Latest episode
Season 6
S6E2 - "Frank Sinatra's sweaty upper lip."
This week we talk about two horror movies that aren't horror movies, but actually are horror movies: John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) and Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash" (2014).
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S6E3 - "Leave the iguana alone!"
We've got another odds-and-ends episode for you this week, where we talk about four of the lesser-known cryptids/bogeys from around the world.
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S6E4 - "A Giraffe of Lions and Bears."
We're (hopefully, knock on wood) marking the decline of the COVID-19 pandemic with a couple stories about historical plagues. Amelia takes us deep into the gross and deadly 1854 Broad Street cholera epidemic of London, and Scotty talks about the infamous and bizarre "dancing plagues" of Europe.
S6E5 - "Swimming a witch..." (with Rebecca Rowland)
This week we welcome our first guest host, horror author and editor Rebecca Rowland! Rebecca takes us through the Salem witch hysteria of 1692, while Scotty talks about the book Michelle Remembers and the beginning of the Satanic Panic. Plus a conversation about writing horror, editing, and the upcoming charity anthology Dancing in the Shadows: A Tribute
S6E6 - "Words are spells..." (with Danielle Robertson)
This week Scotty welcomes actor/comedian Danielle Robertson on to talk about acting, improv, standup, and the unexpected ways that horror and comedy intersect.
Link to Amelia's reading of Scotty's short stories "In the Woods," "Mary," and "Mouse Trap," recorded after Duke City Repertory Theatre's performance of "Ghost, Ghost, Come Out
S6E7 - "The man who talked about his father." (with Danielle Robertson)
This week guest host Danielle explains how stand-up comedy has its roots in the racist history of minstrel shows and describes how one performer decided to push back, and Scotty talks about the particularities of Jewish humor and how it manifested in the famed "borscht belt" of the Catskills. Plus, a palate-cleansing clip of the incredible Moms Mabley!
S6E8 - "A blob of need..."
Amelia is BACK for an episode of THE Weirdest Thing Podcast! This week we cover two absolutely badass women in history. Amelia talks about Linda Coffee, the unsung hero of Roe Vs. Wade and the battle for reproductive rights, while Scotty discusses the too-short life and immense musical legacy of Mia Zapata, lead singer of The Gits.
S6E9 - "Stain the White City with splattered carnage..." (with Sara Tantlinger)
This week Scotty welcomes celebrated author Sara Tantlinger onto the podcast to talk about poetry, writing horror, psychopaths, historical serial killers, and her Bram Stoker-nominated collection The Devil's Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes.
CONTENT WARNING: This week's episode talks about murder in many of its various forms.
S6E10 - "This means war!"
Welcome back to THE Weirdest Thing Podcast! This week we delve into two unexpected and very different conflicts. Scotty talks about the shocking Gombe Chimpanzee War of 1974 and its implications for our understanding of human behavior, while Amelia explores the Chocolate Wars and how they spurred innovations that changed how we make, eat, and market food
S6E11 - "Bless the teachers!" (with Lauren Poole)
This week Scotty and actor/comedian/rock star Lauren Poole have a wide-ranging conversation about everything from theatre, the best lessons ever learned from teachers, the enduring power of Korn, writing music, going viral, touring with indie legends, and (of course) Lauren's kickass band Prism Bitch.