Hysterical is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Wondery and Pineapple Street Media.
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Surviving Y2K is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Pineapple Street Media and Topic Studios.
Running From Cops is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Pineapple Street Media and Topic Studios.
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.