Why do some stories explode into global fandoms while others fade away? What makes readers ship characters, obsess over merch, and turn books into cult phenomena? The Feral Fandoms Podcast dives deep into fandom culture — from Twilight to K-pop, Supernatural to BL dramas — to uncover the psychology, rituals, and chaos that fuel obsession. Hosted by author and cult-brand strategist Onley James and cohost Shannon Ezzell, each episode blends pop culture analysis, fandom breakdowns, and witchy i ...
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Fandom Psychology Podcasts
PRETEND is an investigative true crime podcast about real people who lie for a living — con artists, scammers, and the victims caught in their web. Hosted by journalist Javier Leiva, PRETEND exposes the human psychology behind deception and fraud. Each episode follows a real case of manipulation — from financial scams and Ponzi schemes to digital hoaxes and emotional cons. PRETEND explains how and why deception works without shaming victims, combining ethical journalism with cinematic storyt ...
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Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop. Every episode is a dialogue, a journey into the depths ...
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Why Do We Do That? is a psychology podcast that deconstructs human behavior from the perspectives of social scientists, psychologists, and others that use applied psychology in their work.
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Music Therapy is an existential podcast for musicians (and music fans!) Being a musician has never been easy, but in today’s over-saturated world, it feels more daunting than ever. With little money and murky paths to success, it’s no wonder musicians are struggling to find their place and value in the world. Musicians will find the Music Therapy podcast an indispensable and inspiring companion while navigating the ups and downs of creativity, the music industry, and mental health. Music fan ...
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The study of equal and opposite reaction is in effect the simplest definition of alchemy, and this is a show that aims at the grit and grime of the alchemical process. Proof of the horrific and unholy will show equal proof of things transcendental and divine if we study closely, so here we put at the forefront the things that keep us up at night, the skeletons in our closets, and the monsters under the bed, so that we may take our power back. Here we are cynics with enough faith to still try ...
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The Psychology of Parasocial Experiences: Fandom, Hate-Watching & Emotional Connection with Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky-Forster
45:12
45:12
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45:12In this episode, PJ sits down with Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky-Forster to explore parasocial relationships—the one-sided connections people form with media figures. They discuss how these relationships have evolved since the 1950s, their role in emotional support, and how social media has reshaped the way we connect with content creators. Learn about c…
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Bonus: The Psychology Behind Parasocial Relationships (Cracks in the Fandom)
28:05
28:05
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28:05This bonus episode is a chance to step back and make sense of everything that just unfolded in Cracks in the Fandom. If you listened to the series, you saw how an Instagram unfollow spiraled into harassment, infighting, and full-on chaos inside the SVU fandom. This series was petty, confusing , and pretty revealing about how people form attachments…
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How A ’90s Book Became A CW Phenomenon And Taught Us To Pivot As Creators
54:36
54:36
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54:36Send us a text A fog machine, a crow, and a five-episode rule—how did a moody ’90s paperback morph into a CW juggernaut and a masterclass in pivoting to audience taste? We dive into The Vampire Diaries’ messy magic, the Originals’ elegant brutality, and the character shifts that made fans argue, swoon, and stay. Damon’s chaos vs. Stefan’s martyrdom…
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Gadamer and the Social Turn in Epistemology with Dr. Carolyn Culbertson
54:30
54:30
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54:30Can knowing ever be neutral, or are we always shaped by history and culture? PJ and Dr. Carolyn Culbertson explore how Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics challenges both Enlightenment objectivity and postmodern relativism, showing that understanding itself is an event of truth. Their discussion weaves through Gadamer’s critique of neutrality, the fu…
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Some people fake cancer for sympathy. Others do it for money. But the truth is darker than most of us want to believe. In this episode, we break down the tactics, behaviors, and mindsets of some of the most convincing cancer fakers out there. From Madison Russo’s botched medical props to Elizabeth Teckenbrock’s alleged search history...“Is it illeg…
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On PRETEND, we tell stories about people who build false identities and hide the truth in plain sight. This week, we are featuring a case that fits right into that world. It is the newest season of Dakota Spotlight, titled “Meanwhile in Mankato.” In 1965, an 18-year-old gas station attendant named Ray Dahm was murdered during an overnight shift at …
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#071 - Overcoming Grief & Adversity with Dr. John Tsilimparis
48:53
48:53
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48:53In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with psychotherapist and author Dr. John Tsilimparis about overcoming adversity and his new book, The Magic in the Tragic: Rewriting the Script on Grief and Discovering Happiness in our Darkest Days. They discuss how to reframe grief as a source of growth, the difference between moving on and he…
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2309: From Smallville to NXIVM: The Psychology Behind Allison Mack
43:23
43:23
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43:23Smallville's Allison Mack is out of prison, and she's finally talking. What was NXIVM, and how did Allison Mack become a high-ranking member? NXIVM was a self-help organization that sold leadership training and personal development courses. Beneath the surface, it operated as a coercive group led by Keith Raniere, using control tactics like starvat…
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118: Serial Killers, Demonology & Analytic Psychology (feat. Joe Rupe of 'Lighting the Void')
1:36:46
1:36:46
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1:36:46Welcome back to Black Hoodie Alchemy! For this episode, I'm sharing a recent guest-spot I did on Joe Rupe's Lighting the Void for his week-long Halloween themed broadcasts. Joe hit me up just a couple hours before his show and asked me if I wanted to jump on to talk about serial killers and abnormal psychology (a topic I analyzed in part with my b…
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Send us a text What if your favorite fandom didn’t just consume your life—it gave you one to build? We sit down with author Kaenyn King to trace the wild path from running a fan account to publishing an MM romance debut, Teach Me K-pop. The conversation is equal parts craft clinic, fandom love letter, and behind-the-scenes tour of indie publishing,…
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The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological Psychology with Dr. Matthew LaPine
1:00:27
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1:00:27In this episode, Dr. Matthew LaPine joins PJ to discuss The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological Psychology—a groundbreaking exploration of how theology and psychology intersect. Drawing from his own experiences with mental health, Dr. LaPine examines how emotions, embodiment, and reason work together in shaping our spiritual lives. He unpacks…
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Alien abductions. Hundreds of people say it’s happened to them. They’re not looking for fame or attention. Some keep it a secret...haunted by memories they can’t explain. In Day 3 of PRETEND’s Halloween Marathon, we meet Dr. John Mack, a Pulitzer Prize–winning Harvard psychiatrist who risked his reputation to study these so-called abductees. Using …
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It’s Day 2 of my Halloween Marathon, and today we’re diving into The Haunted Tourist. I’m joined by Brandon Schexnayder, host of Southern Gothic and Fear Daily—two shows that live and breathe ghost stories. Together, we pull back the curtain on haunted tourism: the ghost tours, the myths, and the money that fuels them. From fake cemeteries built fo…
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Hey, it’s Javier. Quick update: Meghan Walsh, the subject of my Cracks in the Fandom series, has filed copyright complaints on every major platform. As a result, Spotify and Patreon have temporarily taken down the series. My attorneys are already on it, and we expect everything to be restored soon. In the meantime, it’s Halloween weekend — so let’s…
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Taylor Swift’s Playbook Can Supercharge Indie Authors If You Learn The Right Lessons
35:00
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35:00Send us a text Support the show Want the uncut chaos + bonus episodes? Join us inside the cult at Patreon.com/TheBurnedOutMuse. Or find everything else (Discord, socials, freebies) at linktr.ee/theburnedoutmuse.By Onley James & Shannon Ezzell
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Plotting Agrarian Futures in the Global Black South with Dr. Jarvis McInnis
1:03:09
1:03:09
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1:03:09In this episode, Dr. Jarvis McInnis, author of Afterlives of the Plantation, joins PJ to explore the deep cultural, intellectual, and historical legacy of Black life in the American South. Focusing on the Tuskegee Institute and the complex legacy of Booker T. Washington, McInnis reveals how Black communities transformed the plantation’s afterlives …
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Important Update on “Cracks in the Fandom” Meghan Walsh, the subject of my latest series, filed a copyright infringement claim with all major podcast platforms. As a result, Patreon and Spotify have temporarily removed the episodes pending review. The good news? You can still listen to the entire series on Apple Podcasts. https://itunes.apple.com/u…
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117: 'Beyond the Wall of Sleep' by H.P. Lovecraft (Narrated in Full for Halloween on The Fringe FM!)
49:44
49:44
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49:44Happy Halloween -- but also, give this a listen any time of year if you're a fan of cosmic, existential horror and esoteric spirituality! To help celebrate this year on The Fringe FM, Joe Rupe of Lighting the Void invited me to read a short story of my choosing, and the first one that popped into my mind was this lesser known Lovecraft story that h…
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Two Fans Trace How Boys’ Love Shapes Identity, Community, And Taste
47:36
47:36
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47:36Send us a text Ever wonder why the second couple feels like the real main event? We sit down with Peachy—guest relations director for CitrusCon and creator of Church of BL—to trace how Boys’ Love evolves from gateway ships to full-blown obsession, and why fandom keeps returning to dangerous tropes, exquisite art, and redemption arcs that actually l…
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How the Great Books Changed My Life & Why They Matter for a New Generation with Dr. Roosevelt Montás
46:13
46:13
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46:13Join us as Dr. Roosevelt Montás, author of Rescuing Socrates, explores the transformative power of a liberal education. In this conversation, Montás critiques the current state of American higher education and advocates for a holistic approach that fosters self-reflection, empathy, civic engagement, and character development. He shares insights fro…
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Cracks in the Fandom — Part 3 (Edited Copyright Cut) PRETEND: Stories about real people pretending to be someone they’re not Michelle Ivey has been painted as the villain. Meghan Walsh calls her a stalker, a criminal, a threat to her life. She’s warned not to contact her. But in this episode, I do just that. I talk to Michelle. And what I find is s…
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116: VERMIN CLASS UNITE - Political Division is a Lost Cause Against the Elite
58:44
58:44
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58:44Welcome back to Black Hoodie Alchemy, folks! This week, we have a huge wild-card episode with the only political show I've ever done and probably will ever do. Really, the whole point is actually approaching politics from an apolitical standpoint. There really are no politics -- there are just common people and the ultra elite. The vermin and exter…
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How Teen Wolf Won Hearts—and Lost Its Pack
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55:39Send us a text Fans don’t just watch; they build. This week we trace how Teen Wolf lit up the internet with sharp humor, pulpy lore, and explosive chemistry—then fumbled the bag by turning on the very community that made the show a phenomenon. We talk through the early magic: Stiles as the stealth lead, Derek as the reluctant anchor, hunters with s…
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The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy with Ray Madoff
1:02:37
1:02:37
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1:02:37In this episode, Ray Madoff, author of The Second Estate, breaks down how the U.S. tax code has enabled the wealthiest Americans to avoid paying their fair share, creating a modern aristocracy. She explains why understanding taxes is essential for every citizen and highlights the strategies the wealthy use to minimize their tax burden. The conversa…
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Meghan Walsh says she is being stalked by three people. One of them is Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay. Sounds impossible, right? But she’s not the only one saying it. In this episode, we meet Lauren. She claims to be the biological mother of Mariska’s adopted daughter. Her story begins with a supposed secret adoption, and spirals into accus…
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#070 - Sport Psychology with Dr. Alex Auerbach
49:51
49:51
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49:51In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Ryan Moyer speaks with performance psychologist Dr. Alex Auerbach about sport psychology and his new book, Called to Greatness: Your Personal Playbook for the Pursuit of Excellence They discuss the essential elements of preparing for high-stakes competition, how to embody a mindset rooted in confidence and focus,…
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From Monster-of-the-Week to Fandom Juggernaut: Supernatural’s 15-Season Evolution
50:08
50:08
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50:08Send us a text Two writers who love fandom and hate sloppy endings sit down to unpack how Supernatural morphed from a gritty monster-of-the-week into a 15-season cultural juggernaut. We talk about why the Winchesters became comfort TV, how the show’s self-aware humor and meta episodes (hello, The French Mistake and Fan Fiction) built trust, and the…
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Every Noise at Once: Spotify, Music Discovery, and Human Connection with Glenn McDonald
1:05:38
1:05:38
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1:05:38By CG Productions
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By True Story Media
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