Explore every episode of the podcast You're Wrong About
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dungeons & Dragons & The Satanic Panic with Adrian Daub | 20 Aug 2024 | 01:10:20 | |
This week we travel back to the 80s, when America’s parents decided to freak out over some kids rolling dice and drawing things on graph paper! Adrian Daub walks Sarah through the history of Dungeons & Dragons, and the panic it inspired. Content note: The story we're telling today also involves suicide; please listen with care. Find Adrian online here. Buy his book The Cancel Culture Panic here. And check out this delightful 60 Minutes segment about the dangers of Dungeons & Dragons from 1985. Support You're Wrong About: | |||
| Rosie Ruiz and the Marathon Women with Maggie Mertens | 05 Aug 2024 | 01:19:30 | |
Maggie Mertens tells us a tale of the first women who fought to run the marathon, and of one woman who decided to cut to the finish line. | |||
| Hoax Spectacular! with Chelsey Weber-Smith | 01 Apr 2024 | 01:03:48 | |
Sarah talks with Chelsey Weber-Smith, host of American Hysteria, about some of their favorite hoaxes—from the Loch Ness Monster to the Taco Liberty Bell—and ponder the value of pranks in a world of misinformation. You can find Chelsey here. | |||
| The O.J. Simpson Trial: The DeLorean Detour | 22 Feb 2021 | 00:49:44 | |
To tell the story of the "dream team" we must begin by going back to the future. This week we learn why O.J. Simpson fired the man who defended John DeLorean and why a briefcase of cocaine isn’t always a smoking gun. Digressions include Bob’s Big Boy, Margaret Thatcher and the Fonz. Support us: Where else to find us:
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| Tipper Gore vs. Heavy Metal: The Hearing | 15 Feb 2021 | 01:12:25 | |
Mike tells Sarah the real reason Congress called a bunch of rockers to Washington D.C. Digressions include cartoon violence, sleeveless tees and Trixie Mattel. Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" and Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" are dissected at length. Support us: Where else to find us:
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| Tipper Gore vs. Heavy Metal: The Case Against "Porn Rock" | 08 Feb 2021 | 01:02:05 | |
Mike tells Sarah how a congressional wife started a moral crusade. Digressions include Sheena Easton, Satanic rhymes and teen homicide statistics. Ozzy Osbourne's bat story is recounted in full. Support us: Where else to find us:
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| The Anti-Vaccine Movement | 01 Feb 2021 | 00:45:54 | |
Special guest Eric Michael Garcia tells Mike and Sarah about the deep roots of a pernicious modern myth. Digressions include Mary Tyler Moore, British place names and supermodel dating habits. Mike finally gets to talk about Swedish statistical methods. Support us:
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| The O.J. Simpson Trial: The Arraignmaker | 25 Jan 2021 | 00:47:06 | |
This week, we put on our suits and head back to the courtroom. O.J. Simpson pleads not guilty, Marcia Clark finishes questioning Kato Kaelin and Bob Shapiro continues to furrow his brow. Digressions include "Speed," the Kuleshov effect and the intentional boringness of American law. In the final ten minutes, we talk briefly about the crime scene and Marcia’s reaction to it. Support us: Where else to find us: | |||
| Shannon Faulkner & Sex Discrimination at The Citadel | 18 Jan 2021 | 01:08:32 | |
Mike tells Sarah how a troll-ish experiment turned a South Carolina teenager into one of the most maligned women of the 1990s. Digressions include Sally Ride, Anne Hathaway and, as usual, "Newsies." Mike struggles with the word "infirmary" throughout. Where else to find us:
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| The O.J. Simpson Trial: My Fair Paula | 11 Jan 2021 | 00:52:43 | |
This week we talk about the early days of Paula and O.J.’s relationship and the celebrity cameos reach either a high or a low point. Digressions include date etiquette, cat scams and room-temperature Diet Coke. Mike has his head in his hands for long periods. Support us: Where else to find us: | |||
| The O.J. Simpson Trial: Paula Escapes From L.A. | 28 Dec 2020 | 00:50:43 | |
This week we return to the O.J. Simpson trial and learn what Paula Barbieri did after the Bronco chase. Digressions include fish, beef and grocery shopping while conventionally attractive. Neither co-host has a firm grasp on the meaning of the word "festive." Support us:
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| The Stanford Prison Experiment | 21 Dec 2020 | 01:10:58 | |
Mike tells Sarah the complicated story of an over-simplified study. Digressions include Tonya Harding, "The Meg" and Kitty Genovese. The Milgram obedience studies and the "broken windows" theory of policing receive bonus debunkings. Support us:
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| Losing Relatives to Fox News | 07 Dec 2020 | 00:55:18 | |
Mike tells Sarah what makes older Americans more vulnerable to misinformation — and who is delivering it to them. Digressions include "Supernatural," the Rachel and a fake university in Pennsylvania. We recorded this episode before the election but tried not to make it too obvious. Support us: Where else to find us: | |||
| BONUS Britney Spears Book Club with Eve Lindley | 26 Mar 2024 | 00:56:58 | |
Celebrity correspondent Eve Lindley came by to tell us about Britney Spears' memoir The Woman in Me. This is part one of a four-part saga we're currently releasing on Patreon and Apple Plus, and in this episode we get into Britney's family history, her childhood, her years of searching for stardom, and her life until the eve of "...Baby One More Time." | |||
| The Newsboys' Strike of 1899 (Part 2) | 30 Nov 2020 | 00:49:18 | |
Sarah tells Mike about the thrilling conclusion to a children’s labor action and an overlooked Disney musical. Digressions include cronuts, carrier pigeons and Sylvester Graham’s crackers. Both hosts agree that they love saying the word "papes." | |||
| The Newsboys' Strike of 1899 (Part 1) | 23 Nov 2020 | 00:40:33 | |
Sarah tells Mike about media history, labor organizing, century-old moral panics — and the unlikely Disney musical that introduced her to all three. Digressions include Sting, "The Princess Bride" and 19th century graphic design. Both co-hosts recount their extremely millennial work histories. | |||
| Bonus: The "Twinkie Defense" | 19 Nov 2020 | 00:49:20 | |
Was Harvey Milk's killer really given a light sentence after claiming that junk food made him do it? Mike's spinoff podcast, Maintenance Phase, dives into the rumor and finds a very You're Wrong About twist. | |||
| The Electoral College | 16 Nov 2020 | 00:56:38 | |
Topical episode! Special guest Jamelle Bouie tells Sarah and Mike about his problematic Founding Father faves and the bewildering institution they handed down to us. Digressions include '70s lapels, "Reversal of Fortune" and the Eurovision Song Contest. The filibuster rule and the three-fifths compromise receive bonus debunkings. | |||
| Princess Diana Part 5: The Crash | 09 Nov 2020 | 01:30:08 | |
“You can be a hot mess express and still leave the world better than you found it.” In the final episode of our series, we talk about Diana’s untimely death and the everlasting conspiracy theories surrounding it. Digressions include RPGs, Madonna and Tickle Me Elmo. This episode contains spoilers for the movie “The Queen.” | |||
| Princess Diana Part 4: The Divorce | 02 Nov 2020 | 01:27:48 | |
This week, Diana leaves the royal family with her reputation intact and her title slightly edited. Digressions include "Love Actually," "Pride and Prejudice" and Marie Antoinette. Both co-hosts reveal their staunch affirmative stance on wine moms. Unfortunately, this episode includes descriptions of self-harm. | |||
| Halloween Re-Release: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill | 31 Oct 2020 | 01:04:58 | |
What if the scariest thing in America is unfettered capitalism and unaccountable corporations? | |||
| Bonus: Why Are Dads on "Terminator 2" | 29 Oct 2020 | 01:18:26 | |
Mike comes on Sarah’s new show to talk about robots, dads, the little metal hands guys and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." An Oops! All Pop Culture episode of You’re Wrong About. | |||
| Bonus: The President's Physical Fitness Test | 22 Oct 2020 | 01:03:36 | |
Mike has a new podcast! Here's the first episode, in which he debunks the absurd Cold War trauma factory that was once administered to 75% of American children. | |||
| Halloween Special: Creepy Encounters | 19 Oct 2020 | 00:50:47 | |
This week, Mike and Sarah dissect the Creepy Encounters subreddit and how to handle our creepy feelings in an unsafe time and place. Digressions include Carol Kane, McDonald's and Uber. Sarah wonders if human traffickers have taken serial killers’ jobs. Support us: Where else to find us:
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| The Oscars Streaker with Michael Schulman | 19 Mar 2024 | 01:15:36 | |
In 1974, Robert Opel ran naked through the Academy Awards telecast, and into American history. Today, Michael Schulman, a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Oscar Wars, tells Sarah the story of gay history, art, and tragedy that happened after Robert’s fifteen minutes were over. Read Michael’s work here. | |||
| Princess Diana Part 3: The Affairs | 12 Oct 2020 | 01:19:35 | |
This week, Diana swaps out her husband for a Horse Dude and Mike and Sarah act out other people's PG-13 dirty talk. Digressions include shoulder pads, Billy Joel and "Seinfeld" (twice!). There's a moment 55 minutes in that is going to make you feel very weird. As with previous installments, this episode contains detailed descriptions of disordered eating. | |||
| Princess Diana Part 2: The Wedding | 05 Oct 2020 | 01:24:59 | |
This week, Diana gets married, joins her new family and meets the press. | |||
| Princess Diana Part 1: The Courtship | 28 Sep 2020 | 01:31:37 | |
We start our new series with the story of a girl, a prince and the society that convinced them they liked each other. Digressions include camels, Beyoncé and the idiosyncrasies of British place names. We're sorry to say that this episode has detailed descriptions of disordered eating.
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| Killer Clowns | 21 Sep 2020 | 01:01:21 | |
For our 100th episode, American Hysteria host Chelsey Weber-Smith visits our campfire to tell us about the time America was besieged by a killer clown panic ... and then the time it happened all over again. Digressions include Jon Stewart, "The Blair Witch Project" and John Wayne Gacy. Sarah coyly references the Hartford circus fire several times but no one seems to notice.” | |||
| Tuskegee Syphilis Study Part 2: The Truth | 14 Sep 2020 | 01:10:35 | |
“It’s like these men are being held in a bubble as science marches forward.” Mike tells Sarah how one of history's most unethical experiments came crashing down. Digressions include the history of penicillin, the power of TV movies and the mysterious diagnosis of "Satan's crabs." This episode is happier than the last one, but still contains a lot of racist language and some grisly Nazi examples toward the beginning.
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| Tuskegee Syphilis Study Part 1: The Lie | 08 Sep 2020 | 01:17:36 | |
Mike tells Sarah about the longest "non-therapeutic" experiment in medical history. Digressions include deep fried ice cream, Kato Kaelin and a hot-yoga cabinet. As a warning, this episode contains long quotes from eugenic memos and detailed descriptions of medical racism. We promise to do a happier episode soon. Links!
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| Deep Dive Week 4: Nancy Grace v. The Constitution | 31 Aug 2020 | 00:52:27 | |
This week, Sarah makes a Nancy Grace-style argument against the prosecution. Digressions include '90s romantic comedies, Betty Broderick and flatscreen TVs. Where else to find us: | |||
| Bonus Episode! Sarah’s New Podcast “Why Are Dads” | 27 Aug 2020 | 00:50:11 | |
Sarah tells Mike about her new foray into Dad Studies and, for the second time this week, discusses a horror movie about families from 1975 and sings a little. | |||
| The Stepford Wives | 24 Aug 2020 | 01:01:18 | |
Sarah tells Mike about the real-life conspiracy written between the lines of a 1970s horror novel. Digressions include "Rosemary's Baby (again), Disney World (of course), a brief history of the American pharmaceutical industry and a long recipe for stew. Where else to find us:
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| Wayfair and Human Trafficking Statistics | 10 Aug 2020 | 00:57:22 | |
In another "mini" episode that accidentally turned mega, Mike tells Sarah about the Wayfair conspiracy theory and the sketchy statistical screenshots that have shown up in its wake. Digressions include "Inside Llewyn Davis," Miranda Priestley and (sigh) Jeffrey Epstein. This episode contains, we're sorry to say, detailed descriptions of child abuse. Where else to find us: | |||
| Balto with Blair Braverman | 04 Mar 2024 | 01:09:58 | |
Blair Braverman tells us how the legendary story of one good dog is actually a story of two good dogs. Read Blair’s book, Small Game | |||
| Disco Demolition Night | 03 Aug 2020 | 01:37:31 | |
Mike tells Sarah how a silly sports promotion galvanized a reactionary movement. Digressions include “Charlotte’s Web,” Jane Fonda and German-language musicals. Songs are dissected; the honor of David Bowie and late-night salad bars are defended. Where else to find us:
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| Murder | 27 Jul 2020 | 01:00:21 | |
Mike tells Sarah about the most common forms of violence in America and how they differ (twist!) from what gets shown on TV. Digressions include Perry Mason, “It’s A Wonderful Life” and fruit-toting strategies. Mike appears not to understand the meaning of the term “order of magnitude.” Where else to find us:
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| Deep Dive Week 3: Nancy Grace v. The Jury | 20 Jul 2020 | 00:39:14 | |
This week, Sarah walks Mike through Nancy Grace’s prosecution of American juries. Cameos include Mark Geragos (again), O.J. Simpson (inevitably) and Jessica Hahn (thank God). Gus Van Sant’s masterpiece "To Die For" is discussed at length. Where else to find us: | |||
| Bonus Episode! Sarah and Mike on "The Feminist Present" Podcast | 16 Jul 2020 | 00:55:23 | |
Sarah and Mike tell Laura and Adrian about how we met, how we research and what we would say to Jessica Simpson if we ever met her. Where else to find us: | |||
| Deep Dive Week 2: Nancy Grace v. The Defense | 13 Jul 2020 | 00:55:15 | |
This week, Nancy Grace makes her case against defense attorneys in general and Scott Peterson’s lawyer in particular. Digressions include Batman, tough on crime mixtapes and the Iraq War. After two and a half years, Sarah finds her first Satanic cult — but maybe the real Satanic cults are the friends we made along the way. Where else to find us: | |||
| Koko The Gorilla | 06 Jul 2020 | 01:20:05 | |
“It’s interesting that we became enthusiastic about ASL in the process of teaching it to a population that couldn’t benefit from it.” Where else to find us:
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| Courtney Love | 29 Jun 2020 | 01:16:48 | |
Special guest Candace Opper tells Mike and Sarah how a grunge star became the protagonist in one of America's most persistent conspiracy theories. Digressions include Neil Young, protest songs and the coolest baby of the 1990s. Mike continues to mine his public school education for anatomically impossible rumors. Support us: Where else to find us: | |||
| "The Prom Mom" | 25 Jun 2020 | 00:54:13 | |
“The criminal justice system should treat everyone like a white teenage girl whose future it’s concerned about disrupting.” Where else to find us: | |||
| Deep Dive: Nancy Grace's "Objection!" (Week 1) | 18 Jun 2020 | 00:43:24 | |
Sarah tells Mike how a superhero’s genesis was a supervillain’s origin story all along. In our new deep dive, we tackle Nancy Grace’s “Objection!” and debate how defendants should behave at trial, why prosecutors seem to make good daytime TV stars and whether Nancy really came to New York City with a curling iron and a dream. Where else to find us: | |||
| The O.J. Simpson Trial: The Bronco Chase | 17 Jun 2020 | 01:05:21 | |
On June 17, 1994, the world screeched to a halt so 95 million Americans could watch a white SUV crawl through L.A. Today, we finally talk about the infamous Bronco chase, the men inside the car and the myth they left behind. Digressions include “The Fugitive,” Larry King and Jack Nicholson twice. Like previous episodes about the events of this day, this episode discusses suicidal ideation. Where else to find us: | |||
| The Shoe Bomber with Miles Klee | 20 Feb 2024 | 01:11:58 | |
This week, writer Miles Klee tells us why we have to take our shoes off at the airport. Read Miles Klee at Rolling Stone.
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| Quarantine Deep Dive: Jessica Simpson’s “Open Book” (The Conclusion!) | 08 Jun 2020 | 01:12:34 | |
“You really shouldn’t date people who go in thinking, ’This person has good bones but they’re a fixer-upper.’” Where else to find us: | |||
| Re-Release: The Stonewall Uprising | 04 Jun 2020 | 01:19:01 | |
In honor of Pride Month and revolutions past, present, and future, we're re-releasing our episode on the Stonewall Uprising. Let the sunshine in. Where else to find us: | |||
| Anastasia | 01 Jun 2020 | 01:01:43 | |
“I’m being pulled into planet myth … and I like it here.” Where else to find us: | |||