Hysterical (podcast)

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

Contents

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]

Awards

AwardDateCategoryResultRef.
Signal Awards2024Limited Series DocumentaryGold [12]
Ambies 2025Podcast of the YearWon [13]
Ambies 2025Best ReportingWon [13]
Ambies 2025Best Society and Culture PodcastNominated [13]
iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2025Podcast of the YearNominated [14]
iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2025Best Overall HostNominated [14]
iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2025Best EmergingNominated [14]
Webby Awards 2025Podcasts: Documentary (Limited-Series & Specials)Won [15]
Webby Awards 2025Podcasts: Best Writing 2025Won [15]
Apple Podcasts Award2024Show of the YearWon [16]

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.
  12. ↑ "Signal Awards Reveal 2024 Winners, Recognizing The Podcasts That Define Culture". Signal Awards. October 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 "2025 WINNERS & NOMINEES". The Ambies. 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 "2025 iHeartPodcast Awards: See The Full List Of Winners". iHeart. 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Webby Winner". Webby Awards. 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Apple Podcasts names Hysterical the 2024 Show of the Year". Apple Newsroom. 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
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