Best Semiotics Podcasts (2024)

1
Defeating Cancer’s Hero Trope: Cancer Doesn’t Make Humans Super - It Makes Them More of Who They Already Are 25:54

6h ago25:54

25:54

A cancer diagnosis is a "moment of truth" that brings an undeniable shift to someone's identity. Faced with one's own mortality, a concerted effort may be required to overcome the dissonance between "who I was" and "who I am now". When communicating to patients diagnosed with cancer, we often attempt to address this new-found perspective by creatin…

1
Tarantism: Dancing Mania pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall of You're Wrong About 1:05:16

1d ago1:05:16

1:05:16

The phenomenon called 'Tarantism' began in the Middle Ages in southern Italy where the bite of a local spider caused bizarre symptoms almost like that of demonic possession. The only cure was to dance vigorously for hours or days with the dance itself seeming to become contagious. Was it all truly a reaction to the venom? A religious possession? A …

1
Making Sense Of "Trigger Warnings": Stigma, Taboo, and Trauma 32:35

9d ago32:35

32:35

Correction: In this episode, we mention that Anna Calix had a miscarriage. Anna actually had a 40 week stillbirth. Miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a fetal demise in utero at less than 20 weeks of pregnancy, and stillbirth (fetal death) is a spontaneous fetal demise in utero at 20 weeks or more of pregnancy. The two have very different experie…

1
Spider Slander: Confronting the Myths with Expert Rod Crawford 46:08

17m ago46:08

46:08

Rod Crawford is the curator of the arachnids and related research collections at Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. His website called Spider Myths debunks the many misconceptions about spiders, and for this episode, he joins me to discuss some of these urban legends and bogus facts. Many of them may surprise you! Check out Rod …

1
The Average Person Swallows Eight Spiders a Year in Their Sleep 1:01:47

3d ago1:01:47

1:01:47

For this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are dissecting the myth that the average person swallows a certain number of spiders in their sleep by following this false fact's bizarre and mysterious trail on the early internet, looking at other spider-related urban legends, searching for pop culture references to spiders in mouths, as well as old new…

1
Uncomfortable Conversations Save Lives: The Surgeon General Weighs In On The Risks of Social Media 33:51

16d ago33:51

33:51

In this episode, Brad and Gabe delve into the US Surgeon General's proposal to introduce warning labels on social media platforms, aimed at highlighting their impact on young people's mental health. In the US, the surgeon general is seen as a moral authority who looks at social issues through a health-first lens from the dangers of social media to …

1
Rewind: Believing in the Blair Witch (Updated!) 24:44

19d ago24:44

24:44

This is an update on the new developments surrounding one of my favorite movies of all time, The Blair Witch Project, paired with our 2019 minisode. When news broke that the film's production company Lionsgate will be reviving the franchise with genre giant Blumhouse, the three original actors took to social media with a serious bone to pick. The B…

1
Pretendians: Indigenous Identity Fraud with Robert Jago and Angel Ellis 53:58

26d ago53:58

53:58

For this episode, the hosts of the new podcast Pretendians, Robert Jago and Angel Ellis, explain Indigenous Identity Fraud, the phenomenon of scam artists pretending to be indigenous in order to receive certain kinds of benefits. We talk about the motivations of these Pretendians, how they get away with it, the effects these charlatans have on the …

1
This is not a Drill: Cervical Cancer is Curable, but Treatment is Often Too Painful to Survive 48:20

2M ago48:20

48:20

In this episode, we’re joined by Eve McDavid and Dr. Onyinye Balogun, founders of Mission Driven Tech, a Cervical Cancer innovation company. Their story is an inspirational application of Breaking the Code's themes of inclusive design, varied expressions of pain, and uncomfortable conversations that save lives. Our discussion delves into women's he…

1
A Terrorist Attack on the Furries with Nicky Woolf 52:54

1M ago52:54

52:54

Fur and Loathing is a new investigative podcast from Nicky Woolf about an unsolved 2014 chlorine gas attack on the world’s largest Furry convention, an assumed safe place for those who create animal avatars using elaborate costumes. Nicky takes me through the case, shares his experience at a recent convention, discusses misconceptions and urban leg…

1
If Everything is 'Healthy', Nothing is 23:53

2M ago23:53

23:53

In a world of ubiquitous marketing, figuring out what supports a "healthy lifestyle" can be challenging. Marketers have picked up on the cultural trend towards wellness branding, and are enthusiastically, if somewhat disingenuously, leaning into claims that are technically true but not very helpful--"no added sugar", for example, is true, but irrel…

1
Long Live the Ray Cat with Emperor X and Matt Kielty 58:29

2M ago58:29

58:29

Reporter and Radiolab producer Matthew Kielty and musician Chad Matheny (AKA Emperor X) were both part of a 2014 episode of the 99% Invisible podcast called Ten Thousand Years that asked the same question we did in our Talking to the Future episode: how do we communicate warnings about nuclear waste to humans ten thousand years in the future when l…

1
Ensuring the Customer is Always Right: A Brand's Role in Consumer Health Decisions 35:34

2M ago35:34

35:34

As people become more conscious and more knowledgeable about their health, it's on brands and health institutions to become more intimately aware of their consumer's (or patient's) health needs and goals. Someone who "does their own research" isn't operating in a silo - they still rely on the opinions of others, friends, influencers, health profess…

1
Talking to the Future: Nuclear Semiotics 1:07:11

3M ago1:07:11

1:07:11

How do we warn people 10,000 years in the future about nuclear waste sites that will remain extremely dangerous for longer than human civilization has existed? When language, symbols, and technologies are lost to time, how can we get our message across? Atomic Priesthoods, Radiation Cats, Forests of Thorns, manufactured folklore, these are just a f…

1
Context Clues: Going Nuclear 43:08

2M ago43:08

43:08

For some context for our upcoming series that we have not yet revealed, we will revisit excerpts from our past episodes: Horror Movies pt. 1, The End of the World, and Alien Abductions pt. 1 and 2. We encourage you to listen to the full episodes! Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to Am…

1
Magical Overthinking with Amanda Montell 1:05:54

3M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

Amanda Montell is the host of the podcast Sounds Like A Cult as well as the author of the new book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, a collection of personal essays on various cognitive biases, those flawed ways of thinking that were very important for early humans but now cause all kinds of problems in our technologic…

1
Francine and the Wolves of Wall Street with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About' 1:17:56

3M ago1:17:56

1:17:56

Sarah Marshall joins me to chat about how, in 1968, one unsuspecting young woman’s bustline almost caused a stock market bust when thousands of Wall Street employees became obsessed with watching her walk to work. I also tell Sarah about an absurd 20-year-long craze called Girl-Watching that taught "genteel" men the "refined art" of covertly checki…

1
Skip the Chocolates, Bring out the Blindfold: ParkinSex & Putting Intimacy At the Forefront 34:06

3M ago34:06

34:06

In honor of Parkinson's awareness month, we're joined by Howard Lenn, EVP, Executive Creative Director at Havas Health Plus, to discuss his team's approach to the work on the "The Kama Sutra of Parkinson's", ParkinSex. Couples that include someone with Parkinson's are more likely to separate than couples that don't. Howard talks about the massive s…

1
The Pain We Feel: Culture in Storytelling and The Learned Expression of Emotions 33:45

4M ago33:45

33:45

Something that has fascinated us recently is the role culture plays in the emotional aspects of storytelling. The emotional response, its justification and the words used to describe it all are heavily influenced by an individual's identity and how they've learned to express themselves. In this episode, we discuss some of the culture differences wh…

1
The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals 1:06:05

4M ago1:06:05

1:06:05

In the late 1950s, an organization known as SINA started a campaign with the mission of clothing naked animals for the sake of decency. Today we will look at this bizarre moral crusade and its leader, whose life you'll have to hear about to believe. Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to…

1
When Conspiracies Aren't Just Theories with Journalist Tom Risen 1:16:54

4M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

Journalist and author Tom Risen is here to tell me about some of the real conspiracies that the CIA and the FBI were involved in from the 50s to the 70s and how, in 1975, one senator finally took these agencies to task, revealing shocking truths that would be used for decades to make the conspiracy theories we know today seem far more plausible. To…

1
Nurses are HCPs too: Honoring the Beating Heart of the Healthcare System 36:34

4M ago36:34

36:34

Too often in our industry, when we say "healthcare professional" what we really mean is ONE healthcare profession, the prescribing Medical Doctor. However, nursing is and always has been a part of the healthcare professional team, and today more than ever the roles nurses play in providing care are exactly those we cannot do without. Nursing is imp…

1
Bigfoot's Big Adventure with Author John O'Connor 53:41

5M ago53:41

53:41

John O'Connor is the author of The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, a cross-country adventure and investigation into the lore around Bigfoot as well as the personalities of those who spend their lives chasing this elusive creature. Get John's book here Producer and Editor: Miranda Zickler Associate Producer: Riley…

1
A Chance to Stand Out: Does The SAT Do More Good Than Harm? 37:55

5M ago37:55

37:55

Recently, a number of prestigious U.S. universities have talked about reinstating The Scholastic Aptitude Test, more infamously known as The SAT, for applicants to their undergraduate programs. The SAT was once mandatory for college applications, but has become optional and then not used at all in progressive stages over the past two decades. Howev…

1
Gang Initiations pt. 2 54:10

5M ago54:10

54:10

For the second part of this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are continuing to explore various tall tales of ruthless gang initiations from the 1990s onward, as well as looking at the sweeping anti-gang laws of the 80s and 90s that had devastating effects on communities and categorized entire neighborhoods as gang associates, enacting severe punis…

1
Gang Initiations pt. 1 1:01:13

5M ago1:01:13

1:01:13

For this Urban Legends Hotline episode, we are answering a listener message about a story of street gangs initiating wannabes with frightening rituals including driving around with their headlights off and murdering the first good samaritan who gives them a courtesy flash. We'll explore several scares that have flared up due to different versions o…

1
Do Superbowl Ads Do the Job?: Singing Busts, Resilient Athletes, & Family Photos with the Visually Impaired 54:25

5M ago54:25

54:25

Do you know anyone who just watches the Superbowl for the love of the game anymore? As TV viewers decline across the board, the Big Game on the second Sunday of February remains a must watch event in sports, entertainment, and advertising, hooking the attention from everyone from die-hard sports fans to Swifties. In this special episode, the full t…

1
Context Clues: Ganging Up 37:49

5M ago37:49

37:49

'Gang Initiations' is the topic of our upcoming series, and this episode will provide extra context using excerpts from three previous episodes—Urban Legends, Drugs, and Dangerous Teens. Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts Thank you to our sponsors:…

1
Alligators in the Sewer with 'You're Wrong About' [Live at SketchFest] 1:14:24

6M ago1:14:24

1:14:24

Live at SF Sketchfest, Sarah Marshall tells me about the urban-legendary alligators in the sewers of New York City. But of course, that's only one of the many manholes we open. Make sure you listen to You're Wrong About! Leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline Check out our new merch line Folk Devils United Become a Patron to support our sh…

1
Let's Think Zebras: Understanding Rare Disease Through the Lives of Those it Affects 38:48

6M ago38:48

38:48

A rare disease diagnosis is the beginning of a journey of unknowns. From an HCPs ability to treat, to a caregivers' emotional burden, to a patient's sense of identity, there are a variety of factors that remain uncertain or unclear which makeup the unique challenge of having a rare disease. Despite the challenge, people living with rare disease per…

1
Uncomfortable Conversations Save Lives: Gardasil, "The Sex Vaccine" 30:56

6M ago30:56

30:56

With January being Cervical Health Awareness month, we felt that this was a great time to breakdown the discussion around Gardasil, an HPV vaccine that can play a major role in curbing the incidence rates of cervical and a variety of other cancers. With that fact alone, Gardasil seems like a no-brainer, but as we explained in a previous episode, it…

1
The Paranormal Entertainment Industry with Sapphire Sandalo and Jim Perry 56:23

6M ago56:23

56:23

Today I'm joined by paranormal corespondent Jim Perry of the podcast Euphomet and Sapphire Sandalo of the podcast Stories With Sapphire as well as the TV shows Ghost Town Terror, Paranormal Caught On Camera, and Paranormal Nightshift. We'll discuss what it’s like to work on very different kinds of projects in the supernatural sphere and get a littl…

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