In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence in society swept across North America.
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Today
The Cheerleader Murder: A 1980s High School Clique Turns Deadly
Desperate to fit in, a teenage girl targets the most popular student at her school. The way she sees it, they can either be friends – or enemies. Sources for this episode include:“Death of a Cheerleader” by Randall Sullivan, reprinted in Best of Rolling Stone A Killer By Design b ... Show More
29m 40s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 1: Origins
In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence ... Show More
45m 56s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 2: Serial Killers
In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence ... Show More
43m 13s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 4: The Rise of Evangelical Churches
Emboldened by power- and money-hungry conmen, Evangelical doomsdayers set the stage for an epic showdown of biblical proportions. The fight for the souls of every last American was beginning, they claimed, and Satan was coming to drag us all to hell. Learn more about your ad choi ... Show More
48m 45s
Oct 2022
60: Dungeons, Dragons, and Satan Worship
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. What scares parents more than anything else? It’s the Devil, of course. And it wasn’t too long ago where this fear turned into a nationwide craze. In today’s episode we’ll talk about how Satan invaded our board games, music, even our classroom ... Show More
39m 31s