This episode is part one of our two-part series on perhaps the most mystifying moral panic in US history, the 1980s and early 90s 'Satanic Panic.' For this episode, Chelsey covers the rise of organized Satanism beginning in the late 60s, as well as the adversarial countercultures of the hippies and the metalheads, and their apparent Satanic crimes that would be hailed as proof of their evil, as well as proof that teens, as well as children, were in serious moral peril. Satan was allegedly hypnotizing the youth with secret messages in backwards rock songs, teaching them occult magic in Saturday morning cartoons, and causing suicides through a popular role-playing game, all while helping religion blur into politics for good. For part two Chelsey will cover what came next, a serious investigation into an imagined network of Satanic cults ritually abusing children in daycare centers all over the country. Chelsey will try to understand this shocking decade in history, why it happened, and the cultural issues it was really about. Part two is coming after the holidays. Check out [Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s](http://www.spectacularoptical.ca/store/product/satanic-panic-pop-cultural-paranoia-in-the-1980s/) by editors Kier-La Janisse and Paul Corupe for further reading. This episode is sponsored by Care/Of. For 25% off your first month of personalized vitamins and supplements, head to [takecareof.com](https://www.takecareof.com) and use promo code AH From Skylark American Hysteria is written and produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith Assistant produced by Derrick Smith Produced and edited by Clear Commo Studios Show art by [Roache](https://www.xroache.com/) Subscribe now at [skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria](http://www.skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria) Follow American Hysteria on social media:
 Twitter: @AmerHysteria
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The Calm Down is a mini episode of American Hysteria coming every other week. Today we’re following up on last week’s show about the illuminati, please listen to that episode first. My guest is Mark Gunnery, a queer Jewish journalist who produces the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, Washington DC's NPR station. He is currently working on a podcast series about Sabbatai Tzvi, a 17th century false messiah who changed the course of Jewish history. We’ll talk about the Jewish Illuminati conspiracy theories and where they come from, and then scratch surface of the coming episodes on the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. TCD is sponsored by Hunt A Killer, the monthly murder mystery subscription box service, head to [huntakiller.com/hysteria](http://www.huntakiller.com/hysteria) for 10% off your first box. From [Skylark](http://www.skylarkmedia.com) This week's guest was Mark Gunnery, visit his website [here](https://www.markgunnery.com/) Hosted Chelsey Weber-Smith Produced by Clear Commo Studios Join us next week for a new episode of American Hysteria, Part one of Satanic Panic. [Subscribe now](http://www.skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria) Follow American Hysteria on social media: Twitter: @AmerHysteria Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast Facebook: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

For this episode, we'll explore the mother-of-all conspiracy theories, the Illuminati, an alleged secret society and their evil world domination plan known as the New World Order. Chelsey takes a stroll down memory lane with friend Austin Smith, to a time when they believed in the Illuminati and found what seemed like proof. We’ll explore the history of the theory itself, why some people are more prone to believing than others, and how at the heart of the theory lies a dark ideology that has affected our culture into the present. Check out _A Culture of Conspiracy_ by Michael Barkun for further reading American Hysteria is sponsored by Hunt A Killer. For 10% off your first box, head to [huntakiller.com/hysteria](http://www.huntakiller.com/hysteria) From Skylark
 American Hysteria is written and produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith
 Assistant produced by Derrick Smith Produced and edited by Clear Commo Studios
 Show art by Roache ([xroache.com](xroache.com))
 Voice acting by Will Rogers Thanks to my guest, Austin Smith, check out his new book of poems [here](https://press.princeton.edu/titles/13241.html) Subscribe now at [skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria](http://www.skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria) Follow American Hysteria on social media: Twitter: @AmerHysteria Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast 

Facebook: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

Every other week host Chelsey Weber-Smith will sit down with a guest to breakdown the previous episode, reveal all the stuff that was left out, as well as chat about the next week’s topic. This week, Chelsey and long time friend Jake Weholt, who you will remember from the Stranger Danger episode and their own hometown panic, discuss Stranger Danger, Poisoned Halloween Candy, the Illuminati, and the importance of critical thinking. TCD’s guest this week is Jake Weholt Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Produced by Clear Commo Studios Join us next week for our episode on the Illuminati! American Hysteria is sponsored by Hunt A Killer, the monthly murder mystery subscription box service. Head to [huntakiller.com/hysteria](huntakiller.com/hysteria) for 10% off your first box.

This episode takes a look at our history with candy, the desire and the panic, and explains why sweets have always been a source of fear for parents. Starting with the strange 1800s religious beliefs of Dr. Harvey Kellogg, about candy leading to sexual deviancy, we'll move through the goofy urban legends of the 1970s, to the 80s and 90s when people allegedly began finding dangerous objects in their foods, like syringes in Pepsi cans and poison in Halloween candy. Check out _Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure_ by Samira Kawash for further reading. American Hysteria is sponsored by Hunt A Killer. For 10% off your first box, head to [huntakiller.com/hysteria](huntakiller.com/hysteria) From Skylark American Hysteria is written and produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith Assistant produced by Derrick Smith Produced and edited by Rod Rodriguez Show art by Roache ([xroache.com](xroache.com)) Voice acting by Lily Orrey and Will Rogers Subscribe now at [skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria](skylarkmedia.com//podcasts/americanhysteria) 

Follow American Hysteria on social media:
 Twitter: @AmerHysteria 
 Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast
 Facebook: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

This episode explores the evolution of American's bogeyman, the Stranger, and reveals how rare these types of kidnappings really are. Through looking at the sensational child snatching crimes that have shaped our culture from the 1800s to the 1980s, and how we have responded to them in the media, in books, with PSAs and made-for-TV movies, host Chelsey Weber-Smith explains the problem with Stranger Danger and what this moral panic might be covering up. American Hysteria is sponsored by Hunt A Killer. For 10% off your first box, head to [huntakiller.com/hysteria](huntakiller.com/hysteria) From Skylark American Hysteria is written and produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith Assistant produced by Derrick Smith Produced and edited by Rod Rodriguez Show art by Roache ([xroache.com](xroache.com)) Thanks for Jake Weholt for the interview Thanks to Corinne Manning for advising Check out [Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America](https://www.amazon.com/Kidnapped-Abduction-Paula-S-Fass/dp/0195117093) by Paula Fass for further reading Subscribe now at [skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria](skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria) Follow American Hysteria on social media: Twitter: @AmerHysteria Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast Facebook: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast

Skylark Media presents American Hysteria, a brand new podcast exploring our moral panics, urban legends, and conspiracy theories, how they shape our psychology and culture, and why we end up believing them. Host Chelsey Weber-Smith will attempt to understand why we fear the wrong things, explore how these fears shape our past, present, and future in sometimes hilarious and sometimes devastating ways, and also what these bizarre panics might be covering up. Topics range from Stranger Danger to Poisoned Halloween Candy to Satanic Panic to the Illuminati. Subscribe now where ever you get your podcasts or head to [skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria](skylarkmedia.com/podcasts/americanhysteria). The first two episodes drop November 12th.