{"podcast":{"title":"American Hysteria","slug":"american-hysteria-830600","podcast_index_feed_id":830600,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/WIZD3928139307","website_url":"http://www.americanhysteria.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/dd283f36-bc4d-11ec-ba9c-4b3957402114/image/54d8b146fe8a810cecc27923d5b482ab.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"W!ZARD Studios","episode_count":305,"summary":"American Hysteria explores how fantastical thinking has shaped our culture – moral panics, urban legends, hoaxes, crazes, fringe beliefs, and national misunderstandings. Poet-turned-podcaster Chelsey Weber-Smith tells the strangest stories from American history and examines the forces that create the reality we share, and sometimes, the reality we don't.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-08T16:18:02.851094+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-hysteria-830600"},"episode":{"title":"Party (and Panic) Like It's 1999 with Ross Benes","slug":"party-and-panic-like-it-s-1999-with-ross-benes","published_at":"2025-12-29T08:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-hysteria-830600/party-and-panic-like-it-s-1999-with-ross-benes","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-hysteria-830600","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/AIL9036871295.mp3?updated=1766983560","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/AIL9036871295.mp3?updated=1766983560","summary":"Ross Benes is the author of the book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. Together we revisit what popular culture was like at the turn of the millennium and how things like Juggalos, professional wrestling, boy band rivalries, nü-metal, Jerry Springer, teen movies, the tech bubble, and the fear of the end of the world predicted the uncanny hyperreality we find ourselves in today. Get a copy of Ross's book here Become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to American Hysteria on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get some of our new merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠americanhysteria.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, all profits go to The Sameer Project, a Palestinian-led mutual aid group who are on the ground in Gaza delivering food and supplies to displaced families. Leave us a message on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Urban Legends Hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Producer and Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Miranda Zickler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Associate Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Riley Swedelius-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Additional editing by ⁠⁠Kaylee Jasperson⁠⁠ Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"Ross Benes is the author of the book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. Together we revisit what popular cult…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4114,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/american-hysteria-830600/episodes/party-and-panic-like-it-s-1999-with-ross-benes/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-hysteria-830600/party-and-panic-like-it-s-1999-with-ross-benes.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}