The Alarmist

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Sarah Arnold about the cultural significance of the Norman Bates character in the horror classic Psycho. A Lecturer in Media at Maynooth University and author of the book Maternal Horror Film , Sarah delves into Psychoanalytic Theory and highlights some of the gender norms that are often reinforced and either punished or validated...

Who’s to blame for the Norman Bates murders?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with good friend Jack Dolgen about who’s to blame for the Norman Bates murders in the horror classic Pyscho. Could abusive parenting have something to do with it? Or perhaps isolation is to blame. And if it wasn’t for the limited and archaic psychological resources of oppressive 1950’s America...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Gustavo Vázquez-Lozano about the history of Cinco de Mayo. An expert on the Second Mexican Empire, Gustavo walks us through the importance of this historic battle and shares fascinating new details about the clever ways this small band of Mexican soldiers defeated the larger, more sophisticated French army. Afterward, Producer Clayton...

Who’s to blame for Cinco de Mayo? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with writer, producer and fellow podcaster Jorge Molina about who’s to blame for the confluence of events which resulted in The Battle of Puebla. Or as it’s more popularly known, Cinco de Mayo. Not to be confused with Mexican Independence as Jorge, a Mexico native himself, reminds us. Who’s Maximilian? What ar...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Gregory Smits about The Great Kantō Earthquake. A Professor of History and Asian Studies at Pennsylvania State University and the author of two studies on Japanese earthquakes, Dr. Smits walks us through the historical and social dynamics playing out at the time of this tragic event. After a thorough recap of the earthquake and th...

Who’s to blame for The Great Kantō Earthquake? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back old friend and fellow podcaster Jacquelyn Landgraf to discuss The Great Kantō Earthquake in 1923. Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early join the conversation about this catastrophic event. Was this an act of God, an act of Mother Nature or were people in the wrong place at the...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with Dr. Rumela Sen about the Nepali Royal Massacre. Dr. Sen lectures at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is author of the book Farewell to Arms: How Rebels Retire Without Getting Killed . After sharing fascinating new insights into the history of the Royal Family and the power dynamics at play, Fact Che...

Who’s to blame for the Nepalese Royal Massacre?  This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back award-winning podcaster and culture critic Kristen Meinzer to discuss who’s to blame for the 2001 murder of the Nepali Royal Family. Host of the podcast The Royal Report from Newsweek, Kristen shares a compelling take on this royal nightmare. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smit...

New Guest Expert! For this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca gets a firsthand account of Balloonfest ‘86 from the manager of the event itself, Tom Holowach. Having worked in event logistics since 1978, Tom shares the intricate planning and care that went into this surprisingly complex spectacle. Afterward, Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith stop by to see if the verdict still holds up. Tu...

Who’s to blame for Balloonfest ‘86? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with fellow podcasters Arielle Nissenblatt and Lauren Passell about the 1986 Balloonfest fail in Cleveland. Hosts of Podcast Therapy and self-avowed members of The Alarmy, Arielle and Lauren are the perfect duo to get to the bottom of this spectacular fiasco. They’re joined by Fact Checker Alex Paul and Prod...

New Guest Expert! On this week’s Aftermath, Rebecca Speaks with Emmy Award winning writer and director Nicole Rittenmeyer. Director of the documentary Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre, Nicole shares fascinating new insights about the Inner Circle of Jonestown and its day to day operations up to the very end. After, Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early stop by to revisit the...

Who’s to blame for the Jonestown Cult Massacre? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes friend and filmmaker Lance Edmands to help decide who’s to blame for the Jonestown Massacre. Jim Jones is definitely on the board. But, was his excessive doomsday paranoia to blame? Or were the tumultuous 1960’s & 70’s too much to handle? Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early...

Producers Meeting! This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) hosts an extra special Mailbag episode with Producers Clayton Early and Alex Paul. With a robust round of mini-alarms, new reviews, and a listener submission to join the Fact Checking team, this mailbag is stuffed to the gills! Tune in and hear what The Alarmy has to say. And if you haven’t already, share your rating and review for...

Who’s to blame for The Karluk Disaster? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) keeps it all in the family with Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith to discuss the disastrous Karluk Voyage. Could Geographical Fantasy be a contributing factor? What’s a Curiosity Tax and could it be the blame? Is poor planning the culprit? One thing is certain, the wrong tool for the wrong job...

Here’s a special preview of the new season of Cautionary Tales from Pushkin Industries. On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that teach us important lessons for today. In this preview, you’ll hear about the 1981 Hyatt Regency Hotel collapse, a shocking design failure that resulted in 114 deaths an...

New Guest Expert! On today’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with urban planner and theme park expert Sam Gennawey. Author of “The Disneyland Story: An Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream,” Gennawey guides us through Walt Disney’s plans for an amusement park unlike any other, and the truncated construction timeline that led to Disneyland’s disastrous opening day. What happens when t...

Who’s to blame for the Disastrous Opening of Disneyland? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes back the OG Alarmist Producer and former Disney Princess herself, Amanda Lund! Together, along with Producer Clayton Early and Fact Checker Chris Smith, they discuss the problematic 1955 opening of Disneyland. Were counterfeit tickets to the invite-only opening day to blame? Perhaps th...

Mail Call! This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) catches up on some Alarmy emails in an all new Mailbag. There’s an update from The Alarmist Jail. Producer Clayton Early shares some listener reviews. And Fact Checker Chris Smith workshops some new sound effects for the show. Tune in and find out what’s been alarming The Alarmy these days!   We have merch! Join our Discord! Tell...

Who’s to blame for the death of Joan of Arc? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes writer and comedian Sonia Denis to decide who’s to blame for the death of Joan of Arc in 1431. What would you do if a teenage girl claimed God instructed her to lead an army to defend France? Burn her at the stake for wearing pants? They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Alex Paul...

New Aftermath! On today’s episode, Rebecca speaks with the founder and former Director of Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program, Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Barthlolet. Specializing in child welfare, Bartholet shares some fascinating realities about the current homeschooling system and offers some fundamental guidelines for what a more wholesome approach might look like. After, Rebecca refl...

Who’s to blame for the Turpin Family House of Horrors? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) welcomes fellow podcaster Caroline Moss to decide who’s to blame for the horrific occurrences inside the Turpin family home. Could this prolonged abuse have been prevented by more robust regulation of homeschooling? Or was the system simply set up to fail? They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smi...

New Guest Expert! On today’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with National Security Archivist of the Chile Documentation Projects, Peter Kornbluh. Author of the bestselling book “The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability,” Kornbluh walks us through the C.I.A.'s involvement in the Chilean coup d’état of 1973, while thoughtfully drawing parallels to Russia’s current invasion...

Who’s to Blame for the Chilean Coup D’état of 1973? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian, actor and writer Beth Lapides about who’s to blame for the Chilean coup d’état of 1973. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Why were Fidel Castro, Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon and The CIA involved? And what is it about change that brings up...

New Guest Expert! On today’s Aftermath, Rebecca speaks with neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and intelligence Dr. Lori Marino. President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, Dr. Marino reflects on the intelligence and robust culture of the orca community. Are wisdom and power simply too irresistible to humans? Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early stop by to discuss. We have m...

Who’s to blame for the Tilikum Murders at SeaWorld? This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with fellow podcaster Jackie Johnson about the capture of Tilikum the Orca and the tragic murders that occurred while he was in captivity. They’re joined by Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early. Should we really be training wild animals we call Killer Whales? And aren’t there b...