The Alarmist

Who’s to blame for The Affair of Charles and Camilla? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back Alarmy favorite and Royals expert-extraordinaire Kristen Meinzer to discuss THE affair that keeps on affairing, The Affair of Charles and Camilla. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Were they merely the pawns of a puritanical society! Or were they...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath Rebecca speaks with Hollywood historian and tour guide April Clemmer about the life and tragic death of one of Hollywood’s most iconic talents, Judy Garland. April shares some haunting anecdotes about the very rigid standards of the Hollywood studio system at the time and the sense of ownership they had over their stars. She also reflects on some of the p...

Who’s to blame for the death of Judy Garland? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with Comedy Gives Back co-founder and host of the Ignite Change podcast Amber J Lawson about the legendary Judy Garland and her premature death at the age of only 47. There’s not much this storied icon didn’t endure throughout her life. From childhood trauma, addiction, exploitation and the Hollywo...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with author Patricia Hruby Powell about the ongoing legacy of the historic Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia. Author of Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case , Patricia shares more about who the Lovings were and the years of hardship they had to endure all because they wanted to marry the person the...

Who’s to blame for Loving v. Virginia? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with actor Dinora Walcott about the landmark US Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia which resulted in a big win for civil rights advocates by finally overturning state laws which prohibited interracial marriage. Why were these laws on the books in the first place? And what took so long to remove them?&n...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Social Studies teacher and LGBTQ Historian David Duffield about the broader history of queer culture and oppression leading up to the tragic murder of Scott Amedure after his appearance on the Jenny Jones Show. We revisit the Gay Panic defense, discuss the straight washing which was occuring at the time and reflect on the price the LG...

Who’s to blame for the murder of Scott Amedure? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back friend of the show Tony Rodriguez to discuss the tragic and brutal murder of Scott Amedure after his appearance on The Jenny Jones Show in 1995. What could have possibly led to such an extreme reaction from an innocent on-air confession? Was the reaction Jonathan Schmitz’ alone or was it r...

Iceberg! Straight Ahead??!....Not on The Alarmists watch! Calling all Alarmy members. Don't panic. Do tune in. Your Alarmist needs you! Before we resume this week's regularly scheduled programming, there's some exciting new developments to share with The Alarmy. We have a Patreon! A Patreon? That's right, you heard it here first. Join The OG Alarmist Rebecca Delgado Smith, Fact Checker Chris...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with author and Galveston cultural historian Jami Durham to discuss the catastrophic Galveston Hurricane of 1900. As an employee of the Galveston Historical Foundation since 1998 and with a background in research and museum management, Jami shares a very intimate and detailed account of the events that have forever changed the tight-knit c...

Who’s to blame for the Galveston Hurricane of 1900? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian, filmmaker and Texas resident Meghan Ross about the deadliest storm ever in American history, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900? Whether it was an act of God or the wrath of Mother Nature, there’s a little more to this story which led to the unspeakable loss of life. Fact Checker...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with author Rachael Hanel about the polarizing case of Patty Hearst and her kidnapping by the SLA in 1974. Author of  Not the Camilla We Knew: One Woman’s Path from Small-town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army, Rachael reminds us of the trauma Patty Hearst was initially subjected to, and reflects on the mystery which still loo...

Who’s to blame for the Kidnapping of Patty Hearst? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes actor and comedian Claire Burns to discuss the very infamous circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and radicalization of Patty Hearst. Was Stockholm Syndrome the cause or effect? And what was going on in 1970’s America that led to the formation of the SLA? Fact Checker Krystal Dinsberg an...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Mark Nelson about the infamous boxing match between Mike Tyson and Evander Hollyfield. A match that will forever mark Mike Tyson as an ear biter. As a championship referee for all 4 major boxing organizations with over 30 years of experience, Mark walks us through the technicalities of the match and shares his insights on the mental p...

Who’s to blame for the Kiss Nightclub Fire of 2013? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back good friend of the show Adam Lustick to discuss the tragic circumstances surrounding the Kiss Nightclub Fire in Brazil which resulted in a devastating loss of life. Was this due to a lack of exits, improper permitting, the Clubowners greed, or all of the above? Producer Clayton Early a...

New Mailbag! This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) sits down with Producer Clayton Early for a much needed mailbag catch-up session. From talking Tudors, pushing back on potential Capitalism culprits and hearing from an Alarmy member who has an actual family connection to the sinking of General Slocum this mailbag means business. Join us as we catch up with the Alarmy and then head over...

Who’s to blame for the Mike Tyson Ear Bite? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes boxing coach Keith Mckay to discuss the notorious “Bite Fight” between Mike Tyson and Evander Hollyfield. Did the much speculated head butting have something to do with it? Should the referee and physician have called off the match? Or perhaps Mike Tyson’s pettiness is to blame. It seems safe to sa...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with historian and Professor of History at SUNY Purchase, Dr. Jessica Levy about all things Capitalism. Host of the Podcast WHO MAKES CENTS: A History of Capitalism, Professor Levy does a meticulous job of walking us through the many contributing factors to Capitalism's origins and what it looks like in modern American society. Afterward,...

Who’s to blame for America’s Late-Stage Capitalism? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes Comedian Jeffrey Elizabeth Copeland to the show to discuss one of the most infamous and most common culprits on the Alarmist Board: Capitalism. After nearly taking the fall for so many past tragedies, it’s anyone’s guess as to who, or what, will take the fall for this behemoth. Needless to...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Attica Prison Uprising with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Heather Ann Thompson. From her years of research, Dr. Thompson reminds us of the extreme brutality these prisoners were subjected to, both before and after the uprising, and the disinformation that followed, which has negatively impacted the US prison system to this day. A...

Who’s to blame for the Attica Prison Uprising? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes good friend Sean Conway to discuss the complicated circumstances surrounding the Attica Prison protests and the tragic deaths of both inmates and corrections officers which followed. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Was this the result of something as insign...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with writer and editor David Lazar about A Million Little Pieces and his views on the state of the modern memoir. A prolific essayist, David reminds us of the importance of genre and the somewhat elusive concept of truth value and how these can impact the delicate relationship between the author and the reader.  Afterward, Fact Checke...

Who’s to blame for the A Million Little Pieces Book Scandal? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with prolific podcaster Eric Silver about James Frey and his detail-doctored memoir turned scandal A Million Little Pieces. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Could Oprah go to The Alarmist Jail for this one?! Are James Frey’s literary heroes to bl...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Carol Meyers about one of the Bible’s more popular narratives, The 10 Plagues of Egypt. Having written extensively on the book of Exodus, Dr. Meyer’s breaks down the meaning of the word ‘Plague’ in Hebrew and demonstrates the ways in which the biblical vs. historical events of these “10 Plagues” tell a somewhat different story. Af...

This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with writer and comedian Rachel Bloom about the 10 Plagues of Egypt and who or what could possibly be responsible for this epic series of horrors. Was this the work of God or the work of Mother Nature? And what’s the continuing legacy and importance of this story in modern times? Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early join the con...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca revisits the Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Incident with tour bus expert Jamie Morral. Founder and President of JGM Coaches, Jamie has been managing coach rentals and drivers for over 20 years. Needless to say, he has some interesting insights to share about the tour bus industry and the clients they cater to. Afterward, Fact Checker Chris Smi...