The Alarmist

Who’s to blame for the mysterious case of "The Toxic Lady?” This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with director Thales Corrêa about the baffling case of the “Toxic Lady” and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her sudden death in 1994. With so much speculation circling this bizarre incident, is it really surprising that aliens made up on the board? Or perhaps it was simply so...

New Mailbag! About time?! You’ve got that right. It’s been awhile since we last checked the mail and The Alarmy has a lot to say. We have tales from an Alarmy member who took a sizable detour to visit Biosphere 2, new insights and a pretty promising pitch to improve the Daylight Savings experience for all and plenty of fascinating suggestions for future episodes. Tune in with The Alarmist (Rebecca...

Who’s to blame for the Joan Crawford & Bette Davis Feud? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes actor Emily Pendergast to discuss the infamous feud between the larger than life Hollywood leading ladies Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Was the feud as fierce as it sounded or was it invented by the studios and exaggerated by the Hollywood tabloids? Were Joan and Bette merely embr...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with true crime writer Joe Turner about the hauntingly bizarre story of Daniel LePlante and the rare phenomenon and crime now known as phrogging. Joe shares firsthand accounts from survivors of Daniel LePlante’s crimes and reflects on the environment that created a “perfect storm” which allowed Daniel to carry out his actions. Afterward, P...

Who’s to blame for the Boy Living in the Walls? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes friend and comedian Leah Rudick to discuss a terrifying case of Phrogging by Daniel LePlante which led to a series of crimes and gruesome murders in the late 1980’s. Not familiar with Phrogging? Consider this your PSA! Could a lack of awareness about this type of crime be to blame? Is labeling...

New Guest Expert! Happy Thanksgiving Alarmy! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Thanksgiving Day Disaster with Senior writer for Stanford Magazine, Sam Scott. A Bay Area native himself, Scott was just as shocked as we were to find out about this terrible tragedy and its surprising lack of coverage. He also reminds us that the absence of future disasters of this nature might have more t...

Who’s to blame for the Thanksgiving Day Disaster?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Headgum podcast network founder Amir Blumenfeld to discuss the tragic circumstances around the Thanksgiving Day Disaster at Recreation Park in San Francisco circa 1900. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Did a laissez faire mentality of the time contr...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Kevin Mattson about the rise of MTV and the corporatization of the music industry in 1980’s America. A Professor of History at Ohio University, Kevin reminds us of the underground production and distribution of music at the time and what was lost between the artist and listener relationship with the introduction of MTV. Afterward, Pat...

Did video kill the radio star? Who’s to blame? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes co-host of the In Retrospect podcast Susie Banikarim to help decide once and for all whether the video in fact killed the radio star? What do we even mean when we say that? Is the radio star really dead? Or are they thriving? Obviously, MTV will be part of the conversation, but what about the ri...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the epic reign of Genghis Khan with historian Dr. Nicholas Morton. Author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East , Nic emphasizes the unprecedented scale of Khan’s empire and explains why the idea of not expanding was never even an option. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can listen to the post-interview...

Who’s to blame for the Reign of Genghis Khan? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes comedian and actor Dusty Warren to discuss the brutal and bloody reign of Genghis Khan through his expansion of the Mongolian Empire; the largest empire in world history. Was Khan driven by an irrational thirst for revenge? Did the earth's climate have something to do with it? Perhaps his obsessi...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with award-winning reporter Ellen Huet about the boom and bust of the WeWork empire. Having covered the topic for Bloomberg News on season one of their podcast Foundering, Ellen shares fascinating new insight into the company's founder and the unique financial environment the early 2010’s presented for WeWork’s inevitable evolution. Afterw...

Who’s to blame for the Downfall of WeWork? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes tech journalist and podcast host Molly Wood to discuss the troublesome history of the WeWork empire. And lucky Alarmy(!), having reported extensively about WeWork on Marketplace, Molly is THE guest (and basically expert) for the job! Did WeWork have a vibes problem? Perhaps too many Vibes? Could Fou...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with film scholar Professor Patricia Gill about the deeper meanings of the horror classic Halloween. As Pat articulates, taking into account parenting trends and the social influences of the decades leading up to the making of this film, we see the murderous Michael Myers in an entirely new light. Afterward, Patreon subscribers and listen...

Who’s to blame for the Murders in Halloween: The Movie? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes podcast royalty Amanda Lund and Matt Gourley to discuss the horror film classic Halloween and find out once and for all who’s to blame for the evil that descends upon the town of Haddonfield, IL. Michael Myers, of course! Or is there more to the story? What was going on all those years...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with author and criminologist Will Savive about the haunting murders of the Defeo family. Or as it’s more commonly known, The Amityville Murders. Given the shocking details of this event, it’s no wonder the impact still lives on in the American psyche. Afterward, Patreon subscribers can decompress with Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer...

Who’s to blame for the Amityville Murders? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes fellow podcast host Desi Jedeikin of Hollywood Crime Scene to discuss the gruesome and shocking Amityville Murders. The book, movies and folklore they inspired are scary enough. But, the actual murders continue to haunt and fascinate American society to this day. Tune in and learn about the violence...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with biographer Lyndsy Spence about the wild yet complicated life of the Duchess of Argyll. Author of The Grit in the Pearl: The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll , Lyndsy reminds us of the harsh realities within the Aristocracy and its double standards while profiling the bravery The Duchess possessed navigating those waters....

Who’s to blame for the Duchess of Argyll Scandal? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes podcast co-hosts Matt Marr and Jake Anthony of Reality Gays to discuss the infamous divorce proceedings of Maragret Whigham, the Duchess of Argyll. With rumors and vicious slander abounding, could the British Tabloids have something to do with it? Did this scandal birth the concept of Revenge...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Professor Matthew Solomon about the life, death and enduring legacy of history's most celebrated escape artist, Harry Houdini. Author of Disappearing Tricks: Silent Film, Houdini, and the New Magic of the Twentieth Century , Professor Solomon conjures the image of Houdini as a living myth of his time. A man defying all odds and doing...

Who’s to blame for the Death of Harry Houdini? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back comedian and magician Matt Donnelly (aka The Mind Noodler) to discuss the storied death of arguably the most legendary escape artist of all time, Harry Houdini. They’re joined by Producer Clayton Early. How did he die? Could the infamous punch to the gut have something to do with it? Was a...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca follows up on all things Berlin Wall related with international affairs historian Dr. Susan Colbourn. Dr. Colbourn offers important insight on the state of the Soviet Union in a post war world and the infighting among the united allies well before the war came to an end. She also reminds us that history is littered with accidents. And the fall of...

Who’s to blame for The Berlin Wall? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back Jacquelyn Landgraf to discuss the complex and multilayered circumstances around the rise and fall of The Berlin Wall. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Humanity sure loves a wall. History is littered with them and this wall is no exception. What did this wall repre...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Tracy Tamborra about the Lorena Bobbitt case and the evolution of laws and resources for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence in recent history. A Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven, Tracy reminds us of the tragic historical violence against women and just how recent some of these laws have come...

Who’s to blame for the Lorena Bobbitt Case? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with actress and comedian Jaime Moyer about the many misconceptions and atrocities of the Lorena Bobbitt Case. Most people remember what happened to John Bobbitt. But, do we remember what happened to Lorena?! If not, perhaps the media had something to do with it? Maybe the vulnerability of undocument...