American Hysteria
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.
chelsey weber-smith · W!ZARD Studios
Show overview
American Hysteria has been publishing since 2018, and across the 8 years since has built a catalogue of 316 episodes, alongside 13 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 270 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence, with the show now in its 9th season.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 38 min and 1h 4m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. It is catalogued as a EN-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed earlier today, with 36 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 55 episodes published. Published by W!ZARD Studios.
From the publisher
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.