Life” and fruit-totin...

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Deep Dive Week 3: Nancy Grace v. The Jury from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah walks Mike through Nancy Grace’s prosecution of American juries. Cameos include Mark Geragos (again), O.J. Simpson (inevitably) and Jessica Hahn (thank God). Gus Van Sant’s masterp...

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Bonus Episode! Sarah and Mike on "The Feminist Present" Podcast from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Mike tell Laura and Adrian about how we met, how we research and what we would say to Jessica Simpson if we ever met her.Support us:...

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Deep Dive Week 2: Nancy Grace v. The Defense from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Nancy reveals her distaste for Scott Peterson and due process. Digressions include prison fashion, Batman and Saddam Hussein. Sarah finds her first Satanic cult. This episode includes de...

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Koko The Gorilla from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“It’s interesting that we became enthusiastic about ASL in the process of teaching it to a population that couldn’t benefit from it.”Mike tells Sarah about a very special ape and the very problemat...

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Courtney Love from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Special guest Candace Opper tells Mike and Sarah how a grunge star became the protagonist in one of America's most persistent conspiracy theories. Digressions include Neil Young, protest songs and ...

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"The Prom Mom" from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about Melissa Drexler, the New Jersey teenager who (according to George F. Will) killed her newborn baby due to the influence of Metallica and the United States Supreme Court. Digr...

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Deep Dive: Nancy Grace's "Objection!" (Week 1) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how a superhero’s genesis was a supervillain’s origin story all along. In our new deep dive, we tackle Nancy Grace’s “Objection!” and debate how defendants should behave at trial, ...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: The Bronco Chase from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On June 17, 1994, the world screeched to a halt so 95 million Americans could watch a white SUV crawl through L.A. Today, we finally talk about the infamous Bronco chase, the men inside the car and...

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Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (The Conclusion!) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we complete our Jessica Simpson book club with the appearance of a new man who triggers some old anxieties. Digressions include Dolly Parton, mom jeans and a forgotten Hollywood power co...

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Re-Release: The Stonewall Uprising from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In honor of Pride Month and revolutions past, present, and future, we're re-releasing our episode on the Stonewall Uprising. Let the sunshine in.

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Anastasia from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Special guest Dana Schwartz tells Mike and Sarah how a short, brutal story became an enduring myth. Digressions include Titanic nostalgia, Princess Jasmine and Dr. Phil. A significant portion of th...

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Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (Week 3) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We discuss Jessica's reality-show marriage and its painfully ordinary end. Digressions include "Showgirls," "The Notebook" and Adam Levine. "Hamlet" makes an appearance; Willie Nelson and Lynda Car...

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The Disappearance of Chandra Levy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“It’s a mess and a nightmare and maybe it’s disingenuous to think you can turn the story of someone being murdered into anything else.” Mike tells Sarah about a missing intern, a shady politician a...

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Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (Week 2) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Her parents’ financial success is dependent on her abdomen.” This week, Jessica moves to L.A., records a video and meets a boy. The celebrity cameos escalate. Digressions include overalls, werewol...

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Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (Week 1) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Our journey through late-'90s pop stardom begins with an intervention and ends with an audition. Digressions include Willie Nelson, Ozzy Osbourne, Jane Fonda and the cast of the Mickey Mouse Club. ...

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The Y2K Bug from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how an obscure technical glitch became a nationwide mobilization. Digressions include Twitter beefs, “The Net” and VHS pricing. We spend much of the episode roasting our own work f...

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Quarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 5) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We conclude our book club with Michelle's escape from the dungeon. The dead baby trend continues; Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Satan’s fingernails make brief appearances. Digressions include Dustin H...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: When Kato Met Marcia from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about the clash of the titans, the fury at the grand jury. We follow Kato, the wise fool of the kingdom, for the week between the murders and the Bronco chase. Digressions include ...

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Quarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 4) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, our lithe psychiatrist takes his favorite patient hiking, a priest burns some furniture and Michelle tries to escape her remembering. This episode contains descriptions of kitten sacrifi...

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Quarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 3) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Mike continue into the depths. With Dr. Pazder home from Mexico, he and Michelle continue their journey into her subconscious, and the stories continue to get weirder. This episode contai...

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Marie Antoinette from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“What’s sad about her has nothing to do with the content of her character.” Special guest Dana Schwartz tells Mike and Sarah how an Austrian princess became a French scapegoat. Digressions include ...

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Quarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 2) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Mike continue their journey into the book that launched a thousand lawsuits. Michelle and Dr. Pazder’s relationship grows more troubling by the chapter. Digressions include orgy etiquette...

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The Exploding Ford Pinto from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah about a dying industry, a dangerous car and the Pulitzer Prize-winning article that misrepresented them both. Digressions include “Mission Impossible,” “Friday the 13th” and the na...

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Quarantine Book Club: “Michelle Remembers” (Week 1) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah describes the spark that ignited the Satanic Panic. Our setting is a therapist’s office in 1976 Victoria, B.C., and our digressions include Sybil, scary paperbacks from the 80s and shouting "...

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D.C. Snipers Part 4 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In the final chapter of our series on the D.C. sniper attacks, Mike finally tells Sarah about the D.C. sniper attacks. Digressions include “The Abyss,” Ed Rooney and Jack the Ripper. We begin the e...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Marcia Clark Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about a week in the life of Marcia Clark, who became America’s most famous prosecutor on June 13, 1994. Digressions include car phones, college group work and “Titanic” (as usual)....

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D.C. Snipers Part 3 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah about the indoctrination of Lee Boyd Malvo and the beginning of the sniper attacks. Digressions include Jonestown, Greek tragedy and something called “creepy crawling.” The episode...

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Valentine’s Day Re-Release: Anna Nicole Smith from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Valentine’s Day re-release! Sarah and Mike reflect on one of the only love stories they’ve ever covered on the show.

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Why Didn’t Anyone Go to Prison for the Financial Crisis? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Every big fish you catch, you end up with a hole in the net.” Mike tells Sarah how America’s white-collar crime spree got so bad. Digressions include self-checkout kiosks, Barbie dolls and moonshi...

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D.C. Snipers Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a nice Jamaican kid became the disciple of a mean American adult. Digressions include Tonya Harding (of course), “Sliding Doors” (again) and Anne of Green Gables (Sarah has an ...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Kato Kaelin Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike the ending to the story of the mimbo and the alibi. Digressions include O. Henry, Nigerian e-mail scams and Dave Coulier. Mike wildly over-simplifies the Brexit vote. 

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D.C. Snipers Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“If you’re black, you can’t get work as a serial killer even if you’re manifestly qualified.” Mike tells Sarah how a military veteran became an abuser, a murderer and, eventually, a footnote in his...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Kato Kaelin Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how an aspiring actor protected and then betrayed Nicole Brown Simpson without knowing he was doing either. Digressions include '80s movie tropes, ski-resort etiquette and the need...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Barbieri Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

"There’s no precedent for women in this family being treated like they matter."

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Human Trafficking from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how NGOs, activists and George W. Bush resurrected the 'stranger danger' panic for the modern era. Digressions include Reply All, muffins and Yelp for massage parlors. Mike's vocal...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Marcia Clark Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how Marcia Clark got the slam-dunk case that ended her career as a trial lawyer. Digressions include string cheese, "Inception" and what calling women "difficult" means in 2019. We...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Barbieri Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

"Centering conversations around blame is not the most useful thing for us to be doing." Sarah tells Mike about the woman who broke up with O.J. Simpson on the morning of the murders — then stayed b...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“You can’t expect people to know the exact kind of help they need.” We continue our deep dive into the O.J. Simpson case with the history of Nicole Brown Simpson's marriage to O.J., their 1992 divo...

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The O.J. Simpson Trial: Nicole Brown Simpson Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike and Sarah begin their epic journey into O.J. Simpson's trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, beginning with the story of Nicole's life with O.J. until their marriage i...

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The Wardrobe Malfunction from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Our first live show! Mike tells Sarah about Janet Jackson, the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show and the 9/16ths of a second that destroyed her career. Digressions include Puff Daddy, Jessica Simpson a...

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‘Yoko Ono Broke Up The Beatles’ from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how the myth of meddling wives serves to exonerate terrible husbands. Digressions include "50 Shades of Grey," Marie Antoinette and the end of the 1960s. This episode, we’re sorry ...

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Gangs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Isn’t it amazing how we can only imagine our monsters capitalistically?” Mike tells Sarah how police, prosecutors and journalists accidentally conspired to invent the perfect suburban menace. Digr...

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The Victims’ Rights Movement from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“When you allow emotion into the courtroom, bias rushes in alongside it.” Special guest Rachel Monroe tells Mike and Sarah how a good-faith critique of the justice system led to a decades-long crac...

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Sex Offenders from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Things are not going to get better if we make the people who scare us seem more powerful.” Mike tells Sarah about the myths of sex crimes, the reality of child abuse and the importance of unsympat...

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Tonya Harding Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“The story that did the most damage to the people in it was the one that made the most money.” Sarah tells Mike about the low-rent conspiracy that sparked a ratings bonanza.  Digressions include "O...

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Tonya Harding Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike the story of a world-class figure skater who worked at a mall potato restaurant. Digressions include “Sleepless in Seattle,” mall walkers, synchronized diving and the difficulty of...

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The Stonewall Uprising from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Humans aren’t good at remembering what got us where we are.” Mike tells Sarah how a turning point in the gay rights movement became an immediate controversy, a lasting inspiration and a never-endi...

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Kitty Genovese and “Bystander Apathy” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Once you tell a story incorrectly once, you can’t control where it goes.” Sarah tells Mike how The New York Times turned a suburban murder into an urban legend. Digressions include Billy Joel, the...

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Sexting from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“We’re uncomfortable with the evidence that teen girls have sexual agency.” Special guest Amy Hasinoff tells Mike and Sarah how a moral panic became a legal nightmare. Digressions include Cosmo adv...

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The American Taliban from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“He’s been punished even more than the American prison system can aspire to punish anyone”: Mike tells Sarah how John Walker Lindh became a terrorist in the media, a freedom fighter in his own mind...

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Exorcism from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

"It just seems like capitalism masquerading as religion": Sarah tells Mike how a horror movie resurrected a ritual and established an industry. Digressions include “Avatar,” the NFL and the ethics ...

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Homelessness from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“We want stories that don’t exist in systems”: Mike tells Sarah what happened when Utah set out to solve one of America's most intractable problems. Digressions include the Paleo diet, the planet M...

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Dan Quayle v. Murphy Brown from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“Why did we make fun of Dan Quayle for misspelling the word ‘potato’ when we should have made fun of him for arguments like this?” Mike tells Sarah how a real vice president blamed a fictional sing...

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Elián González from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a 5-year-old kid transformed a city, divided a political party and (maybe) determined a presidential election. Digressions include World War II, Clarence Darrow and something c...

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The Preppy Murder from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how an aspiring rich kid became an emblem of a world he didn't belong to. Digressions include drill teams, prep schools and eating disorders. The p-pops are worse than usual.

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The “Ebonics” Controversy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a simple idea in a single school district became a nationwide racial panic. Digressions include slasher movies, Space Invaders and homeschooling. The taglines are becoming more...

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Terri Schiavo from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how the media, the president and the Pope turned a simple medical story into a complicated legal one. Digressions include canine loyalty, unionized space-workers and polyamory logi...

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Anna Nicole Smith from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how a poor Texas girl made herself into an icon and America made her into a punchline. Digressions include massage technique, “Death Becomes Her” and (obviously) “The Godfather.” M...

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Acid Rain from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how an environmental problem became a national rallying cry, a sticky diplomatic issue and, eventually, a conspiracy theory. Digressions include “Alien,” Field & Stream and NRA pub...

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Gary Hart from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how a sex scandal ruined a rising star and established a new template for American elections. Digressions include "Good Will Hunting," People Magazine and Linda Ronstadt. Michael D...

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Tammy Faye Bakker and Jessica Hahn from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“She only said one thing her whole life”: Sarah tells Mike how two decent women became scapegoats for the actions of one terrible man. Digressions include Larry Flynt, NPR tote bags and Playboy bac...

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Enron from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a "bad apples” explanation kept us from seeing the real scandal at the heart of America's largest corporate bankruptcy. Digressions include “Casino,” Thanksgiving economics and...

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The Challenger Disaster from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It wasn’t an accident. Mike tells Sarah how the infamous space shuttle disaster came to be seen as a white-collar crime. Digressions include the Donner Party, George Lucas and “Jurassic Park.” Both...

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“A Dingo’s Got My Baby” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how a tragic story became a hacky catchphrase. Digressions include raccoon anarchists, flu remedies and late-night Arby’s. Sarah's Google Alerts will surprise none of our listeners.

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The 2000 Election from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a close election and an even closer Supreme Court decision established the political template we're still living with today. Digressions include quarks, Ouija Boards and (sorry...

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Princess Diana Part 2: The Wedding from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Diana gets married, joins her new family and meets the press. Digressions include Judy Garland, Edward Cullen and the AITA subreddit. Unfortunately, this episode includes detailed descri...

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Amy Fisher from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about the sad reality — and the terrible man — behind the infamous Long Island Lolita. Digressions include software terms of service, the rise of beepers and Monica Lewinsky’s Link...

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Princess Diana Part 1: The Courtship from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We start our new series with the story of a girl, a prince and the society that convinced them they liked each other. Digressions include camels, Beyoncé and the idiosyncrasies of British place nam...

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Roe v. Wade from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Special guest Megan Burbank tells us about the history, limitations and loopholes of a landmark court ruling. Digressions include Betty Ford, "Maude" and naming conventions for anonymous defendants...

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The Duke Lacrosse Rape Case from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how a false rape allegation became a right-wing rallying cry and a left-wing conspiracy theory. Digressions include JonBenet Ramsay, “24” and “The Vagina Monologues." Mike regrets ...

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Lorena Bobbitt from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how a case of marital rape and spontaneous mutilation became a national punchline. Digressions include Ron Jeremy, Alan Dershowitz, Motörhead and the tortures of self-reflection. S...

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Stranger Danger from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

How inflated statistics, cultural anxieties and moral crusaders turned a tiny number of missing children into a decade-long political project. Digressions include 1870s parenting, “E.T.” and the la...

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Urban Legends Spectacular! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Razorblades in apples, babysitters on acid, killers in backseats and "rainbow parties": In this episode, Mike and Sarah investigate the scary stories Americans tell each other and discover the actu...

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Halloween Special! Ed Gein and Slasher Movies from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how Ed Gein became one of America’s most famous serial killers despite not actually being one. Plus, the cinematic villains Gein inspired and what the slasher movies of the 1980s w...

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Shaken Baby Syndrome from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah how an over-simplified diagnosis, over-confident doctors and over-zealous prosecutors combined to get thousands of innocent parents thrown in prison. Digressions include food poiso...

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Multiple Personality Disorder from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike how pop culture created a two-decade-long obsession with multiple personality disorder and repressed memories. Digressions include Dead Poets Society, restless leg syndrome and the...

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The Obesity Epidemic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah that America has sent the wrong messages and done the wrong things about obesity for more than half a century. Digressions include height (again), sweatshops and Julianne Moore. Sa...

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Columbine from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Special guest Rachel Monroe (re-)joins Mike and Sarah to talk about all the myths surrounding the second-biggest news event of the 1990s. Digressions include car crashes, September 11, Diane Sawyer...

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Iran-Contra from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah why the biggest scandal of Reagan's presidency provides more (depressing) lessons about current politics than Watergate. Digressions include Mormons, Top Gun and the X-Files. Both ...

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Jeffrey Dahmer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike that shoddy policing (and Milwaukee generally) are responsible for one of America's most prolific serial killers. Digressions include panel vans, Anita Bryant, early man and Hannib...

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D.A.R.E. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah that the D.A.R.E. program did not, in fact, keep kids off drugs. But that’s just the beginning of the debunking. Digressions include Martin Scorsese, Iceland and control groups. Ne...

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Alpha Males from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike that animal behavior is an imperfect template for human society. Digressions include rabbits, Bob’s Burgers and online dating. Mike makes an awkward observation about locker rooms.

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Kurt Cobain and “Copycat Suicide” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Special guest Candace Opper tells Mike and Sarah about how the death of a rock star changed the field of suicidology (which is a thing). Digressions include eating disorders, car crashes and the in...

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Princess Diana Part 3: The Affairs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Diana swaps out her husband for a Horse Dude and Mike and Sarah act out other people's PG-13 dirty talk. Digressions include shoulder pads, Billy Joel and "Seinfeld" (twice!). There's a ...

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“The Godfather” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about how America's favorite gangster movie is really its favorite killing-the-American-Dream movie. Digressions include the Mona Lisa, Bruce Springsteen and the tyranny of height-...

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The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah that America’s most devastating oil spill was not, in fact, a DUI. Digressions include “Titanic" (obviously), the Cuyahoga River, Jennifer Lopez and marshmallows. Punitive damages ...

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Snuff Films from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about how snuff films don't exist but lots of near-snuff films do. Digressions include "Basic Instinct," gymnastics and YouTube’s righthand bar. Mike is palpably grossed out for at...

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Bonus: The President's Physical Fitness Test from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike has a new podcast! Here's the first episode, in which he debunks the absurd Cold War trauma factory that was once administered to 75% of American children.  If you want to subscribe to Mainten...

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The Jonestown Massacre from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Special guest Rachel Monroe tells Mike and Sarah what's really behind the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid.” Digressions include David Koresh, East Germany and how flower children were the first mille...

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Halloween Special: Creepy Encounters from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Mike and Sarah dissect the Creepy Encounters subreddit and how to handle our creepy feelings in an unsafe time and place.  Digressions include Carol Kane, McDonald's and Uber.  Sarah won...

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The Clinton Impeachment from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Part two of our epic dissection of the Clinton impeachment scandal. This week: The story breaks, the House indicts, the Senate demurs and Mike rants more than usual about the media. Digressions inc...

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Monica Lewinsky from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Mike talk about what America forgot — and never learned — about history’s most famous intern. Digressions include generational resentments, 1990s fashion and off-brand colleges. Also, Mik...

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Anita Hill from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah about the complicated legacy of Anita Hill and the not-particularly-complicated facts of her case. Digressions include “Tootsie," Garrison Keillor and the Donner party. Mike, for r...

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Stockholm Syndrome from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s not a real thing! … OR IS IT? Sarah tells Mike about the convoluted history of a contested term. Digressions include James Bond, Charlie Manson and rat poison. Continue reading ?

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Matthew Shepard from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

But not how you think! Special guest Mike Owens tells Sarah and Mike about the (attempted) debunking of the gay-bashing victim. Digressions include Leopold and Loeb, Basic Instinct and Rolling Ston...

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Afterschool Specials from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah that the TV movies of her childhood were both less and more problematic than she remembers. Continue reading ?

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Crack Babies from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about the long history of white anxiety over black motherhood. Continue reading ?

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Going Postal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah about the rash of mass shootings carried out by postal workers in the '80s and '90s, then brings out the debunkin' turducken. Continue reading ?

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The Satanic Panic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The 1980s were real but the Satanists weren't. Sarah tells Mike about why America spent a decade worried about witches running daycare centers.

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Killer Clowns from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

For our 100th episode, American Hysteria host Chelsey Weber-Smith visits our campfire to tell us about the time America was besieged by a killer clown panic ... and then the time it happened all ov...

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Tuskegee Syphilis Study Part 2: The Truth from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

“It’s like these men are being held in a bubble as science marches forward.” Mike tells Sarah how one of history's most unethical experiments came crashing down. Digressions include the history of ...

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Tuskegee Syphilis Study Part 1: The Lie from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Mike tells Sarah about the longest "non-therapeutic" experiment in medical history. Digressions include deep fried ice cream, Kato Kaelin and a hot-yoga cabinet. As a warning, this episode contains...

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Bonus Episode! Sarah’s New Podcast “Why Are Dads” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about her new foray into Dad Studies and, for the second time this week, discusses a horror movie about families from 1975 and sings a little.Subscribe! https://linktr.ee/whyaredads

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The Stepford Wives from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tells Mike about the real-life conspiracy written between the lines of a 1970s horror novel. Digressions include "Rosemary's Baby (again), Disney World (of course), a brief history of the Ame...

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Wayfair and Human Trafficking Statistics from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In another "mini" episode that accidentally turned mega, Mike tells Sarah about the Wayfair conspiracy theory and the sketchy statistical screenshots that have shown up in its wake. Digressions inc...

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The Satanic Panic from 2018-05-02T16:00

The 1980s were real but the Satanists weren't. Sarah tells Mike about why America spent a decade worried about witches running daycare centers.

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