Hysterical (podcast)

Last updated

Hysterical is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Wondery and Pineapple Street Media.

Contents

Background

Hysterical is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios. [1] The podcast is composed of seven episodes. [2] The show is about a mass psychogenic illness that occurred in 2011 to some cheerleaders in Le Roy, New York. [3] Over a dozen girls experienced symptoms similar to Tourette syndrome without any clear causes. [4] The show discusses the 1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment as a potential cause. [5] The town also has a large former Jell-o factory that has polluted a nearby river. [6] The show explores the misogynistic history of hysteria. [7] [8] Throughout the show Taberski interviews most of the people involved with the incident. [9] [10]

James Marriott wrote in The Times that "There is much to enjoy here but, as with so many shows nowadays, there is way too much padding." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourette syndrome</span> Neurodevelopmental disorder involving motor and vocal tics

Tourette syndrome or Tourette's syndrome is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Common tics are blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. These are typically preceded by an unwanted urge or sensation in the affected muscles known as a premonitory urge, can sometimes be suppressed temporarily, and characteristically change in location, strength, and frequency. Tourette's is at the more severe end of a spectrum of tic disorders. The tics often go unnoticed by casual observers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Roy, New York</span> Town in New York, United States

Le Roy, or more commonly LeRoy, is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 7,641 at the time of the 2010 census. The town is named after one of the original land owners, Herman Le Roy. The town lies on the southwestern edge of Monroe County. Within the town is a village of Le Roy. The Jell-O gelatin dessert was invented and first manufactured in Le Roy.

Conversion disorder (CD), or functional neurologic symptom disorder (FNsD), is a functional disorder that causes abnormal sensory experiences and movement problems during periods of high psychological stress. Individuals with CD present with highly distressing neurological symptoms such as numbness, blindness, paralysis, or convulsions, which are not consistent with a well-established organic cause and can be traced back to a psychological trigger.

The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine were a group of 19th-century lumberjacks who exhibited a rare disorder of unknown origin. The syndrome entails an exaggerated startle reflex which may be described as an uncontrollable "jump." Individuals with this condition could exhibit sudden movements in all parts of the body. Jumping Frenchmen syndrome shares some symptoms with other startle disorders.

Societal and cultural aspects of Tourette syndrome include legal advocacy and health insurance issues, awareness of notable individuals with Tourette syndrome, and treatment of TS in the media and popular culture.

In social psychology, hysterical contagion occurs when people in a group show signs of a physical problem or illness, when in reality there are psychological and social forces at work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tourette syndrome</span>

Tourette syndrome (TS) is an inherited neurological disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence, characterized by the presence of multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass psychogenic illness</span> Spread of illness without organic cause

Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for contagion. It is the rapid spread of illness signs and symptoms affecting members of a cohesive group, originating from a nervous system disturbance involving excitation, loss, or alteration of function, whereby physical complaints that are exhibited unconsciously have no corresponding organic causes that are known.

The 1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment was a train derailment in the town of Le Roy, New York, that resulted in a toxic chemical spill severe enough to qualify as a Superfund site. As of 2024, the site is still undergoing remediation.

Wondery is an American podcast network and publisher of podcasts including Dirty John, Dr. Death, and The Shrink Next Door. Wondery was founded in 2016 by entrepreneur and media executive Hernan Lopez. The company was launched with backing from 20th Century Fox. In late 2020, it was announced that Wondery had been purchased by Amazon Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havana syndrome</span> Affliction affecting US officials abroad

Havana syndrome is a disputed medical condition reported primarily by U.S. diplomatic, intelligence, and military officials stationed in overseas locations. Most of the affected individuals reported an acute onset of symptoms associated with a perceived localised loud sound, followed by chronic symptoms that lasted for months, such as balance and cognitive problems, insomnia, and headaches. The first cases were reported by U.S. and Canadian embassy staff in Havana, Cuba, though earlier incidents may have occurred in Frankfurt, Germany. Starting in 2016 through to 2021, several hundred U.S. intelligence and military officials and their families reported having symptoms in overseas locations including China, India, Europe, Hanoi, as well as in Washington, D.C., USA.

Robert Emerson Bartholomew is an American medical sociologist, journalist and author living in New Zealand. He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He writes for several newspapers and journals on sociological and fringe science topics, including Psychology Today, Skeptical Inquirer, and British magazines The Skeptic and Fortean Times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Taberski</span> American writer, director, and producer

Dan Taberski is a writer, director, and producer based in New York City. He is best known for hosting investigative journalism podcasts Missing Richard Simmons, Surviving Y2K,Running From Cops, 9/12, The Line, and Hysterical.

<i>SmartLess</i> 2020 comedy podcast

SmartLess is a podcast hosted by the American actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Canadian actor Will Arnett. Its first episode was released on July 20, 2020, and new episodes are released weekly each Monday. Every episode begins with one of the hosts revealing a mystery guest to the other two hosts. Once revealed, the three hosts begin interviewing the mystery guest.

<i>Surviving Y2K</i> 2018 podcast by Dan Taberski

Surviving Y2K is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Pineapple Street Media and Topic Studios.

<i>Running From Cops</i> 2019 podcast by Dan Taberski

Running From Cops is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Pineapple Street Media and Topic Studios.

<i>9/12</i> (podcast) 2021 podcast by Dan Taberski

9/12 is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Pineapple Street Media, Wondery, and Amazon Music.

Heaven's Gate is a podcast hosted by Glynn Washington, written by Dan Taberski, and produced by Pineapple Street Media. The 10 episode Stitcher original podcast is a documentary focused on the Heaven's Gate cult.

References

  1. Shanahan, Mark (July 22, 2024). "Could mass hysteria explain these mysterious outbreaks, from Havana syndrome to hiccups?". Boston Globe . Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  2. McCann, Fiona (August 12, 2024). "Hysterical review: What made more than a dozen teenage girls come down with the same strange illness?". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  3. Leszkiewicz, Anna (August 21, 2024). "The mass psychogenic illness that started with the cheerleaders". New Statesman . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  4. Quah, Nicholas (July 25, 2024). "Hysterical Stares Into the Abyss". Vulture . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. Craig, Gary (July 29, 2024). "Podcast revisits 'mass hysteria' outbreak of tics and spasms among Le Roy teenagers". Democrat and Chronicle . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  6. Sawyer, Miranda (July 13, 2024). "The week in audio: Hysterical; The Third Information Crisis by Naomi Alderman; Jon Holmes Says the C-Word". The Guardian . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  7. Sturges, Fiona (July 29, 2024). "Hysterical podcast review — search for an explanation behind a wave of teenage mental illness". Financial Times . Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  8. Watson, Tara (August 7, 2024). "A cheerleader woke up with uncontrollable tics. This was just the beginning of a small-town mystery". Mamamia . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  9. Walker, Chloe (August 27, 2024). "Hysterical Confronts Our Fear of the Mind". Podcast Review. Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  10. Paskin, Willa (August 14, 2024). "Mass Hysteria Is Here to Stay". Slate Magazine . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024. Transcripts available at slate.com/transcripts. Archived September 28, 2024, at the Wayback Machine .
  11. Marriott, James (July 17, 2024). "Hysterical review — this mass hysteria study reaches an inevitable conclusion". The Times . Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.