Just A Story: Urban Legend Podcast

What do you think of when you hear the phrase 'Mardi Gras'? It seems a safe wager to bet that most minds go to booze, boobs, Bourbon Street and beads, but there is another farewell to flesh, celebrated not so far from the capital city of organized debauchery. Yes, deep along the bayous of Cajun Country men in ornate costumes take to horseback and ride out seeking the ingredients they will need to provide a feast for their fellow townsfolk. Sounds like something straight out of Europe in the Middle Ages, right? It is in fact, but these masked marauders ride to this day, but how did this tradition find its way to rural south Louisiana? Who are these madmen? What do they want? And most importantly, what's with all this talk about a chicken? 

We all know children are the future, mostly because the song plays at local supermarkets and dentist's office in heavy rotation, but what if that sentiment isn't as comforting as soft rock would have us believe? "Children are all little criminals," a 19th century psychologist stated, and perhaps he's not so far off. There's something parasitic about the relationships between caretakers and their charges, but we'll look at the extreme worst case scenarios in this episode. From the paranormal, black eyed children trading on their cuteness to get a chance to steal your soul, to the factual, real life tales of kids who kill; we'll try to answer the question: why are creepy kids so creepy? 

Hotels are a common fixture in almost any society. Since before the birth of Christ, and, come to think of it, even for the specific occasion of the birth of Christ, people have been hoping to find some room at the inn. But serving society's weary travelers or playing host to out-of-towners away for both business and pleasure is only the beginning of functions hotels perform. Is there something to the idea that at some hotels you can check any time you like, but you can never leave? The Eagles styled a fictional inn as a purgatory of sorts in their classic song, "Hotel California", and maybe that's not as fantastical as it sounds. We take a look at the things that go on behind those 'do not disturb' signs, and see if there's anything to the idea that hotels are beacons of the underworld. Using the Hotel Cecil, a real-life Hotel California if ever there was one, as a case study we work our way through the vices that draw people, such as Robert Ramirez and Elisa Lam, to these intersections of public and private

As we unpack this legend about a cross dressing assailant attacking a woman in her home, issues surrounding gender, violence, and safe spaces are bound to come up. In this episode we take a look at the history of people posing as members of the opposite sex and examine the lasting effects that old attitudes, fears, and prejudices have left on modern society. The damaging discourse of deviance surrounding issues of gender still shows up today, creating discrimination against the transgender community and the continued prevalence of violence against women. Who is really at risk here? 

Just A Story: The Urban Legend Podcast In December of 1973, there was something wrong with Reagan MacNeil and audiences across the globe flocked to theaters to see just exactly what that 'something' was. Dubbed *the scariest movie of all time* by many, THE EXORCIST explores what happens when demonic entities take hold of a human body, and the war that is waged by the forces of good on behalf of that soul. But what is possessions really; mislabeled psychosis or the embodiment of evil? And what lasting effects has this legendary film left on the culture whose curiosity got the better of it all those years ago?

**New and Improved Audio***  For years chaperones and parents did their best to hold onto the keys of their sons' and daughters' chastity belts. The rising car culture after WWII, however; saw more and more teens taking control of the wheel, and making their own sexual choices. Faced with this reality, a frightening boogeyman with a hook for a hand stepped in to do what parents no longer could, give kids a reason to say 'no'. The real question is, who is he?

The Poisoned Dress is one of the oldest urban legends in America. Is there any truth to this story? Today we are more concerned with fashion and self-image than ever before, or are we? We explore why appearances can be deceiving, and the lengths we are willing to go to for beauty. 

Just A Story: The Urban Legend Podcast  Bonus Christmas Episode! He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, but he also delivers mountains of toys to the good girls and boys. Should this jolly old elf be called a peeping Tom, charged for breaking and entering, and carted away for good, or celebrated as the very spirit of the Christmas season. We look at the history of Santa to decide once and for all is Santa Claus naughty or nice?

Food is a basic human need, but how can we be sure that the hand that feeds us is trustworthy? From a real life murder trial in 19th century Chicago to the recent peanut butter fatalities, we have good reason to be skeptical of the way that the sausage gets made. 

Just A Story: The Urban Legend Podcast Controversial since its first public telling, the events that took place at 112 Ocean Avenue in December 1974 have literally become the stuff of legend. The Lutz's story has been chronicled in numerous books, movies, and documentaries.  Is this a true horror story of America's most haunted house, or one of the greatest hoaxes in pop culture history? Do you believe in The Amityville Horror?

In the 1980s a fear of all things occult and demonic swept America. Everything from role playing games to preschool was degraded and threatened by this phenomena. Where did these fears come from? 

Just A Story: The Urban Legend Podcast Today clowns are more synonymous with horror then the circus. Is it the fact that we can't see behind their smiling disguise, or their checkered past that scares us silly? Clowns...they can get away with murder. 

Just a Story. The Urban Legend Podcast  The question, "What's the worst that can happen?" Is answered once and for all with this urban legend of organ theft.