logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
35m 23s

The Halloween Poisoner

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

Candy laced with cyanide and needles in marshmallows, we've long been warned to be suspicious of the sweet treats handed out by strangers at Halloween. But it seems that most stories of "Halloween sadism" are just that, stories. No child seems to have been  killed by adulterated Halloween candy... well... there is one terrible exception. The poisoned Pixy Stix of Pasadena, TX.

For a full list of sources used in this episode visit Tim Harford.com 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 22
Paradise Poisoned: How Utopias Fall Apart
Dore Strauch and Friedrich Ritter make an unconventional couple, united by their contempt for shoes, root vegetables and, above all, society. In 1929 they leave Germany and begin anew on the deserted Galapagos island of Floreana. At first, it feels like a paradise, but soon crack ... Show More
41 m
Aug 15
"Genius Still Unrecognised" - The Worst Poet in the World
William McGonagall's poems are something else. The jarring meter, the banal imagery, the awkward rhymes: they made him a laughing stock in 19th Century Scotland and are still derided to this day. How does someone get that bad at poetry? Or have we been misunderstanding McGonagall ... Show More
40m 3s
Aug 8
Office Hell: The Demise of the Playful Workspace (Classic)
In the early 90s, cutting-edge advertising agency Chiat/Day announced a radical plan, aimed at giving the company a jolt of creative renewal. They would sweep away corner offices and cubicles and replace them with zany open spaces, as well as innovative portable computers and pho ... Show More
38m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
SYMHC Classics: The History of Halloween Candy
Happy Halloween! To celebrate, we're revisiting a 2014 episode. Candy and Halloween go hand-in-hand, but when did candy become the standard for trick-or-treating, and who invented the holiday's most famous sweet treats like candy corn?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/ ... Show More
30m 14s
Oct 2021
Halloween history & turning 26
Since spooky season has finally arrived, let's dig our claws into the origins of all things Halloween. From costumes to trick-or-treating, why do we celebrate this night in search of our favorite candy? // Follow me on IG: instagram.com/katybellotte // Sources: https://www.bustle ... Show More
38m 8s
Oct 2020
Rotten: A Bite-Sized Halloween Treat
Happy Halloween from your friends at Something Scary! Here's a bonus Halloween warning to go along with your tricks and treats. Ella thinks that she can eat all the candy in the world, but she’s not prepared for what happens the day after Halloween! Learn more about your ad choic ... Show More
9m 30s
Oct 2022
History of Halloween
There is no holiday more strongly associated with horror, with all things creepy, frightening, and supernatural, than Halloween. It's the time of year when creatures of legend come alive, on tv and movie screens, in kitschy decorations, as suffocating rubber masks in costume shop ... Show More
24m 28s
Nov 2010
The Halloween Candy Trap
Halloween candy, for many people, is the beginning of the sugar season.  Bags of Halloween candy carry us into Thanksgiving pies, then on to the Holiday treats.  In the aftermath are a few more pounds and the Holiday Blues.  This week Licensed Nutritionists Kara Carper and Anna D ... Show More
45m 49s
Oct 2021
Trick or Treat: Soul Cakes, Candy Corn, and Sugar Skulls Galore!
If you live in the U.S., chances are, your first hint of fall isn’t a russet-colored leaf landing on the sidewalk—it’s the orange-wrappered candies taking over the aisles of your local grocery and convenience stores. Forget decorative gourds: it’s officially Halloween candy seaso ... Show More
51m 54s
Oct 2019
Candy Story
Halloween is Thursday October 31 and the crew talk about the best selling candy in the United States. Take a guess! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
4m 43s
Oct 2023
This Is Halloween
Looking for a scare? Fright this way. With Halloween a few weeks away, Gwenna and Tori are here to get you ready for all the candy, costumes, and scares… oh my. The duo shares their own stories from Halloweens past and present, delving into how they prepare for a spooky, but safe ... Show More
39m 48s
Oct 2021
Spooky Szn
Hey, Boo!Maddie and Kenzie are obsessed with Halloween and all the creepy, the candy, and the costumes!Should dogs wear costumes and are all clowns terrifying? They'll address this and so much more as we get spooky, scared, and fill up on sugary treats! Learn more about your ad-c ... Show More
19m 52s
Oct 2021
80. The Candyman - Halloween Candy Craze
On this episode of MWMH, Payton and Garrett discuss the origin of the halloween candy craze. LIVE ONLINE SHOW TICKETS HERE! https://www.moment.co/murderwithmyhusband Case Sources:https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/the-man-who-killed-halloween https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hallow ... Show More
39m 40s