The Dark Side Of

The day after Thanksgiving, millions of shoppers flock to malls and department stores to get discounts on all kinds of hot items. It’s the height of capitalism. While retailers make billions of dollars in sales, customers have been trampled, stabbed, pepper-sprayed or shot, all in the name of getting the best deals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Thanksgiving Day, 2009, 35-year-old Paul Merhige opened fire during a family gathering. He killed four people and injured two more in what’s come to be known by many as “The Merhige Family Slaughter.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of the most American of all holidays is much like the country it is founded on: rustic, optimistic… and built on centuries of bloodshed. In reality, this mythologized 1621 meal was a harvest celebration that took place in between two horrible periods of callous genocide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most agree that we should respect those who have served in war. But few remember a time when the goal of November 11th was to prevent war altogether. Armistice Day, the original Veterans Day, has been twisted from a day honoring peace to one that glorifies fighting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite the dangers that lurk on Halloween, we send our children out to ask for candy from strangers. Unknowns who could have thoughts of mischief, or worse, on their minds... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many know of Halloween’s ancient pagan origins, but few know the details. Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival, featured familiar traditions such as carving and costumes. But there was a potentially darker aspect—one that included human sacrifice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christmas. Valentine’s Day. National Dessert Day? The idea that consumerism drives the holiday season is nothing new, but the extent of the connection may run deeper than we realize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Though our favorite celebrations throughout the year are supposed to be a time of joy and love, they are often anything but. The pressures to travel, spend money, and take time off can have deadly consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are excited to announce our next season of The Dark Side Of will aim to uncover the most dastardly stories associated with the winter holiday season. Halloween candy tampering, psychological stress, overspending, and more will be covered this season on The Dark Side Of, starting Monday, October 7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1933, Hungarian composer Rezso Seress and lyricist Laszlo Javor released "Gloomy Sunday," which soon came to be known as The Hungarian Suicide Song thanks to the 200 cases of suicide that were linked to the tune's release. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Breaking into the spotlight at the age of fifteen, Selena Quintanilla was constantly under the watchful eye of her strict father-turned-manager, stereotype-driven record labels, and possessive fans. Through it all, Selena willfully fought for control of her own life - and the consequences would turn deadly. Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/DARKSIDE to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Syd Barrett's creative vision propelled Pink Floyd from the underground into the mainstream. But the demands of fame quickly became too much. Eventually, he was cast out of the band he helped create, and sadly didn't get the help he needed until late in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the genre's first crossover R&B and Rock 'n' Roll stars, Wilson wowed audiences on-stage from the early 1950s to the mid 1970s. But Wilson was beholden to his passions for drugs, sex, and rage - vices that would destroy him. Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/DARKSIDE to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Prohibition went into effect in 1920, New York City's nightlife was thrust underground. Liquor production was taken over by bootleggers. Clubs were taken over by mobsters. And jazz musicians played on the bandstand, with guns literally pointed at their backs. Parcasters - On tomorrow’s episode of Mythology, we take on the legendary Odyssey, bringing the incredible journey to life! Subscribe to MYTHOLOGY today to hear the most notable stories in human history as you never have before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Amy Winehouse passed away in 2011 at the age of 27, she joined a select group of hyper talented musicians who passed away at that young age. But it is not the year 27 that is cursed, but rather a music industry that preys on an individual’s weaknesses and encourages them to be destructive. Sponsors! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/DARKSIDE to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of Hollywood's first child stars, Shirley Temple began her career in 1931 when she was only three years old. She then spent the rest of her youth performing in unsafe conditions, fending off unwanted sexual advances, and even accused of stealing a dead child's soul. Parcasters - This week on Survival we cover the experiences of two brothers in the Civil War, and the way their lives changed in an instant. Tune in today on Spotify or wherever you listen to Parcast Originals! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1940s, the Red Scare had everyone on high alert, as whispers of Communist conspiracies swept through Hollywood. When Edward Dmytryk was wrongfully accused of a Communist agenda, he would soon learn that one false move would lose him absolutely everything. Parcasters - Indira Gandhi was gunned down by members of her own security staff. Why was she targeted, and what was the impact? Find out today on Assassinations, available now on Spotify or wherever you listen to Parcast Originals! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1930s Hollywood, Howard Strickling and Eddie Mannix were two of the most powerful men in town. From arranging secret adoptions to covering up murder, they were more than just MGM’s managers, they were The Fixers. Sponsors! Veestro - Visit TryVeestro.com/Dark and try the 6 most popular Veestro meals for just $49! Plus get free shipping on all orders! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1921, Arbuckle was the king of Hollywood. The highest-paid actor of the day, surpassing even the likes of Charlie Chaplin. But one booze-filled, wayward hotel party would leave Arbuckle accused of murder, as every friend he had in town abandoned him to a media feeding frenzy. Sponsors! Daily Harvest - Go to DailyHarvest.com and enter promo code DARK to get three cups FREE in your first box! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/DARKSIDE to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 1932, budding Hollywood starlet Peg Entwistle had everything: money, a successful Broadway career, accolades, and undeniable charm. But none of that stopped her from throwing herself off the Hollywood sign, plummeting to her death. Parcasters - Bob Champion was an accomplished jockey when we was diagnosed with cancer, his journey gives a new meaning to getting back on the horse. Listen to this new episode of Survival on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a childhood struggle with poverty, 16-year-old Lana Turner became a world famous movie star in 1937, praised for her grace, and talent. Her public life seemed like a fairy tale, but over the next 20 years, her private life was plagued with toxic relationships. Sponsors! Daily Harvest - Go to Daily-Harvest.com and enter promo code DARK to get three cups FREE in your first box! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/DARKSIDE to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Toddlers in Tiaras, there were the mothers of Vaudeville in the early 1910s, Rose Thompson Hovick had her dreams of stardom cut short, and became obsessed with turning her own children into stars. Parcasters - Theodosia Burr Alston is more than a character in a song from Hamilton! Find out about her life and mysterious disappearance this week on Gone! Available now at parcast.com/gone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taylor's murder in 1922 and ensuing scandals about his sex life, involvement and drugs, and rumored mistresses was enough to cause a rift between Hollywood and the rest of the country, and send movie studios scrambling to cover up the culprit. Parcasters - Thank you so much for listening to our new show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once envisioned as a Christian utopia, the land of Hollywood quickly evolved into a place of crime and debauchery. When the film industry infiltrated the quiet community in the early 1900s, it brought with it a world of chaos and anarchy. Wild enough that its impact would change our cultural history forever. Sponsors! Daily Harvest - Go to Daily-Harvest.com and enter promo code DARK to get three cups FREE in your first box! Upstart - Hurry to Upstart.com/DARKSIDE to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes—and won’t affect your credit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Follow us as we shine a light on the most beloved events, cultural touchstones, and institutions in history. The Dark Side Of will consist of miniseries covering Hollywood, the American Presidency, Music, Dating, Sports, and more! This Parcast Original will dive deep into the unknown and overlooked histories behind everything we hold most dear. The Dark Side Of... premieres Monday, May 20th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices