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About this episode
This episode takes a look at our history with candy, the desire and the panic, and explains why sweets have always been a source of fear for parents. Starting with the strange 1800s religious beliefs of Dr. Harvey Kellogg, about candy leading to sexual deviancy, we'll move through the goofy urban legends of the 1970s, to the 80s and 90s when people allegedly began finding dangerous objects in their foods, like syringes in Pepsi cans and poison in Halloween candy.
American Hysteria is written and produced by Chelsey Weber-Smith
Produced and edited by Rod Rodriguez
Show art by Roache
Voice acting by Lily Orrey and Will Rogers
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Get every episode summarized
Each time American Hysteria publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
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