Hysterical Hysteria

sara

A podcast for women, trans women and AFAB

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Marie LaVeaux

    Marie Laveau: The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans (and a Slavery Disclaimer) Sara opens with a disclaimer apologizing for sarcastic remarks about slavery in the episode, clarifying she condemns slavery as violent, unethical, and immoral and wants the history taught. Sara and Gina share podcast updates (86 downloads as of Aug. 30, roughly top 25% of new podcasts), ask listeners for five-star reviews to boost visibility and attract advertisers, and thank several listeners by name. They then discuss Marie Laveau’s background through her maternal lineage from Senegal to New Orleans, the complexities of slavery and racial caste terms like “mulatto” and “quadroon,” and Laveau’s upbringing in a matriarchal, Catholic-yet-African-ritual tradition. Marie becomes a renowned hairdresser, counselor, midwife, nurse, and voodoo leader, blending Catholicism with voodoo, leading St. John’s Eve celebrations, aiding prisoners and the sick, and guarding secrets. They cover her relationships, children, death in 1881, tomb pilgrimage traditions, and legends of Marie II and modern sightings, then list sources and explain they are banking episodes due to a busy work season. 00:00 Content Warning Disclaimer 02:39 Podcast Milestones Update 04:25 Reviews and Listener Shoutouts 05:52 Meet Marie Laveau 07:11 Roots in Slavery Era 08:29 New Orleans Changing Laws 10:34 Rita and Marie Birth 11:56 Derogatory Terms Explained 14:11 Matriarchal Upbringing 16:51 Hairdresser to Power Broker 19:55 Marriage and Caste Labels 21:03 Widowhood and New Partner 22:37 Money Myths and Hard Times 23:12 Midwife to Voodoo Leader 24:28 St Johns Eve Rituals 25:10 Legacy Death and Tomb 27:08 Marie II and Immortality Rumors 29:07 Why Men Feared Her 30:34 Sources and Research Notes 32:07 Podcast Scheduling Update 33:08 Life Updates and Farm Event 36:09 Wrap Up and Contact Info hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com Sources You tube, "Marie LaVeaux-The Real Life of New Orleans Legendary Voodoo Queen" by Darkest Lives, a Bing Video You Tube, "Marie LaVeaux: The New Orleans Voodoo Queen" by Legends of History cemeteryneworleans.com "The Real Marie LaVeaux: Truths Behind Her Tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1" 11/1/2025 64parished.org "Marie LaVeaux" by Carolyn Morrow Long, 10/12/2017, updated on 2/9/2021 Britannica

  2. Oct 10

    Alice Kyteler

    Dame Alice Kyteler: Ireland’s First Witch Trial and the Scapegoating of Petronella de Meath The hosts of Hysterical Hysteria open with a trigger warning and discuss starting a Halloween “witchy” series, noting historical witch hunts targeted unconventional or wealthy women and drawing parallels to modern “witch hunt” rhetoric. They cover Alice Kyteler (born circa 1263), considered the first woman in Ireland accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn. A wealthy businesswoman with four husbands—three dying under unclear circumstances—Alice was targeted after husband Richard DeVault’s adult children spread rumors when he left her money. Bishop Richard de la Dread brought sensational charges including demonic sex, secret rituals, and murdering husbands for wealth, despite church-state limits and creditors’ motives. Alice, her son William Jr., and servants were arrested; Alice escaped, but servant Petronella de Meath was tortured and burned in 1324, the only recorded Irish witch burning. William Jr. received penance and a costly roof repair punishment. 00:00 Content Warning 00:12 Catch Up Banter 00:48 Halloween Witch Series 02:29 Why Women Were Accused 04:00 Alice Kyteler Origins 06:25 Husbands One and Two 08:18 Husbands Three and Four 12:14 Money Motive and Bishop 16:56 Arrest and Escape 18:51 Petronella Tragedy 19:33 Willie Punishment Fallout 22:30 Sources and Wrap Up 24:10 Outro and Contact Info hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com historickilkenny.com "Dame Alice Kyteler" no author/date listed historyireland.com "The Sorcery Trial of Alice Kyteler" by Bernadette Williams "The Imfamous Medieval Witch Case of Alice Kyteler" Youtube video by Medieval Madness "The Witchcraft Trial of Alice Kyteler" Youtube, by Footnoting History, hosted by Kristin

  3. Oct 3

    The Broom Closet

    Coming Out of the Broom Closet: A Personal Witchcraft Story The host opens with a content warning about violence against women and explains Gina is off for the day, then celebrates October and Halloween by introducing a month-long plan to cover four historical “witches.” She shares her personal story of identifying as a witch after becoming disillusioned with mainstream religions and reconnecting spiritually through gardening, describing Mother Earth as the feminine divine and paganism as rooted in nature’s life-death cycles. She discusses sensing energy in places, including a negative experience in a stagnant apartment and a visceral reaction at Sachsenhausen, and criticizes religious hypocrisy and harm done in religion’s name while urging nonjudgment and alignment between beliefs and actions. She outlines her rituals and tools (broom, wand, crystals, herbs, spells). hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

  4. Sep 26

    Mammograms

    Beyond the Panini Press: New Alternatives to Mammograms Two hosts discuss mammograms as breast-cancer screening, describing the painful “squeezing” process, especially for dense breast tissue, and how mammograms can be less useful for them, often requiring follow-up ultrasounds that may not be covered by insurance. They review emerging alternatives: photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) using laser light and sound to create 3D maps without radiation; VeraScan, a face-down 3D scan with less radiation and no compression; dedicated breast CT (IzoView) for fast 360-degree imaging, helpful with implants; an experimental fingerprint sweat test using mass spectrometry and AI; molecular breast imaging as a supplement after mammograms using radioactive tracer; AI-enhanced mammography to improve detection and reduce false positives; “Blue Box” at-home urine testing using AI modeled on dogs’ olfaction; and an MIT smart-bra wearable ultrasound. They argue more women in STEM and better funding could make screening more tolerable and increase participation. 00:00 Content Warning 00:17 Catching Up 02:03 Mammograms Today 02:16 Pain and Dense Tissue 04:06 First Mammogram Story 06:26 Why Mammograms Fail 08:47 New Tech Hope 10:07 PACT Explained 13:10 VeraScan 3D Scan 15:02 Dedicated Breast CT 15:59 Fingerprint Sweat Test 17:59 Molecular Breast Imaging 19:48 AI Enhanced Reads 21:45 Blue Box Urine AI Test 23:34 Smart Bra Ultrasound Patch 24:38 Why Mammograms Get Avoided 25:45 Funding AI and Women in STEM 27:04 Insurance and Hospital Pushback 29:21 Pap Smear Tech Gets Easier 31:12 Family Health Talk Bowel Habits 33:12 Plans Money and Sign Off 35:50 Where to Find the Show hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com

  5. Sep 19

    Size Matters

    Painful sex can come from an array of different reasons. What are they and what we can do about it. From trauma to genetics, the most important part of the equation is your partner and patience.  hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com sources Healthline.com "Busting the Myths Behind Vaginal Tightness" by Valinda Riggins Nwadike, MD, MPH, OB/GYN intimaterose.com "Common Causes for a Tight Vagina and How to Loosen Things Up" by Dr. Amanda Olson, DPT, PRPC Hingehealth.com, cancer.uthscsa.edu for yoga poses

  6. Sep 12

    Women and True Crime

    Why Women Are Obsessed With True Crime (and What We Can Change) The hosts discuss women’s fascination with true crime, noting the audience is about 80% female while around 90% of violent crimes are committed by men, and that when women are victims it is often by a partner or someone they know. They share favorite true crime shows and podcasts, then outline AI-suggested reasons for the interest: education and recognizing warning signs, empathy for victims, psychological “control” by consuming fear safely, satisfaction when cases are solved and accountability is delivered, and empowerment through learning protective strategies and “red flags.” They connect the genre’s rise to online dating and the need for women to vet matches, citing statistics on vetting and unmatching. They also address media bias toward missing/violated white, attractive, middle-class women, urging fans to demand coverage of underreported cases involving Black, brown, and especially Indigenous women and those labeled as living “riskier lifestyles,” and they list cited sources. 00:00 Content Warning 00:13 Llama Day Banter 01:28 Women and True Crime Setup 01:42 Favorite Crime Shows 03:27 Podcast Obsessions 05:25 Knowing Cases Too Well 07:03 Why Women Watch 08:20 Stats and Reality Check 09:07 AI Explains the Appeal 10:37 Empathy and Control 12:26 Accountability and Justice 14:40 Coping and Dark Humor 16:15 Heroes and Victim Clues 17:09 Crowdsourcing and Sleuthing 18:09 True Crime Meets Dating Apps 19:11 Vetting Matches Like FBI 21:20 Multitasking and Getting It Done 22:31 Puzzles and Problem Solvers 23:58 Missing White Woman Syndrome 25:37 Demand Better Coverage 28:31 Indigenous Cases and Jurisdiction 29:24 Sources and Wrap Up 30:14 Life Updates and Goodbyes 31:57 Dog Check and Paw Injury 34:05 Where to Find Us hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com Sources:  pschyologytoday.com "Why the True Crime Audience is Predominantly Female" by Dr. Scott A. Bonn, PhD, 11/7/2023 oprahdaily.com "The Real Reason So Women Are Obsessed with True Crime" by Kate Rope, 11/10/2025 guardian.com "Why Do Women Love True Crime So Much? I Have a Theory." by Nancy Joe Sales, 7/5/2023 derby.ac.uk "Why Are We So Obsessed With True Crime?" from pressoffice@derby.ac.uk, issue 11

  7. Sep 5

    Lilith

    Lilith, “Schnitzy,” and the Demonization of Women’s Autonomy The hosts open with a content warning and chat about a midsummer celebration at the Swedish Embassy, pole dancing jokes, and filming a nursing training video on perineal cleaning, which leads to discussing nicknames for their vaginas (Sara’s “Lily,” now short for “Lilith,” and Gina’s “schnitzel,” later “Schnitzy”). They then recount Lilith traditions: as Adam’s first wife created from the same clay, refusing submission, leaving Eden by speaking the divine name, and later being portrayed in Jewish and later texts as a demon/succubus blamed for infant deaths, miscarriages, and nocturnal emissions, including amulet lore and other depictions (owl, vampire, serpent body). They argue the story was used to enforce women’s submission and highlight Lilith’s modern feminist symbolism (Lilith Fair, a Jewish women’s magazine). They close with sources, talk about an armored Lexus loaner versus a broken old car, gardening plans, DC disruptions, age hypocrisy in politics, FIFA as a global unifier, and a dog wanting a walk. 00:00 Content Warning 00:17 Midsummer Maypole Banter 00:52 Pole Dancing Tangent 02:23 Nurse Training Video Explained 04:23 Naming Lily and Schnitzel 08:37 Lilith Adam First Wife 11:49 Lilith Flees Eden 13:10 Angels Threaten Lilith 16:12 Amulet Deal and Demon Blame 19:17 Translation Kabbalah Succubus 21:47 Gender Beyond Binary 22:14 Lilith Demon Origins 22:52 Patriarchy Warning Tale 23:43 Monsters and Symbols 24:56 Lilith Reclaimed 25:49 Lilith Fair Backlash 26:18 Rewrite the Narrative 27:44 Sources and Credits 28:50 Loaner Car Love 33:55 DC Chaos and Politics 37:02 FIFA and Global Joy 40:31 Dog Walk Goodbye 43:18 Outro and Contact hystericalhysteria.com hystericalsaragina@gmail.com Sources: Biblicalarchaeology.com "Lilith" by Janet Howe Gaines, 3/23/2026 myjewishlearning.com "Lilith: Lady Flying in Darkness" by Rabbi Dr. Jill Hammer. youtube video "The Most Famous Ancient Female Demon: The True Sumerian Story of Lilith

  8. Aug 29

    The Color Pink

    The Color Pink: How Pink and Blue Became Gendered The hosts discuss favorite colors and focus on why pink is associated with girls and blue with boys, arguing it is largely learned and marketing-driven. They explain that before the 1940s children commonly wore white and colors were not gendered; in 1918 a trade publication even suggested pink for boys and blue for girls. They describe a post–World War II shift in the 1940s–50s as companies reinforced traditional gender roles through advertising and consumer goods, a dip during women’s liberation in the 1960s–70s, and a resurgence in the 1980s with prenatal sex identification and increased commercialization. They critique gender reveal parties (citing a wildfire and a fatal accident) and advocate respecting LGBTQ and non-binary identities. Studies are cited showing no infant color preference, rapid indoctrination, and different adult treatment based on baby clothing color. 00:00 Content Warning Intro 00:16 Sunny Day Catch Up 01:15 Meal Prep And Music Finds 04:39 Pink Theme And Men Warning 05:25 Favorite Colors Talk 07:04 When Colors Weren't Gendered 09:08 Pink For Boys Blue For Girls 10:13 WWII Marketing And Gender Roles 13:48 Liberation Era Color Shift 15:00 Ultrasounds And Gendered Baby Gear 17:08 Rise Of Gender Reveals 17:42 Gender Reveal Backlash 19:30 LGBTQ Rights Line 20:38 Why We Love Blue 21:27 Red Preference Myths 23:15 Kids Learn Color Bias 25:22 Colorful Homes Beige Hate 27:04 Pink Pride And Pushback 29:11 Pink Paper And Pink Men 31:39 Color Should Be Fluid 33:37 Sources And Sign Off

  9. Aug 22

    Umoja

    Umoja: Kenya’s Women-Only Village Resisting FGM and Abuse The hosts of Hysterical Hysteria (with trigger warnings for sexual assault, violence, death/suicide, and abuse) discuss Umoja, a women-only village founded in 1990 in Kenya’s Samburu County, where girls may be forced into marriage as young as 12 and subjected to female genital mutilation. They describe severe local misogyny and add allegations tied to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK), which has operated for decades in exchange for $45 million annually, leaving environmental damage and reportedly enabling assaults and other crimes without accountability; evidence gathered in 2012 was allegedly denied and then “misplaced.” The episode centers on Rebecca Lolosoli, who, after being beaten for speaking against FGM, formed Umoja with other women cast out or fleeing. Umoja sustains itself via tourism, jewelry sales, security measures, and education, has rules barring men from living there, and has inspired similar villages. 00:00 Content Warning 00:15 Morning Catch Up 00:38 AC Sticker Shock 02:10 Errand Miracle 02:45 Introducing Umoja 03:33 Trigger Warnings 04:22 Life for Women Samburu 06:53 Tradition and Perspective 08:36 British Army in Kenya 11:03 Abuse and Aftermath 13:50 Rebecca Founds Umoja 15:11 Building a Safe Village 17:02 Men Try to Undermine 19:00 Women Defend Umoja 20:02 Building a Women Run Economy 21:41 Rules of the Village 23:26 Fighting FGM Through Education 25:29 British Military Abuse Cover Up 28:45 Support Umoja Jewelry 31:02 Why Umoja Matters 32:18 FGM Reality Check 34:06 Sources and Last Thoughts 36:19 Episode Wrap and Contact Info

  10. Aug 15

    Hysteria

    Hysterical Hysteria Ep. 1: Hysteria—A Catch-All Diagnosis Used to Control Women Hosts Sara and Gina introduce their podcast Hysterical Hysteria, explaining they met while training as genitourinary teaching associates who use their bodies to teach breast and pelvic exams, and that the show supports women, those who identify as women, and those assigned female at birth, with humor and serious discussion plus trigger warnings about assault and violence. Their first episode examines “hysteria,” describing its historical use as a patriarchal catch-all diagnosis for women, its Greek root meaning uterus, and its removal from the DSM only in 1980. They review purported symptoms and “treatments” (including marital sex, pregnancy, childbirth, and abusive “rest cures”), trace beliefs from Egypt, Greek philosophers, Romans, Christianity, Charcot’s asylum demonstrations, and Freud’s conversion disorder, and recount Marie (“Queen of Hysteria”), later thought to have psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. They connect hysteria to modern PTSD and current harms to women, then share where to find and contact the show. 00:00 Content Warning 00:45 Casual Catch Up 01:42 Workday Chaos 02:37 Birthday Week Curse 04:07 How We Met 05:41 Podcast Mission 07:13 Naming The Show 07:45 Trigger Warning Again 09:33 Hysteria Word Trauma 11:11 Patriarchy Control 14:50 Symptoms Explained 21:01 Treatments And Abuse 24:30 Meaning And DSM 26:37 Ancient Origins 29:07 Greek Philosophy Misogyny 31:09 Sexist Double Standards 32:22 Hippocrates And Healers 33:49 Miscarriage And Menopause Blame 35:28 Saints Satan And Exorcisms 38:30 Bad Air And Lazy Women 39:22 Charcot Asylum Spectacles 42:11 Freud And Modern Progress 43:40 Marie Queen Of Hysteria 56:09 Trauma Reframed As PTSD 57:01 Reclaiming Hysterical 59:31 Goodbyes And Contact Info

  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A podcast for women, trans women and AFAB

Information

  • Creator
    sara
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hysterical Hysteria
  • Show Website
    Hysterical Hysteria

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