Just A Story: Urban Legend Podcast

This week we are taking a look at the classic legend of 'The Pin Prick Attack'. We'll also dive deep into the history of the AIDS epidemic in America, and examine the ways in which the cultural climate allowed urban legends to spread as quickly as the disease. From cautionary tales, to hero's quest, to boogeymen; we'll discuss the folklore of AIDS in the moments before science caught up with the monster. Join us this week as we remember those we've lost, the men and women who dedicated their lives to finding hope, and the stories that survived this moment of intense fear, real threat and unbelievable bravery in the face of impossible odds. In honor of World AIDS Day, we present 'Welcome to Reality' For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

Ballads are enduring relics of rich oral tradition. From literary epics like Beowulf, to the seedier broadside ballads sold at public executions; these story songs give us a glimpse at the practices and values of distant times and places. Just as we can see the heroes of the past in these narrative lyrics, so can we see the villains. Especially in the dark and twisted sub-genre of murder ballads, and perhaps even more so in the sub-sub-genre of sweetheart murder ballads. Join us this week as we explore the urban legend 'Elisa Day' and the history of songs of similar substance from Appalachia. We will consult experts from William Shakespeare to Allen Lomax as we try to understand the phenomena of murder and infatuation, and the (apparently) persistent need to sing about the combination. We'll also talk about the real-world criminal case that inspired the play and novel, "An American Tragedy" and its adherence to the murder ballad tradition Special Guest: Welcome Little Stranger http://themostwonderfulwonder.com/ For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

1 Year Anniversary Special - Part 2 Who are we, really? Identity is an amorphous, malleable concept that haunts human consciousness at almost every moment. Whether telling a pushy sales person that this shirt, 'just isn't me'; having a skull and crossbones inked on a forearm; or updating an online status; we are valiantly attempting to answer the question of 'who am I' for ourselves and the others we encounter. We want to show the world who we are, and be accepted, esteemed or valued for that presentation. Every detail, our style of dress, our haircut, hair color, our tone of voice, our choice of words, the scars and emblems that we ecru upon our skin throughout our lifetime; tell the story of 'us'. Where does the story stop? Join us this week for a special two-part episode that asks the question are we all, just a story?   For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

1 Year Anniversary Special - Part 1 Who are we, really? Identity is an amorphous, malleable concept that haunts human consciousness at almost every moment. Whether telling a pushy sales person that this shirt, 'just isn't me'; having a skull and crossbones inked on a forearm; or updating an online status; we are valiantly attempting to answer the question of 'who am I' for ourselves and the others we encounter. We want to show the world who we are, and be accepted, esteemed or valued for that presentation. Every detail, our style of dress, our haircut, hair color, our tone of voice, our choice of words, the scars and emblems that we ecru upon our skin throughout our lifetime; tell the story of 'us'. Where does the story stop? Join us this week for a special two-part episode that asks the question are we all, just a story? Special Guest Story Teller: The Curator - Audio Dime Museum  Music:  Purple Planet  Marry Lattimore - http://marylattimoreharpist.tumblr.com/ Jared C Balogh - https://soundcloud.com/jaredcbalogh   For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

There's no question that there have been incredible innovations in the ways in which scientists and law enforcement gather and present evidence for trial. Expert testimony has become an almost indispensable aspect of legal proceedings. We should consider that, perhaps, we are blurring the line between circumstantial and scientific evidence. Is this a new phenomenon? Hardly. Spectral evidence has featured prominently in criminal proceedings since the days of comparing the weights of ducks and witches.  From the validation of literal specters visiting people in the night, to three-buttoned double breasted suits; there are many examples of expert opinions casting long shadows in the court room. In this episode we'll examine the history of behavioral profiling and take a look at the kind of testimony that originally convicted the West Memphis Three. Join us this week as we examine the evolution of spectral evidence over time, and what happens when we try stories instead of the accused.    Guest Story Teller: Joshua Zeman, Director of Cropsey and Killer Legends   For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375

Whether our parents warned about strangers with candy in windowless vans, or creepy clown gangs, or a deranged loner hiding in the woods; we were all subjected to cautionary tales in one form or another. Scare tactics are integral to parenting, apparently. We shrugged off the stories, or elaborated on the ideas and shared them with peers while holding flashlights under our chins. We may have been leery of men who looked like the silhouette on the neighborhood watch sign. We might have run out of the woods when we came upon a boot print, or imagined a sinister side to the Shriners in clown white who lead the parade. We probably never considered that these manufactured monsters might be real for longer than a moment. What if they were? This was a question addressed by filmmaker Joshua Zeman in his documentary feature, CROPSEY. He joins us this week to talk about the powerful intersection of legends and reality, and the effects that stories have on our perceptions. We'll explore why society needs to believe in monsters, and what happens when the creatures we build in our imaginations come to life. For More on this episode and other episodes:  justastroypod.com @justastorypod 

Halloween is often described as the one night of the year when spirits can return to the earth and interact with the living. That's a very simplified version of a vast, multicultural tradition that has existed, in one form or another, since the earliest written records. Spirits, vague ideas of otherworldly intruders, have been visiting for centuries, and over the years they've been understood as ancestors, demons, eerie informants, and hostile haunts. Join us this week as we explore Halloween rituals through the ages and the evolution of the otherworldly visitors they invited to join. We conclude the episode by shifting our focus from the living's relationships with the dead, to their relationships with Death itself, as we discuss Santa Muerte. Website: justastorypod.com - For more on what was discussed in the episode: links, citations, images, and more Twitter: @justastorypod Email: justastorypod@gmail.com

It's the time of year when well-meaning suburbanites stage miniature shock and awe campaigns on their front lawns. The sweet retirees on the corner are building a graveyard. Across the street, a soccer mom is arranging a life-sized skeleton in a lawn chair. The is a zombie invasion, comprised of wax dummies just one block down. So who would notice, could notice, the body hanging from a noose fastened to a tree? It's just one more macabre Halloween decoration, right? If it wasn't, if it was a corpse, that would ruin all the fun; that would make us question everything we know and love about this harmless holiday. Well, according to the legend of 'The Halloween Hanging,' it was a corpse; and that is exactly what we will be questioning on this episode. We will explore some dark territory, looking staged suicidal hangings, homicidal hangings and the history of hanging as a method of execution. We will also discuss the phenomena of crime scene staging, and try to reach our own verdict on the case of the mysterious death of Rebecca Zahau.  Special Guest Story Teller Robert Chauncey, Creator of The Tunnels Podcast  Check it out Here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tunnels-podcast/id1139556079?mt=2

Pull up a chair, x-Ray that Snickers bar, and pour yourself some wine; it's time to talk about poisoned candy. Trick or Treat. It didn't begin as a question. In the early days it was a threat, more, 'do it, or else,' than 'what do you have for me?' Join us this week as we explore the rich history of the trick-or-treat tradition in America. Spoiler, contrary to whatever you might have heard from Max in *Hocus Pocus* it was not invented by the candy companies. We'll also discuss the tale of 'The Man Who Killed Halloween' and the way he brought the legend of "The Halloween Sadist" to life.

We are pleased to announce a month of spooky Halloween legends, here on Just A Story! We kick off the celebration of the month of hocus pocus and haunts by discussing the origin of the American ghost story's form and traditional substance. Join us this week as we take a look at the classic Washington Irving short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and its central character, the Headless Horseman. We'll also examine the connection between this literary specter and Ohio's headless motorcyclist, and his possible historic origins.

We may take its existence for granted today, but the birth of the birth control pill was a long labor of love, belief, and scientific ingenuity. It seems no matter what side of the argument you may be on, we all have strong feelings about contraceptives and reproductive rights. Join us this week for a discussion of how the Pill went from an idea, to an experiment, to a controversy, to a right; over the last century. We'll meet the colorful cast of characters who made it their mission to make motherhood a choice, explore common myths about birth control and the various ways we've tried to keep the stork away throughout history. EXPLICIT WARNING (We talk about sex....)  A wonderfuly vulgar opening from Unbuttoned History, check them out: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/unbuttoned-history/id633437365?mt=2  

Some historical events leave scars on the minds of contemporaries that last long enough to become legends. The execution of the family Romanov in a Siberian cellar under the cover of night and the shroud of secrecy, was one such event. In 1917 the last Tsar of all the Russias, Nicholas II, was murdered along with Tsarina Alexandra, and their four daughters: Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia, and their only son, Alexei. It's almost to horrible to imagine. So the public did what the public does best. They imagined something else. What if, they asked in whispers, what if, one of them managed to escape? Then maybe, the whispers willed that hope to life. It must have seemed that way when a mysterious woman appeared in Berlin years later. Her body and memory were full of holes and badly scarred, but there was something regal in her bearing. She would become known as Anastasia, Grand Duchess, Anna Anderson, Fraud, and a puzzle for all of those who wished the fairy tale princesses of Imperial Russia to have a happier ending. Join us this week as we dive into the history of the fall of the Romanovs and ask why no one wanted to see that Anastasia's escape was just a story.

An Extra to go along with Ep 43: "I Shall Become the Bat" containing the expanded story of the Gorbals vampire hunt from writer John Lees and his discussion of local Scottish urban legends. 

When someone says the word 'vampires' to you, what do you imagine? Do you imagine Bela Lugosi, pale and wan; swirling his impeccable cape like he's a matador? Are you lost in thoughts of sparkly, angst-ridden teen romance? Are you reminded of something truly horrific, like the acts of Peter Kurten or Richard Chase? Does your mind drift the plantations and Southern gothic sensuality a la Anne Rice? Do you think of Nosferatu and wonder if the rumors were true? Maybe you think of the white-haired, powder-skinned Count, as played by Gary Oldman. Maybe you start thinking about what a badass Gary Oldman is and forget the question. What was the question? Oh, yes, what do you think of when you hear the word, 'vampires'? Chances are whatever image comes to mind, it's somehow informed by mass media. That was the claim, at least, when a group of schoolboys took up arms against a hometown vampire in Glasgow in the 1950s. Join us this week as we explore where our ideas of vampires come from, and how we use those ideas to mask real monsters in our midst. In this week's episode we will tackle vampires in mass media, and discuss those who have been called by the same moniker when real life violence exceeded the bounds of the public's imagination.   Guest stoy teller this week is the wonderful Scotsman and writer John Lees. For his blog and to find out more about some of his great horror comics: https://johnleescomics.wordpress.com/

Prison is a place you're meant to go when you can no longer control your actions or conform to societal norms. Because prison is meant to house those who deviate from formally instituted rules, and seek to do harm to others; those on the inside are not allowed to come and go as they please. There should be no escape from the consequences of your actions, and there should be no escape from prison. In a perfect world, this seemingly logical idea might hold true, but this is far from the best of all possible worlds. Join us this week as we explore desperate escape attempts, destructive riots and how quickly prisons can be constructed in our own minds. In this episode we discuss the legend of The Coffin Escape, the Montana State Prison Riot of 1959, and the Stanford Prison Experiment; as we ask, is the idea of 'getting out of prison', just a story?  Special thanks to Ryan, of "Small Town Horror" for sharing a Crayton legend with us this week. For more of his exploration in to the legends and stories of a small town in Minnesota, check out his podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/small-town-horror/id1102878180?mt=2