People Stuff is a write-in, anthropology advice podcast wherein we answer all sorts of questions with the weird and wonderful wisdom that anthropology offers. From whether you should make your bed to what you owe to the dead, no dilemma is too tiny, no conundrum too vast for a little bit of anthropology. After all, as a species, we've been human-ing for like 300,000 years already. Surely we've figured some stuff out.
All content for People Stuff is the property of Michael Scroggins, Dan Souleles and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
People Stuff is a write-in, anthropology advice podcast wherein we answer all sorts of questions with the weird and wonderful wisdom that anthropology offers. From whether you should make your bed to what you owe to the dead, no dilemma is too tiny, no conundrum too vast for a little bit of anthropology. After all, as a species, we've been human-ing for like 300,000 years already. Surely we've figured some stuff out.
Dan and Michael Get Spooked: The Anthropology of Fear and Other Modern Hauntings
People Stuff
1 hour 2 minutes 35 seconds
3 months ago
Dan and Michael Get Spooked: The Anthropology of Fear and Other Modern Hauntings
This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael sink their teeth into the strange and the spooky — from vampire lifestyles and Nazi fanboys to the mysterious Jersey Devil lurking in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
They start with a “What Fresh Hell” segment exploring the surprising backlash against empathy, before diving into three listener questions that veer from the undead to the unhinged:
High Stakes: A listener obsessed with vampires wonders — is it normal to want to become one? Dan and Michael dissect the anthropology of the night, from bloodlust to cultural obsession.
I Did Not See That Coming: A young soldier asks why people are still drawn to Nazis. The hosts unpack fascism’s dark appeal, drawing on anthropology and history to explain why extremist movements persist.
Devil Got My Tongue: A park ranger in the Pine Barrens asks about the persistence of monsters like the Jersey Devil. Dan and Michael debate whether monsters serve as scapegoats or companions to human loneliness.
Along the way, the duo “fix” America’s public lands, roast Peter Thiel (again), and end with an ad from this week’s totally legitimate sponsor: Fairy Circles™ — for parties that last forever.
People Stuff
People Stuff is a write-in, anthropology advice podcast wherein we answer all sorts of questions with the weird and wonderful wisdom that anthropology offers. From whether you should make your bed to what you owe to the dead, no dilemma is too tiny, no conundrum too vast for a little bit of anthropology. After all, as a species, we've been human-ing for like 300,000 years already. Surely we've figured some stuff out.
