logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
57m 40s

Urban Legends in the Internet Wilderness...

CHELSEY WEBER-SMITH
About this episode

For this episode we chat about the sensational tales of cyberspace, from Slenderman to the Momo suicide game, with the guys behind the new podcast Digital Folklore, an immersive experience that explores online culture, internet monsters, memes, and urban legends as an accessible and entertaining way to learn about academic folklore concepts. We'll get deep into what these new stories tell us about ourselves, American society, and the wilderness of the modern internet.


Subscribe to Digital Folklore!


Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content


American Hysteria is produced and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith

Edited by Miranda Zickler

Sound design by Clear Commo Studios

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 8
Listen Now: American Scandal
Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage. Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and ... Show More
6m 29s
Jul 7
Staring at the Sun on LSD with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'
Have you ever heard the urban legend about the group of hippie college students that went blind while staring at the sun during an LSD trip? This tale became a very powerful anecdote in the 1960s as politicians tried to regulate the spread of acid spread across college campuses. ... Show More
1h 26m
Jun 30
The Call is Coming From Inside the House with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About'
You've probably heard the urban legend called the Babysitter and the Man Upstairs or at least know the idiom it inspired: “The call is coming from inside the house.” Sarah Marshall of the podcasts You’re Wrong About and You Are Good joins me as I share some new ideas about where ... Show More
1h 35m
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
Obsessions: Emma Dabiri On Why She's Always Loved Ghost Stories And Folklore
Do you believe in ghosts? This week on the podcast we're joined by the amazing Emma Dabiri. The Sunday Times Bestselling author, academic, and broadcaster is telling us about her lifelong obsession with folklore and ghost stories. Growing up in Ireland, with folklore an integral ... Show More
39m 16s
Mar 2023
Wednesday One-Shot: Being Young and on the Internet Sucks
Welcome to a new series where we share a bonus story to help get you through that midweek slump. This is a story from a listener named Mystical Noodles. The story you've heard this week was narrated and produced with the permission of its respective author. Let's Not Meet: A True ... Show More
7m 42s
Mar 2023
Listener Stories From Around the World
If you subscribe to this podcast, then you're familiar with our listener dispatches: unique, funny, and often deeply personal stories shared with us by the Women Who Travel community. Weaving them into the podcast is one our favorite things to do, which is why this week we're mix ... Show More
40m 11s
Jul 2022
Introducing “The Sum of Us”
In a new series from Higher Ground, author Heather McGhee embarks on a road trip across Covid-era America, unearthing stories of American hope and solidarity in a time of great division and peril for our democracy.  In the first episode of the podcast, we’ll meet Heather and lear ... Show More
23m 3s
Mar 2022
EP240: The Silver Kings and the "Big Bonanza" and The Man Who Brought Couponing to the Digital Age
On this episode of Our American Stories, Roger McGrath, author of Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes is here to tell us the story of the richest mineral discovery in American history, the Comstock Lode. Jason Wolfe created the first coupon site on the internet back when you ... Show More
38m 13s
Oct 2021
SMNTY Classics: Where Be (Female) Monsters?
Welcome to your worst (podcast) nightmare. In this classic episode, Anney and Samantha delve into the storied history of female monsters, and talk about how we can bridge the monster gender gap. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudi ... Show More
1h 4m