logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
1h 15m

The Killer Crossdresser with Horror Anal...

CHELSEY WEBER-SMITH
About this episode

To unpack the movie trope of the Murderous Man in a Dress, prolific horror film analysts and writers BJ and Harmony Colangelo discuss with me all the complicated trans and drag “representation” in movies like Sleepaway Camp, Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, Dressed to Kill, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We’ll look at how these crossdressing killers have affected the psyche of Americans through the decades, whether there is anything redeemable about these characters, and what they have to tell us about the horrors of the present day.


Listen to This Ends at Prom

Preorder 'Sleepaway Camp'

Read Harmony's thoughts on The Silence of the Lambs


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

Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts


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
Jun 2023
The Unknown Woman
When a toymaker and a doctor teamed up to make the world’s first CPR doll, they decided to make the doll’s face look like one specific woman – a woman who they thought had drowned. People call her l’Inconnue de la Seine, or the Unknown Woman of the Seine. Say hello on Twitter, Fa ... Show More
36m 40s
Jan 2022
CLASSIC: Serial Killers on the Loose
TV, film and fiction have given the public a set of stereotypes about serial killers -- one of the biggest being that they always get caught. Join Ben, Matt, Noel and special guest Christian Sager as they explore the disturbing stories of uncaught serial killers in the second epi ... Show More
1h 16m
Apr 2019
Unsolved Murders: Robert Martin & Tracey Thompson
Two unsolved murders, two counties 20 minutes apart, two years in between--and no answers into the hallmark "overkill" beatings of two members of the LGBTQ+ community--including a trans woman and a gender-nonconforming gay man. Special content advisory by Jadzia Axelrod. Pre orde ... Show More
55m 30s
Jun 2024
One Troy
The Lawrence H. Woodward funeral home in Brooklyn has been run by one family for generations, and has handled many funerals for victims of violent crime. When we visited, one funeral director told us, “I don’t think people understand when you’re dealing with a victim who’s been s ... Show More
41m 8s
May 2024
Survivors reveal killing spree of suburban murderer; Serial killer brothers target couples
This Week on True Crime Daily The Podcast: A monster in suburbia flies under the radar, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Plus, a pair of brothers who killed together reveal their atrocities after receiving a plea deal. Alicia Dennis joins host Ana Garcia.Catch new episodes ... Show More
48m 30s
Jan 2019
Greg de Villers, American Beauty Murder | MURDERISH Bonus
Greg de Villers was found dead on his bed, with a bunch of rose petals surrounding his body. The murder scene was something straight out of a movie. His death was thought to be a suicide at first, but investigators would find out if was something much more sinister. MURDERISH has ... Show More
49m 41s
Feb 2019
The Widow and the Winchester
When Sarah Winchester's husband died, she inherited millions from the family business: the manufacture of the famous Winchester Rifle. A medium reportedly told Sarah that she would be haunted by the victims of that rifle unless she used her fortune to build a house, and never sto ... Show More
25m 55s
Mar 2024
6) Dancing with the Devil
"Every single mission, I would ask myself, 'Why would you do that?' And I'd tell myself, 'I'm saving lives. I'm saving the world. That's why I sacrifice my body for this mission."   Show Credits: Produced by Tenderfoot TV in association with iHeart Podcasts Host/Writer: Neil Stra ... Show More
31 m