Welcome to our 2nd installment of Digital Folklore Unplugged. These unplugged episodes are all about stripping away the fancy production elements so that we can give you access to raw (or slightly edited) interviews with folklore experts. Today’s guest is Dr. Diane Rodgers. Diane is a senior lecturer in Media at Sheffield Hallam University where she specializes in Alternative Media and Storytelling in film and television. Her research interests relate to the communication of folklore and contemporary legend in the media including: folk horror; folklore on screen; the supernatural, ‘spooky’ television programming aimed at children, and other darkly fascinating topics. Diane’s PhD research was on folk horror and hauntology in 'wyrd' 1970s British Film and Television. She’s also co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend research group. And if you are one of our wonderful Patreon supporters, you get access to these interviews a few days early before their general release.  Also mentioned in this episode was the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR). Ok, let’s get unplugged… Guest: Dr. Diane A. Rodgers (Twitter) (Website) Relevant Books (Amazon Associate Links) Folk Horror: New Global Pathways, edited by Dawn Keetley & Ruth Heholt The Friends in the Furrows (anthology of folk horror) Dark Folklore, by Mark Norman Hauntology: Ghosts of Futures Past, by Merlin Coverley Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures, by Mark Fisher ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital Folklore

Dr. Diane A. Rodgers | Unplugged

Welcome to Digital Folklore… Unplugged Edition. “Unplugged” is a new, additional, episode format type we’re trying out.  Digital Folklore episodes labeled as “Unplugged” will be much more like traditional interview-based podcasts. Whereas our standard episodes tend to focus on a fun way to present a single topic or set of tightly related topics, Digital Folklore ‘unplugged’ is about showcasing our interviewees… and so will often touch on a wide range of topics in a single interview.  Today’s guest is GennaRose Nethercott. She is a folklorist, an author, a poet, and is also a researcher & producer for the podcast Lore. She’s won a National Poetry Series award for her book, The Lumberjack’s Dove… and her most recent book, Thistlefoot, a reimagining of Baba Yaga that she somehow effortlessly weaves together with American road adventure, the complexity of sibling relationships, and puppetry…  What you are about to hear is a roughly 45 minute excerpt from our full hour and 30 minute interview with GennaRose. If you’re a Patreon supporter, you can head over to Patreon for access to the full interview where you’ll hear about GennaRose’s life as a child clown, her quest to secure a bell tower to work from, what it was like to win the National Poetry Series, the writing of Thistlefoot, and more… That’s all on Patreon. We pick up here with a discussion of folklore, urban legends, and the interesting time we find ourselves in, which is enabled by social media and other forms of mass public online expression…. Ok, let’s get unplugged… Guest: GennaRose Nethercott (Twitter) (Website) Books (Amazon Associate Links) Thistlefoot: A Novel The Lumberjack's Dove: A Poem ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GennaRose Nethercott | Unplugged

Technical Difficulties (Dr. Lynne McNeill) We're joined by veritable digital folklore superstar Lynne McNeill! We are also joined by innumerable technical gremlins, as well as some obvious problems as Perry discovers that Mason has bulldozed the inside of his studio in order to look good on the video chat. Dr. McNeill offers up an immense amount of knowledge and insight, while Perry and Mason barely hold things together. In this episode: Lynne's brilliant definition of folklore. Misinformation, disinformation, media literacy, and the dark side of folkloric transmission. How studying folklore might be more important now than ever. The 'Folklorist's Forensic Toolkit' (how to think like a folklorist). Too much great information to fit in this list! Guest: Dr. Lynne McNeill, author of Folklore Rules, and head of the folklore program at Utah State University. She's also on Twitter! Featuring voice acting from: Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN as Digby. Tucker Bettez of PodCube as Dr. Sphynkyll. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore REMEMBER THE ARTIFACTS - KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technical Difficulties - Dr. Lynne McNeill

Tell Me What You Remember (Defining Folklore) We relive unseen events from earlier this season through the eyes of a mysterious patient and a rather insufferable doctor. It's a recap of what we've learned this season, without actually 're-capping' anything! In this episode: Defining folklore and related concepts with Jeana Jorgenson. We finally find out where Digby is! The Gutenberg Parenthesis, explained by GennaRose Nethercott. Doctor Sphynkyll is in this episode. Perry & Mason talk behind-the-scenes at Digital Folklore! Guests: Jeana Jorgenson, author of Folklore 101. GennaRose Nethercott, author of Thistlefoot and researcher for the Lore podcast. Featuring voice acting from: Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN as Digby. Tucker Bettez of PodCube as Dr. Sphynkyll. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tell Me What You Remember (Defining Folklore)

Perry is all alone in a massive Airbnb... and he's beginning to suspect that something supernaturally disturbing has been following himself and Mason. After all of the strange events this season, perhaps there is a reason for them to be nervous... Perry makes a call to Dr Francis Young, an expert in the history of religion and belief. Francis shares his knowledge of religious history, exorcism practices, the 'chicken and egg' debate around ritual and religion, fandoms, the ways in which the internet affects the generation and archival of folklore, and so much more. Francis is a wellspring of rich insight - but will it help Perry and Mason stay safe from whatever is stalking them? Guests: Dr Francis Young, historian and folklorist specializing in the history of religion and belief. He is the author, editor or co-author of 18 books. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ritual, Exorcism, and Religion - Dr. Francis Young

Why is Old Tech Creepy? (Analog Horror, The Gothic & Hauntology) Mason finds a mysterious VHS copy of Candle Cove. Not having a VCR, he heads to Perry's Airbnb mansion only to discover that Perry is also VCR-less. After a short debate, they hop into the FolksWagen and head to Todd's pawn shop. And that's where things get a bit strange... In this episode: A dramatization of the Candle Cove creepypasta. A discussion about Analog Horror and how it intersects with folklore. The Carterhaugh School breaks down Gothic. The term "hauntology" as explained by Diane Rodgers. Imaginary Worlds host Eric Molinsky makes an appearance. Guests: Diane A. Rodgers PhD, Senior Lecturer in Media at Sheffield Hallam University Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman from the Carterhaugh School of Folklore & the Fantastic Eric Molinsky, creator and host of the Imaginary Worlds podcast. Alex Hera, filmmaker. Creator of the documentary, "The History of Analog Horror", and a 100 Episode webseries called "Walker Creek", which was later re-edited into a feature-length video, and was the basis of a feature-length documentary titled "Making an ARG: Walker Creek". Featuring voice acting from: Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN as Voice #1 in the opening story. Daniel Spencer of Frankenstein's Jukebox as Voice #2 in the opening story Erin King of The Amelia Project as Voice #3 in the opening story Rich Daigle (aka Mouth Almighty) voices Todd the pawn shop owner. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is Old Tech Creepy? (Analog Horror, The Gothic & Hauntology)

Digby is at the 'vet', while Perry & Mason review a fascinating interview on LARP... After the tumultuous and ambiguous events at the end of the previous episode, Perry swings over to Mason's place again. The pair talk through that strange thing that happened with their RSS feed, some potential production decisions for the future of Digital Folklore, and also plan out their interview episode about Live Action Roleplay featuring Tara M. Clapper. There is so much more to LARP than fighting with foam weapons (although that in itself is extremely fun). It provides a safe space to engage in empathetic roleplay, a venue for self-improvement, and a community around the creation and sharing of lore and stories. Tara dishes her wisdom on the subject, and shares just how transformative and important LARP can be! And now Mason wants to find a group to play with. Guests: Tara Marie Clapper, game designer, writer, editor, digital content manager, and creator of Geek Initiative. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Folklore of Live Action Roleplay (LARP) - Tara Marie Clapper

See for Yourself Perry picks up Mason from his house at 4:00am (yes... four in the freaking morning) for a road trip out to the gravesite of Elijah Bond - inventor of the Ouija Board. On the way, they encounter quite a few remarkable folks with stories to tell... Content Warnings: Because of dynamically inserted ads, timestamps would be inaccurate. Here's how to avoid potentially triggering content: Suffocation: in the Hoosac Tunnel story, when you hear us talk about the "Central Shaft", skip ahead ~4 minutes. Racially motivated violence: When you hear the phrase "Mini Lights", skip ahead ~3 minutes. In this episode: An opening retelling of the classic "Hook Hand Man" urban legend. A short retelling of the history of the Hoosac Tunnel, and how Mason paid it a visit. What it means to get to the origin of local legends, and exploration of how they change over time and the purposes they serve. A discussion with a professional ghost tour guide. Discussion around the importance of studying urban legends, and a retelling of the Bunny Man legend. Guests: Mark Muncy, author of the bestselling book Eerie Florida and other compilations of local legends. Paul Prater, multifaceted entertainer and ghost tour guide. Betty Aquino, a graduate student in the folklore program at George Mason University. Featuring voice acting from: GennaRose Nethercott told our opening story of the Hook Hand Man. GennaRose is a an author, poet, folklorist, and an associate producer and researcher for the highly acclaimed Lore podcast. Eric Gray was the voice of AM radio host Bart Chime. Eric creates the podcast "Dumb People with Terrible Ideas" which is a hilarious, pun-filled teardown of hubris - all delivered in his iconic voice. Mason's personal favorite episode is this one about FM radio. Ruben Basalto was the "Moon Man Dad Caller" at the beginning of the AM radio show. Ruben is a voice actor who you can hire for your next project! ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See for Yourself (Urban Legends, Ghost Tours, & Legend Tripping)

Disturbing the remains of the Egyptian Pharaohs is known to incur a deadly curse, so why did a team of archeologists still risk inciting the wrath of King Tutankhamun by entering his burial chamber? And how many of them met a premature end for their impudence? This episode comes to us from our friends at Pushkin Industries. It's a podcast we love called Cautionary Tales by Tim Harford. We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these cautionary tales are for the education of the grown-ups — and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of Messy and The Undercover Economist) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They’ll delight you and scare you, but also make you wiser. You can find Cautionary Tales on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Further reading and listening related to this episode: Roger Luckhurst’s book, The Mummy’s Curse , is the perfect guide to every angle of the tale. Nigel Blundell’s The World’s Greatest Mistakes gives a vivid tabloid-style version, and Snopes described and then fact-checked the tale of the Unlucky Mummy. Skeptoid covers and debunks various explanations for the curse. The Mesmeromania incident is covered in detail by Christopher Turner for Cabinet Magazine. Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler set it in wider context in their fascinating book Useful Delusions. Charle’s Duhigg’s story about Target and the pregnant teenager is in the New York Times Magazine. Academic studies on placebos, nocebos, and the BMJ article about the mummy’s curse: Howick, J. Unethical informed consent caused by overlooking poorly measured nocebo effects. Journal of Medical Ethics. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:07126ead-92c8-4b82-87b2-7e677aaf98b5 Colloca L, Miller FG. The nocebo effect and its relevance for clinical practice. Psychosom Med. 2011;73(7):598-603. doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182294a50 Nelson MR. The mummy’s curse: historical cohort study. BMJ. 2002 Dec 21;325(7378):1482-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.325.7378.1482. PMID: 12493675; PMCID: PMC139048. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Cautionary Tales: The Mummy's Curse

Perry and Mason have lost time, but discover a mysterious tape... The gang discovers a mysterious canister in the trunk of Perry’s (new) car. It's a reel of tape, which turns out to be an interview that they did not conduct. Tune in as Matthew Bliss (prominent ARG solver of Asemblance) and Niles Sankey (game developer of Asemblance) meet each other for the first time! Niles dives deeper into his approach in creating the mysterious puzzles behind his game Asemblance, the experience of watching a community come together to solve it, and shares a lot of insight into the world of creating video games. Guests: Niles Sankey, creator of the Asemblance videogame series, and owner of Nilo Studios. Matthew Bliss, host of The Dead Drop podcast - a twice-weekly 10 minute video game news podcast. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An ARG Developer and Player Meet for the First Time - Niles Sankey & Matthew Bliss

Hidden Meanings You never know what you might discover if you just #KeepYourEyesOpen. Perry and Mason venture into their local pawn shop where they meet the mysterious proprietor, Todd, as well as a handful of very interesting people who happen to all be connected... In this episode: An opening story about a gamer who discovers their deceased father's ghost car and gets to race him again A retelling of Ben Drowned, one of the most iconic creepypastas about a haunted copy of the classic N64 videogame Zelda: Majora's Mask. An exploration of what constitutes a 'folk group' and how folklore can emerge from pop culture fandoms and other established media. A discussion with the developer of an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) where various cryptic clues are spread across the entire internet. An interview with one of the key members of the community who solved that ARG, discussing how that community came together. Mason purchases a bicycle... Guests: Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman from the Carterhaugh School of Folklore & the Fantastic Niles Sankey, creator of the Asemblance videogame series, and owner of Nilo Studios. Matthew Bliss, host of The Dead Drop podcast - a twice-weekly 10 minute video game news podcast. Featuring voice acting from: Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN narrated the opening story. Rich Daigle (aka Mouth Almighty) voices Todd the pawn shop owner. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Keep Your Eyes Open Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hidden Meanings (Haunted Videogames, ARGs, & Folk Groups)

Monsters and Mental Healthcare - Vivian Asimos & Kathleen Hale This is the first of our 'Folk' episodes, where we share longer excerpts from our interviews! We talk with Dr. Vivian Asimos about the importance of storytelling and narrative, what makes a monster significant, and a deeper analysis of how of Slenderman - and the circumstances around his creation - catapulted a legend into our collective consciousness. Then, we'll hear from author Kathleen Hale about her journey to uncover details around the Slenderman stabbings in Wisconsin, the surprising insights she gained about our juvenile justice system, and a discussion about access to mental healthcare services in the United States. We'll also meet Mason's pet raccoon (and unofficial Digital Folklore mascot) Digby! Guests: Dr. Vivian Asimos, author of Digital Monsters and Digital Mythology and the Internet's Monster: The Slender Man Kathleen Hale, author of Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls Support our Show! ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monsters and Mental Healthcare - Vivian Asimos & Kathleen Hale

The Internet is The New Woods (Monsters, Ostension, & Moral Panics) This episode introduces us to two "monsters" who were birthed on the internet, but couldn't be contained there. Their names are Slenderman and Momo, and they are great examples of a few key folkloric concepts. So join us as we take a look at Slenderman and Momo and learn about ostension, monster theory, moral panics, and the defining traits that make something folklore as opposed to just a simple online expression of creativity. Guests: Dr. Vivian Asimos, author of Digital Monsters and Digital Mythology and the Internet's Monster: The Slender Man Ben Brock Johnson, Amory Sivertson, and Quincy Walters from WBUR's podcast, Endless Thread Chelsey Weber-Smith, host of American Hysteria Kathleen Hale, author of Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls And featuring the voice talents of: Jordan Reed as Georgeriegegege Colin Parker as Victor Surge Ty from Side Character Quest ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. ? Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Internet is The New Woods (Monsters, Ostension, & Moral Panics)

Hey folks! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek of episode 1. This episode introduces us to two "monsters" who were birthed on the internet, but couldn't be contained there. Their names are Slenderman and Momo, and they are great examples of a few key folkloric concepts. So join us as we take a look at Slenderman and Momo and learn about ostension, monster theory, moral panics, and the defining traits that make something folklore as opposed to just a simple online expression of creativity. Guests appearing on the full episode include: Dr. Vivian Asimos, author of Digital Monsters and Digital Mythology and the Internet's Monster: The Slender Man Ben Brock Johnson, Amory Sivertson, and Quincy Walters from WBUR's podcast, Endless Thread Chelsey Weber-Smith, host of American Hysteria Kathleen Hale, author of Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls Season 1 drops January 16, 2023. Subscribe or follow so you don't miss out! You can sign-up for our newsletter and learn more about the show at https://digitalfolklore.fm. ? Join our Discord community ?‍♀️ Support us on Patreon ? Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital Folklore -- Episode 1 Sneak Peek

COMING JAN 2023. Monsters, memes, internet urban legends, conspiracies, viral crazes and how each holds up a mirror to the society from which they emerge. Digital Folklore is a fully immersive, sound designed podcast that uses storytelling, voice acting, interviews, and scripted narrative to analyze various expressions of internet culture - from scary stories to cat memes - through the lens of academic folklore. With topics ranging from the absurd to the unsettling, the Digital Folklore podcast is an accessible and entertaining way to learn about folkloric concepts and societal truths. Hosted by Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus. Season 1 drops mid-January, 2023. Subscribe or follow so you don't miss out! You can sign-up for our newsletter and learn more about the show at https://digitalfolklore.fm. Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/digitalfolklore Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing: Digital Folklore

Digital Folklore is an immersive audio adventure that takes place inside a fictional universe, but explores the real-world truths behind various expressions of internet culture and how each holds up a mirror to the society from which they emerge. This podcast is great for audio fiction fans who really really want to enjoy interview-based shows, or for listeners who love expert interviews and insights but long for something unique and unexpected. Join Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus as they explore the wild and wonderful world of online folklore, encountering a wide range of characters—both real and fictional—who provide a wealth of folkloric insight while simultaneously creating new lore. With topics ranging from the absurd to the unsettling, the Digital Folklore podcast is an accessible and entertaining way to learn about folkloric concepts and societal truths. Oh...and be sure to listen carefully—you never know what you might find.

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Digital Folklore

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