Tag: Pop Culture

In the Autumn of 1944, in the small town of Mattoon, Illinois, people were afraid. They weren’t afraid of bombs falling from the night sky without warning, or losing loved ones and how they’d get by on their own if something happened, or escaped Nazi Prisoners of War. Of course they weren’t. Voicing such fears would be bad for morale and positively un-American; at a time when patriotism was the greatest defense against a sense of powerlessness and depression that could have doused the brightest home fires. No, their fear was of something lurking in alley ways and creeping around slumbering homes. They feared the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon,” who piped unknown chemicals into their windows as they slept. His poison was not fatal, but its effects were unpleasant, and his attacks were quickly increasing in frequency. This mad scientist fiend had to be stopped, and he was, though not in the way one would expect. Join us this week as we explore the month of panic in Mattoon that began as a manhunt, and ended as the defining study of the psychological phenomenon of mass hysteria. Of course, we will spend some time analyzing the crimes as if they are not just a story. We’ll discuss credible suspects and incredible claims, and a brand new theory on the origin of the fear. 

For more on this week’s episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com

Twitter: @justastorypod 

Instagram: justastorypod 

Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

  Read More …

Imagine realizing you are worth more dead than you are alive; that there was a market for your corpse; that you might never be allowed to rest in peace, even after death. These are the ideas that drive the legend of Needle Men. The mysterious sounding title was used to describe rogue medical students in New Orleans who went out looking for unsuspecting victims to inject with poison and carve up in order to learn the secrets of the human body. While this is a legend, the study of human anatomy did have a dark side in America’s early days. This week we will explore the history of Resurrectionists, Night Doctors and Sackemup Men; and how the fear of such persons along with the fear of Night Riding Slave Patrols gave rise to the Invisible Empire known as the Ku Klux Klan. Join us this week as we discuss the terror the KKK has inspired in America for well over a century, and the ways in which this hate group is evolving to continue its teachings and missions in modern society.

Guest Story Teller: Matthew Guinn: http://www.matthewguinn.com/

For more on this week’s episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com

Twitter: @justastorypod 

Instagram: justastorypod 

Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375 Read More …

Imagine realizing you are worth more dead than you are alive; that there was a market for your corpse; that you might never be allowed to rest in peace, even after death. These are the ideas that drive the legend of Needle Men. The mysterious sounding … Read More …

There is something infinitely fascinating about the idea of children who have grown up outside of the constructs of society. These individuals have taken on legendary status over the centuries, from Romulus and Remus to Mowgli and Tarzan. Perhaps we imagine their connections to the natural world run deeper than those of us civilized people, or that they might have something to tell us about the essential nature of humanity. In some ways, people look to these wild boys and girls to exemplify the ‘noble savage’ archetype. We will explore the legend of children raised by animals as we examine “The Wolf Girl of Devil’s River.” We will also discuss the real world phenomena of feral children and their reintegration into society over the course of history, and ask that age-old question; just what is it that separates humans from animals?

Hint: it rhymes with smodcasting.

For more on this week’s episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com

Twitter: @justastorypod 

Instagram: justastorypod 

Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

  Read More …

There is something infinitely fascinating about the idea of children who have grown up outside of the constructs of society. These individuals have taken on legendary status over the centuries, from Romulus and Remus to Mowgli and Tarzan. Perhaps we im… Read More …

Where do people go when they disappear? The idea that a person can just vanish is inarguably mysterious, and that element of mystery seems to capture the public imagination each time such an event is reported. One line of conjecture that inevitably arises in the wake of a person going missing is, ‘maybe they just left to start a new life.’ This idea seems to be something of an urban legend. In fact, there are many urban legends surrounding these mysterious missing persons cases. From alleged amnesia, to falsified ransom notes, there are many ways in which people who wish to start over justify their absences. Though the stories of missing persons are as varied as they are numerous, statistically speaking; these disappearances are much more likely to be the results of foul play or accidents, than carefully orchestrated schemes to start over somewhere new. Can a person just walk away from his or her life? Is such a thing even possible, especially in this day and age? This week we will examine the difficulty of leaving behind a well established life without a trace. We will explore the recent case of someone who seems to have successfully hit the reset button, and left the world guessing at her reasons and methods, Lori Erica Ruff. We will also take a look at some extraordinary stories of historical incidents of staged kidnappings and high profile disappearances (and reappearances). We’ll conclude with a discussion of the very strange case of mystery author, Agatha Christie. 

For more on this week’s episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com

Twitter: @justastorypod 

Instagram: justastorypod 

Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375 Read More …

Where do people go when they disappear? The idea that a person can just vanish is inarguably mysterious, and that element of mystery seems to capture the public imagination each time such an event is reported. One line of conjecture that inevitably ari… Read More …

Ice Queens are all the rage these days. Aside from the popularity of “Frozen”, sarcasm, snark, and apathy are kind of the hallmark of our age. But whatever, like we care. This week we’ll be taking a look at the Russian folktale, “The Snow Child”, from … Read More …

Ice Queens are all the rage these days. Aside from the popularity of “Frozen”, sarcasm, snark, and apathy are kind of the hallmark of our age. But whatever, like we care. This week we’ll be taking a look at the Russian folktale, “The Snow Child”, from which the Christmastime figure, Snegurochka, is based. We’ll be examine the construction of the modern Ice Queen trope, and the factors that psychologists say may contribute to those personality types. We will also be exploring the history of the real world Ice Queen of Russia, Anna Ioannovna and her ice palace.

For more on this week’s episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com

Twitter: @justastorypod 

Instagram: justastorypod 

Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375 Read More …